This research selected the social practice of Fo Guang Shan’s Humanistic Buddhism as the study subject. It examined the relationship between its "going into the society" practice framework of modernization and daily-living and the transcendental liberation practice of the Early Buddhism. In addition, this study used the contemporary sociology theory of Religious Economy Model to analyze the social practice of Fo Guang Shan’s Humanistic Buddhism. Results revealed that the development of Fo Guang Shan’s Humanistic Buddhism and the Early Buddhism were both influenced by the political, economic, and social factors at their times. Early Buddhism emphasized on the doctrine of liberation through monastic life and ultimately attained Nirvana through monastic life outside of the society. It considered the monastics as the core in promoting the Dharma. On the other hand, Fo Guang Shan’s Humanistic Buddhism emphasized on the social practice of the Dharma and advocated the equality of the Sangha and lay practitioners. The lay practitioners can participate in the religious activities and the propagation of Dharma similar to the monastics. Although both groups set their foundation on the philosophy of practice, Fo Guang Shan Monastic emphasized the promotion of ethics in secular life, while Early Buddhism stressed the liberation of transmigration through the realization of non-self. In addition, this study also found that the "going into the society" monastics, while they were engaging in secular matters with a sacred spirit, and spiritual supremacy, with the aim of transcendental liberation, they still had to face with the critics about sacred and secular arguments. The present study used theories of Religious Economy Model to analyze the social practice of Fo Guang Shan’s Humanistic Buddhism. It found that through the use of market mechanisms, that is, religious doctrines, religious services, and religious activities combined with secular elements, and that through the use of religious channel to manage believers and potential believers were highly related to the development of religious organizations. The theory of Religious Economy Model allowed us to understand the functions of religious organizations and to understand relationship between the practice of religious organizations and modernization.
