Humanistic Buddhism is a paradigm shift for Buddhism. It has transformed Buddhism from a negative, passive, pessimistic, and reclusive religion, as well as a religion for the vegetarian elderly praying in the late Qing Dynasty, to one that is found in daily living, society, knowledge, youth, worldwide, and lively. In returning to the Buddha’s original intent, Venerable Master Hsing Yun affirms that the Buddha was a human being. Moreover, he was a human being that achieved Buddhahood through purifying the mind with the Dharma and improving quality of life. Humanistic Buddhism emphasizes truth over mystery, the multitude over the individual, society over seclusion, and benefiting others over self-interest. In other words, all teachings that constitute happiness in life are considered to be Humanistic Buddhism. Venerable Master Hsing Yun upholds the idea of “forge ahead in doing what is right” in the development of Fo Guang Shan and Humanistic Buddhism. This means that wherever there is a demand for it, there the Dharma will be. In terms of “Business Model Canvas,” the Value Proposition of Humanistic Buddhism is “to establish the Buddha’s vocation in the world.” Given that a specific target audience has specific needs, Fo Guang Shan will establish different administrative groups to meet those needs. Such is the reason why Fo Guang Shan has formed an enormous enterprise for Humanistic Buddhism. The Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, collectively the Triple Gem Mountain, are practical examples of Fo Guang Shan developing a different model for Humanistic Buddhism.
