Autobiography, a self-written narrative normally documenting one's own life, seems to work on a concept of self that is contradictory to one of the core Buddhist beliefs: the "self" is an illusion. It is therefore interesting to examine and review an example of a Buddhist monk's autobiography, to analyze how the concept of the self is represented, and to further explore the role such a narrative is made to play in the context of contemporary Buddhist teachings. Master Yin Shun 印順 (1906-2005) was a well-known Chinese Buddhist scholar-monk. His advocating of a socially engaged Buddhism also resulted in the establishment of Tzu-Chi Buddhist Foundation, an important charitable foundation based in Taiwan. Master Yin Shun's autobiography was written in three stages, marking three points of major illness in his life. His personal narrative was written in the form of an address to the readers and the direct sharing of Buddhist teachings while indirectly using his own life as an example of the manifestation of the dharma. The discussion will first set the background of Buddhist personal narratives starting from the early biographies of monks, to discuss the evolution of the role of such personal narratives in the context of Buddhism. Then Master Yin Shun's autobiography will be examined as an example of contemporary Buddhist autobiography, in order to understand how this new genre of writing serves as a skillful means to communicate the Buddha’s teachings to readers.
目次
Introduction: An Ordinary Life for Everyone 3 Historical Overview of Monastic Biographies as Buddhist Teaching 6 Autobiography as a Literary Agreement: Identity of the Three Subjects and the Self 10 Master Yin Shun’s Empty Self in An Ordinary Lif 13 "Using Buddhadharma to Study Buddhadharma:" Humanistic Buddhism and the Three Seals 18 Conclusion 29
