Innovation and Continuity in the Pure Lands： Pure Land Discourses and Practices at the Taiwanese Buddhist Order Dharma Drum Mountain=淨土的承先與啟後：臺灣法鼓山的淨土主張與修行
Pure Land=淨土; Contemporary Chinese Buddhism=當代漢傳佛教; Dharma Drum Mountain=法鼓山; Renjian Buddhism=人間佛教; Taiwanese Buddhism=臺灣佛教
摘要
Historically, pure land notions and practices have played an important role in Chinese Buddhism. Yet very little research has been done with regard to their contemporary role. This article tries to fill this gap by examining different concepts and practices of pure land at a contemporary Taiwanese Chan Buddhist group, Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM). It is based on extensive fieldwork, examination of DDM’s publications, and the writings of the organization’s founder, Ven. Shengyan. Pure land is at the crossing point of three distinctive discourses at DDM: (1) Modernist notions of the pure land on earth developed in the twentieth Century, (2) Amitabha related pure land practices like nianfo which are very popular with the laity and provide assistance in dealing with the universal problem of death, and(3) mind-only understandings that mediate the tensions between the two on a doctrinal level. I aim to assess how these discourses are negotiated and integrated by a variety of human actors who act in a particular historical context. Hereby I hope th achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the forces that are producing contemporary forms of Buddhist religiosity in Asia.
Pure Land in Chinese Buddhism 174 Shengyan and the Buddhist Reformers 178 Pure Land in Shengyan's writings 180 The Establishment of Dharma Drum Mountain 187 Pure Land "on the ground" 195 Conclusion 202 References 205 Primary Sources 205 Secondary Sources 206 Dharma Drum Mountains websites 210
