Whether researching on Early Buddhism, Early Buddhist Schools, Mahayana Buddhism, and up to Humanistic Buddhism, one of the unavoidable topics is the issue of economy, in which the utilization and perspective on wealth are part of the discussion. This dissertation explores the perspective of wealth of Venerable Master Hsing Yun by first examine the economic evolution of Buddhist temples, the methods modern Buddhism utilizes temple income to fund for education, and the rise of Humanistic Buddhism, and how these progresses influenced Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s perspective. By careful examination of traditional Buddhist allegories, this dissertation also infers that the Buddhist perspective on wealth transform from the material to the spiritual, placing emphasis on the latter. Through this spirit, Venerable Master Hsing Yun uses the Buddha Dharma as guide and mundane dharma as tool as he builds up his perspective on wealth base on the ideas of “creating potentials through emptiness” and “creating joy through the act of giving”. In today’s prosperous economy and media-advance society, the Humanistic Buddhism that Venerable Master Hsing Yun propagates possesses a Chan master’s prajñā wisdom and a bodhisattva’s Four Immeasurable Minds. Through the Venerable Master Hsing Yun Public Education Trust Fund, Venerable Master Hsing Yun aims to propagate Buddhism in a way that benefits the people, the society and the country, in so people can experience firsthand that Buddhism cares for their wellbeing. The Venerable Master Hsing Yun Public Education Trust Fund represents an education of moral conduct and values by placing emphasis on inspiring people through the humanities. Through education as well as purified media, Venerable Master is revolutionizing the society through the power of morality and establishing a harmonious society by purifying people’s minds, as well as the society, with the power of wholesomeness and beauty. With education, the economy will develop in a positive manner. Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s perspective on wealth is an important theoretical practice of Humanistic Buddhism that incorporates Buddhism in this modern era. It provides an important example for modern propagators of Humanistic Buddhism on how to spread the Dharma.
