After Buddhism was transmitted to China from around B.C.E. 2 onward, it met criticism from scholars of Confucianism and Taoism. During this period, as Buddhism was being assimilated and reinterpreted through the incorporation of Confucian and Taoist concepts, it also influenced Chinese culture. Ultimately, the viewpoint: “Same Origin of the Three Teachings” (三教同源) was developed in the Ming Dynasty. Through the vantage point of humanistic Buddhism, Master Taixu and Yinshun presented their critique of Confucianism and Taoism and incorporated thoughts from these two philosophies into Buddhism. However, scholars of Buddhism have not paid as much attention to Taoism as they have to the relationship between Buddhism and Confucianism. Thus the topic: How Taoist thoughts could assist in practicing Buddhist philosophy in the human realm, is worthy of investigation. Inspired by Master Taixu and Master Yinshun, Master Sheng Yen incorporated Taoist and Confucian thoughts into his philosophy for the protection of the spiritual environment. This paper explores three topics: First, how Master Sheng Yen was receptive to other religions and practices, especially Taoist practices. Second, Master Sheng Yen’s critique of Taoist philosophy is summarized. Third, Taoist thoughts found in Master Sheng Yen’s philosophy are discussed. I propose that Master Sheng Yen incorporated the Taoist practice of self-cultivation as part of a preliminary Buddhist practice and model for basic cultivation in the mundane world. Not only did Master Sheng Yen affirm the value of Taoist thoughts, he also demonstrated the positive quality of their application in real life.
