This book is the first comprehensive sociological account and in-depth analysis of a new Chinese Buddhist movement, known as Tzu Chi (otherwise, the Buddhist Compassion Merit Society). Based in Taiwan, it was founded in 1966 and still led by a female Buddhist master – Master Cheng Yen. Its members are laity, and women play a major role. The main focus of the movement is medical charity – to ease and if possible prevent suffering and to teach ethics to the wealthy; at the same time, it also offers members a religion and a way of life. Recruitment typically attracts people from the urban middle class. With some 3.5 million members and a very low drop-out rate, Tzu Chi is extraordinarily successful, and has spread to other parts of the world, not least mainland China where it is attracting the attention of the general public and the media.
The book stands in the Anglo-American tradition of the sociology of religion; it also draws on the author’s knowledge of Buddhist history. The data come from participant observation and many long interviews. It will be of particular interest to students of new religious movements, religious studies in contemporary China, and studies in ethics and social change in East Asia. See Less
目次
Preliminary Material i–xix
Introduction: The Second Golden Age of Chinese Buddhism in Taiwan 1–36 Research Approach and Methods 37–58 The History of Tzu Chi: Organization, Leadership and Public Responses 59–79 Teachings and Practices: Altruism and Morality Become a Way of Life 80–104 The ‘New Middle Class’: The Social Composition of the Tzu Chi Membership 105–128 Becoming a Disciple: The Recruiting Strategy of Tzu Chi 129–152 Tzu Chi’s Organizational Structure and the Process of Socialization 153–180 The Appeal of Tzu Chi Buddhism 181–212 Does Tzu Chi Meet the Expectations of Current Sociological Theory? 213–225
Afterword 227–230 Appendix 231–232 Bibliography 233–240 Index 241–243
