慈濟宗門的經典詮釋與環境思想 -- 從故事佛學視角的考察=The Environmental Thoughts and Interpretation of Buddhist Canon in the Essence Tzuchi Foundation Stories--An Analysis of the Narration of Buddhist Stories
Story-telling has always been an important and powerful means for the spread of Buddhism in Taiwan. In stories, the real life experience, the wisdom of practicing Buddhist teachings, and the courage to fulfill one’s vows are expressed with the rhetoric drawing from Buddhist canons. The power of these stories not only solidifies the followers’ faith but also inspire them to form their interpretations of the Buddhist teachings. The plots of the story are usually based on the authors’ life experience in a given historical context, so the plots often reflect the issues that people are facing at the time and the vision of a Buddhist figure as a response to these issues are also included in the narration of the stories. In many Buddhist stories, Buddhist ethics are also unfolded through the narration of the stories. Therefore, the story-teller’s interpretations of Buddhist teachings are reflected in the languages of the story. This paper analyzes a group of Buddhist stories told by Master Cheng Yen, the founder of Tzuchi (Buddhist Compassion Relief TCBC Foundation) that expresses the essence of this charity group. Through the narration of these stories, Master Cheng Yen readdresses the issue of global warming by using the languages drawn from Buddhist canons. With set phrases and ideas from Buddhist canons as the main components of her stories, Master Cheng Yen proposed a view for salvation by seeing the entire earth as an organic collective entity. This new idea of salvation has broadened the existing discussions about the concept of “pure land in the human realm.” Buddhist teachings were practiced through the actions to purify the environment, and Buddhist canons become theoretical foundations for environmental protection.
