Taiwan went through an intense period of social change in 1949. The island's politics, economy, ethnicity …… had undergone considerable change. In response this period of tumultuous change, Master Dong Chu founded the "Humanity" magazine to help people cope.
Seventy years later, "Humanity" had weathered being shelved, relaunched and redesigned. It still continues to publish topics that help people cope with the changes in today's world monthly. As "Humanity" approaches its 70th anniversary, it is encountering a different kind of changing world. 27 June 2018, with the aim of sharing the diversity of spiritual practices, we invited dharma masters from different traditions to share the compassion and wisdom of Buddhadharma. The full texts of the keynote speeches and panels are included in this special issue of " Awakening in the Global Buddhist Village".
"Humanity's" guiding teacher, Master Sheng Yen, dedicated his life to bringing Chinese Chan Buddhism to the West. Many Westerners who became his students twenty to thirty years ago continue to follow his footsteps, engage in self cultivation and teaching, establish centers and transmit the lineage. How did they discover Chan Buddhism and how did they find their teacher, Master Sheng Yen? These stories of the teacher and the student are very inspirational.
In the twenty first century, on this 70th anniversary of "Humanity" magazine, Buddhism has spread around the world resembling a global Buddhist village. From the United States of America, Bhikkhu Bodhi described his process of transformation from a traditional monastic to that of a social advocator because he witnessed the oppression of human beings caused by the current social systems; to Italy's Bhikkhun? Dhammadinn? who shared about her journey of how she went from learning dancing to engaging in Buddhist research and ultimately to becoming a female monastic.
Contributing to the world in our capacity of Chinese Chan Buddhism, "Humanity"70 along with the Buddhist Dharma family all over the world and our friends on the same path, let us "Awaken in the Global Buddhist Village"!
About the Humanity magazine
Founded in 1949, Humanity magazine was the first Buddhist magazine published and released in Taiwan. Founded by Ven. Dong Chu and later continued by his disciple Master Sheng Yen, it has been one of the most influential magazines in Taiwan’s Buddhist circles.
Humanity magazine concerns itself about contemporary development of Buddhism, and puts an emphasis on the uplifting of people’s minds and spiritual lives. Each month’s topic not only touches upon various social phenomena, but also explores from Buddhist concepts to worldly studies, to encourage readers to search their inner beings and incorporate Buddhist practice into their daily lives. For cover and layout design, the magazine has invited outstanding illustrators to help render an elegant yet fun style, thus through pages allowing readers to slow down and find a space for spiritual relaxation, self-transformation, and the enjoyment of purity and freedom by applying the Dharma in life.
The magazine had been discontinued for a while due to Master Sheng Yen’s solitary retreat practice. When it was reissued in 1982, as an encouragement, he wrote:
Seek progress in the ordinary life and see the glory of life in hardship.
Seek development in harmony and see the hope in the hard work.
Seek abundance in peace and calm and see the solemness in the training.
Seek wisdom in silence and see the compassionate aspiration in the proactive commitment.
In the future, the Humanity magazine will continue to uphold Master Sheng Yen’s encouragements and expectations, to keep on sharing Buddhist wisdom and compassion, to help bring brightness and hope to the world.
平安末期,源平爭霸之際,平家武將率領大批騎兵自京都長驅直入故都奈良,將國家佛教的信仰中心東大寺與興福寺,泰半夷為廢墟,史稱「南都(奈良)燒討」。朝廷對此血腥破壞大為震駭,下令重建東大寺建築與大佛像,希望藉此穩定國家政體,撫慰亡魂。
1181年8月,重源接受天皇的命令,募款修復東大寺。鑑於他的家庭背景、宗教素養、中國知識,以及擁有的人脈,選擇重源完全合理。接下來二十五年,重源不斷哄騙日本統治者提供他越來越多的權力、金錢及物資,來完成計畫。重源雇用許多大木匠師、藝術家與匠師讓計畫成形,而他變身成為外交家、募款人與承包商。他還遠赴鄉間去搜集原料。然而最重要的是,他以僧人身分主導法會儀軌,賦與這項計畫精神意義,將藝術品轉化為具有神聖力量的法器。天皇為獎勵重源功勞,賜予「大和尚」的尊稱,雕刻了他的肖像以示尊崇。重建工程開啟了一百年劇烈的文化騷動。重源時代創造的佛教藝術,包括雕像、繪畫、法器和建築,呼應了當時的國家精神與社會熱望,充滿驚人的生命力與表現力。
●作者簡介
羅森福 (John M. Rosenfield)出生美國德州,愛荷華大學碩士,哈佛大學藝術史博士(1959)。任教母校藝術史系(1965~1990)專攻印度佛教藝術,博士論文出版為《貴霜王朝藝術》(The Dynastic Arts of the Kushans, 1967)隨即前往京都學習日本美術,研究範圍涵蓋日本各時期佛教藝術,同時也發表關於德川幕府(江戶)時期建築、雕刻與町人美術研究。1988年榮獲日本政府旭日章賞,2001年山片蟠桃賞Yamagata Banto Prize,2012年美國史密森尼學會弗瑞爾獎章(Charles Lang Freer Medal)以表彰他對日本文化的貢獻。
●譯者簡介
顏娟英現任中央研究院史語所研究員(1995.8至今) 美國哈佛大學藝術史博士
台灣大學歷史系藝術史組碩士,堪薩斯大學藝術史碩士,哈佛大學藝術史博士。曾任職國立故宮博物院(1975~1977),加州大學洛杉磯分校(1985.1~7),中央研究院歷史語言研究所(1986迄今),中央大學藝術學研究所(2001~2003借調)。 研究領域主要分為中國與臺灣。中國美術史研究重點在中古時期的佛教藝術史,出版《鏡花水月》(2016);台灣美術史出版《風景心境--臺灣近代美術文獻導讀》(2002),《臺灣近代美術大事年表》(1998)。