Taiwan went through an intense period of social change in 1949. The island's politics, economy, ethnicity …… had undergone considerable change. In response this period of tumultuous change, Master Dong Chu founded the "Humanity" magazine to help people cope.
Seventy years later, "Humanity" had weathered being shelved, relaunched and redesigned. It still continues to publish topics that help people cope with the changes in today's world monthly. As "Humanity" approaches its 70th anniversary, it is encountering a different kind of changing world. 27 June 2018, with the aim of sharing the diversity of spiritual practices, we invited dharma masters from different traditions to share the compassion and wisdom of Buddhadharma. The full texts of the keynote speeches and panels are included in this special issue of " Awakening in the Global Buddhist Village".
"Humanity's" guiding teacher, Master Sheng Yen, dedicated his life to bringing Chinese Chan Buddhism to the West. Many Westerners who became his students twenty to thirty years ago continue to follow his footsteps, engage in self cultivation and teaching, establish centers and transmit the lineage. How did they discover Chan Buddhism and how did they find their teacher, Master Sheng Yen? These stories of the teacher and the student are very inspirational.
In the twenty first century, on this 70th anniversary of "Humanity" magazine, Buddhism has spread around the world resembling a global Buddhist village. From the United States of America, Bhikkhu Bodhi described his process of transformation from a traditional monastic to that of a social advocator because he witnessed the oppression of human beings caused by the current social systems; to Italy's Bhikkhun? Dhammadinn? who shared about her journey of how she went from learning dancing to engaging in Buddhist research and ultimately to becoming a female monastic.
Contributing to the world in our capacity of Chinese Chan Buddhism, "Humanity"70 along with the Buddhist Dharma family all over the world and our friends on the same path, let us "Awaken in the Global Buddhist Village"!
About the Humanity magazine
Founded in 1949, Humanity magazine was the first Buddhist magazine published and released in Taiwan. Founded by Ven. Dong Chu and later continued by his disciple Master Sheng Yen, it has been one of the most influential magazines in Taiwan’s Buddhist circles.
Humanity magazine concerns itself about contemporary development of Buddhism, and puts an emphasis on the uplifting of people’s minds and spiritual lives. Each month’s topic not only touches upon various social phenomena, but also explores from Buddhist concepts to worldly studies, to encourage readers to search their inner beings and incorporate Buddhist practice into their daily lives. For cover and layout design, the magazine has invited outstanding illustrators to help render an elegant yet fun style, thus through pages allowing readers to slow down and find a space for spiritual relaxation, self-transformation, and the enjoyment of purity and freedom by applying the Dharma in life.
The magazine had been discontinued for a while due to Master Sheng Yen’s solitary retreat practice. When it was reissued in 1982, as an encouragement, he wrote:
Seek progress in the ordinary life and see the glory of life in hardship.
Seek development in harmony and see the hope in the hard work.
Seek abundance in peace and calm and see the solemness in the training.
Seek wisdom in silence and see the compassionate aspiration in the proactive commitment.
In the future, the Humanity magazine will continue to uphold Master Sheng Yen’s encouragements and expectations, to keep on sharing Buddhist wisdom and compassion, to help bring brightness and hope to the world.
本書的焦點放在藏傳佛教中噶舉派主要的修持主題──大手印,其中收錄了多位具備大手印傳承大師的教授文本,也是該派重要的修持文本與指導教授參考,是以一種簡單又直接的方法來讓行者了悟自心本質。大手印法門首次出現在北印度,後經各種傳法經印度人和藏人進入西藏,最後融入噶舉傳承中。當今噶舉派首屈一指的大學者堪千創古仁波切(Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche)曾精選出十一篇關於大手印的著作,本書則收錄了其中六篇。大手印的藏音為「恰千」(藏文:phyag chen),意為「大封印」。大手印傳承大師對它的解釋是:萬法為佛果所封印,而佛果即是本來圓滿、本俱的真實本質,所以,此心無可增、也無可減,除了本來具有的,無有其他解脫可得。有些人一聽到「大手印」,就覺得這似乎是高深莫測的教法,要證悟它恐怕很難。但大師卻告訴我們:無法證悟大手印不是因為它太難,而是因為它太簡單;不是因為它太遠,而是因為它太近;不是因為它太隱晦,而是因為它太顯而易見。關於大手印的修持通常分為前行跟正行兩個部分,前行簡言之就是進入正式修持前的準備工作,正行即是進入大手印的真正修持。然而前行的重要性是毫不遜色於正行,它是修持大手印的基礎,有了穩固的基礎表示行者的心續已趨向成熟,而堪能接受直指心性的法教、澈見心性的本質。
作者簡介堪千創古仁切波(Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche)噶舉派長老,是兼具學養與實證的大師,備受藏傳佛教四大教派的推崇。1933年出生於西藏。四歲時,被第十六世大寶法王噶瑪巴和第十一世泰錫度仁波切,共同認證為第九世創古仁波切,並於西藏青海創古札西卻林本寺舉行坐床大典。22歲時,仁波切由第十六世大寶法王授予比丘戒。33歲時,仁波切順利通過藏傳佛教各派共學之五部大論及噶舉傳承專研之論典的辯經口試,由尊勝的第十四世達賴喇嘛授予藏傳佛教最高的格西學位,正式認定為藏傳佛教四大傳承的合格導師。回隆德寺後,第十六世大寶法王噶瑪巴授予其「堪千」(即「大堪布」)的頭銜,並獲封「三藏總持師」,是隆德寺及所有噶舉派之堪布,並成為隆德寺及其所屬那爛陀學院的住持。1976年起,應第十六世大寶法王要求至國外傳法,為各種不同根器的佛子開啟佛法大門。2000年,達賴喇嘛任命創古仁波切為第十七世大寶法王的總經教師。仁波切弘法足跡遍及歐、美及亞洲各地,利益各地佛子,不分顯密,有教無類。著作甚多,中譯出版的有:《止觀禪修》《直指法身》《轉心四思維》《成佛的藍圖》《鮮活的覺性》《惹瓊巴傳》《帝洛巴傳》《噶舉三祖師──馬爾巴傳》等等。譯者簡介直貢敬安仁波切、陳碧君、彼得.艾倫.羅伯斯 (Peter Alan Roberts)藏譯中者-直貢敬安仁波切出生於西藏南謙仲巴家族,接受普通中文教育至國中,十七歲於楚布寺出家,學習噶瑪噶舉派教法並閉關三年,之後跟隨上師朗欽仁布欽學習寧瑪及直貢噶舉派教法,期間擔任上師翻譯工作直至恩師圓寂。現居美國從事傳法及譯經。譯者-陳碧君台灣台北人。美國羅格斯大學(Rutgers University)電機系博士,曾在美任職於通訊科技公司十餘年,譯有若干本佛教書籍。英譯者-彼得.艾倫.羅伯斯 (Peter Alan Roberts)出生於威爾斯,目前居住在加州好萊塢。他於牛津大學哈里斯-曼徹斯特學院(Harris-Manchester College)取得梵文和巴利文學士學位,以及西藏研究博士學位。三十多年來,羅伯斯翻譯西藏典籍,並擔任多位西藏上師的口譯。他專攻噶舉派和寧瑪派法教,尤其著重密續法門。他著有《惹瓊巴傳》一書(The Biographies of Rechungpa: The Evolution of a Tibetan Hagiography) (2007)。