Buddhist Modernism in the Philippines: Emerging Localization of Humanistic Buddhism

Aristotle Chan Dy

doi:10.3390/rel13030220

Abstract

Mahayana Buddhism is well known for being successfully implanted in various cultures. Chinese Buddhism, considered one of the three great religions of China along with Confucianism and Taoism, is a classic example. From China, Buddhism traveled further and, in the twentieth century, developed a particular way of engaging the world. Humanistic Buddhism, a particular form of engaged Buddhism that grew out of twentieth-century Chinese Buddhism, has been present in the Philippines since the 1990s and signaled a new phase in the growth of Buddhism in the country. In particular, the Philippine initiators of Foguangshan and Ciji did not limit themselves to the ethnic Chinese community from the outset, and both movements have achieved modest success in the last thirty years. By building on previous research with new inputs from key informants, this article explores the emerging localization of Foguangshan and Ciji in the predominantly Catholic Philippines, identifying the particular ways in which the two groups adapted their missions in the country.

Highlights

At the beginning of September 2021, the Ciji 慈濟 headquarters in Taiwan launched the Yin-Cheng Distinguished Lecture Series on Buddhism to honor their founder, Zhengyan 證嚴, and her own Master, Yinshun 印順
Ciji and Foguangshan are both forms of humanistic Buddhism that have operated in the Philippines for about thirty years since the early 1990s
I point out instances of localization as I present the information on Foguangshan and Ciji, mindful that thirty years of contemporary history is only the beginning of an ongoing and vibrant process

Summary

Introduction

At the beginning of September 2021, the Ciji 慈濟 headquarters in Taiwan launched the Yin-Cheng Distinguished Lecture Series on Buddhism to honor their founder, Zhengyan 證嚴, and her own Master, Yinshun 印順. Ciji and Foguangshan are both forms of humanistic Buddhism that have operated in the Philippines for about thirty years since the early 1990s. Ciji and Foguangshan were modern in their use of language and available technologies to promote their vision They were exemplars of Buddhist modernism in the kind of Buddhism they presented in the Philippines. I cite published sources about Ciji and Foguangshan, including materials from within the organizations, complemented by interviews with key informants These interviews allowed me to use the self-understanding of Ciji and Foguangshan members in the Philippines and propose Buddhist modernism as a framework for understanding their initial localization in the Philippines. I point out instances of localization as I present the information on Foguangshan and Ciji, mindful that thirty years of contemporary history is only the beginning of an ongoing and vibrant process. The Philippine experience of humanistic Buddhism contributes to the emerging discourse on global, contemporary Buddhism

Foguangshan and Ciji as Buddhist Modernism

Foguangshan in the Philippines

Ciji in the Philippines

Findings

Conclusions