佛法的當代適應與對治 ─以聖嚴法師的禮儀環保為中心=A Study On Adaptability And Applicability of Contemporary Buddhist Dharma ─ The Case of the "protecting the social environment" of Master Sheng Yen
This study was conducted based on 1994 Social Environment Protection, published by the Dharma Drum Mountain Foundation, to examine the connection between Master Sheng Yen’s concept of social environment protection and his promotion of Chan Buddhism. Previous research has primarily focused on the topic of environmental protection, and has rarely coordinated the topic with Master Sheng Yen’s ideas in founding the Dharma Drum Mountain. In response, the present study investigated the original founding principles of the Dharma Drum Mountain and identified whether social environmental protection constituted a significant principle in Master Sheng Yen’s spread of Buddhadharma. To realize the vision of the Dharma Drum Mountain, Master Sheng Yen promoted social environment protection to encourage people to practice the Buddhadharma in their everyday lives and thus achieve social purification, thereby fulfilling Buddhadharma by counteracting mental afflictions. However, the means by which people accept and become willing to practice the Buddhadharma lies in the localization or adaptation of the Buddhadharma. Master Sheng Yen divided social environment protection into the personal and group practices, which involve practices of discipline and generosity to counteract social concerns. The Avatamsaka Sūtra, the Lotus Sūtra, and the Vimalakīrti Sūtra are primary sources used to build a pure land on Earth. In Master Sheng Yen’s teachings regarding the interactions between sentient beings and humankind, the “four stages for uplifting our character” and “mindset development” are used to realize the principles of “causes and consequences” and “causes and conditions.” These teachings also represent the Bodhisattva practices that integrate heavenly and human realms and the liberation path. This paper describes Master Sheng Yen’s views toward the decline of Chan Buddhism and summarizes the events he participated in, as well as his works and lectures after he founded the Dharma Drum Mountain. Moreover, the meaning behind Master Sheng Yen’s actual practices aimed at spreading the Buddhadharma, the problems he had to resolve, and the relationship between social environment protection and the principles of Buddhist practice that he used are inferred and summarized. It was determined that the social environmental protection described by Master Sheng Yen conformed to the principle of timely teaching of the timeless truth; in other words, his concept conformed to the adaptation of the Buddhadharma and counteraction to mental afflictions. Thus, social environment protection served as Sheng Yen’s timely design for continuing Chan Buddhism.
