In today’s Buddhist sphere, numerous claims have been made on what the Buddha has taught. However, were they truly spoken by the Buddha? The Buddha-Dharma: Pure and Simple series is an exploration of over 300 topics, where Venerable Master Hsing Yun clarifies the Buddha’s teachings in a way that is accessible and relevant to modern readers. Erroneous Buddhist views should be corrected, the true meaning of the Dharma must be preserved in order to hold true to the original intents of the Buddha. This first installment contains 52 articles on the topics of faith and doctrine, laying the foundation for readers to learn and practice in the Buddha’s footsteps. Moreover, it also serves as an inspiration for practitioners to strive for Buddhahood and believe that “I am a Buddha.”

In today’s Buddhist sphere, numerous claims have been made on what the Buddha has taught. However, were they truly spoken by the Buddha? The Buddha-Dharma: Pure and Simple series is an exploration of over 300 topics, where Venerable Master Hsing Yun clarifies the Buddha’s teachings in a way that is accessible and relevant to modern readers. Erroneous Buddhist views should be corrected, the true meaning of the Dharma must be preserved in order to hold true to the original intents of the Buddha. All Buddhist practice begins with right view, for it is the compass that points toward the true path of cultivation. This fourth installment continues laying the groundwork of this foundation by addressing age-old misconceptions. Covering a wide range of social issues from the perspective of the Buddha-Dharma, Venerable Master offers readers a practical but profound approach to Buddhist practice in daily life.

Studies on Humanistic Buddhism IV: Human Life contains eight translated articles, two original articles, two commentaries, and a perspective piece all relating to human life. Human life is a topic with a vast scope. It was chosen because it is central to Humanistic Buddhism. As several articles in this volume and previous volumes discuss, Humanistic Buddhism developed as a response to the perception that Buddhism no longer related directly to human life. By the nineteenth century in China, Buddhism was seen to provide what came to be mainly perfunctory rituals to be performed upon the death of a family member. Humanistic Buddhism revived Buddhism as an intrinsic part of daily life.

本叢書收錄證嚴法師針對各類疑問的解惑及開示數千則，年代最早是一九八〇年蔣經國總統至花蓮靜思精舍拜訪，法師說明慈濟功德會救濟的對象、範圍和運作；最近是今年二〇二一年四月，臺鐵太魯閣號在花蓮發生出軌重大傷亡事故，法師對在第一時間投入現場關懷服務的慈濟志工，表達人傷我痛的悲憫。史料前後長達四十一年，跨越了兩個世紀。 第一冊為生老病死篇。生死是很自然的現象，要看得開、放得下，不要掛礙，也不要執著。雖然生命有限，慧命卻是永恆。學佛要看淡生死，滋養慧命；要去除心中的雜質污染，回歸天真的清淨本性。 This book series contains thousands of Master Cheng Yen’s teachings or responses to questions on all sorts of matters. The earliest teaching documented in this series was given in 1980, when then president, Mr. Chiang Ching-kuo, visited the Jing Si Abode in Hualien. During this visit, Master Cheng Yen shared about the groups Tzu Chi Merit Association helped, the kinds of help provided, and its operating process. The most recent teaching was given in April 2021, after a Taroko Express train operated by the Taiwan Railways Administration derailed in and caused serious casualties. Master Cheng Yen expressed her empathy and compassion to the volunteers who went to the accident site right after the incident to provide help. The historical materials span as long as forty-one years and across two centuries. Volume One covers topics on living and dying. Life and death are natural phenomena. When we look at them with a broader perspective, we will be able to let them go. As such, we can be unhindered and unattached. Though life is limited, wisdom life lasts forever. Thus, for Buddhist practitioners, life and death can be taken more lightly; it is more important to nourish our wisdom life. We must eradicate the defilements in our minds and return to our innocent, pure, intrinsic nature.

This book is a compilation of some of the quintessential Dharma lectures of Venerable Master Miao Lien that he addressed to retreat participants. The Venerable Master often said, “To fully comprehend why one must seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land, one must read Pure Land for All!” Such is the brilliant guidance of one of the greatest Pure Land Masters who attained his profound understanding through actual practice. Herein lie not only the elements of study and practice, but also aspects of both the phenom¬enal and noumenal worlds, as well as the vast, compas¬sionate vows of the Venerable Master. May all who read this book attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land.

Introduction and Encouragement This eBook Modern Buddhism – The Path of Compassion and Wisdom, in three volumes, is being distributed freely at the request of the author Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. The author says: “Through reading and practicing the instructions given in this book, people can solve their daily problems and maintain a happy mind all the time.” So that these benefits can pervade the whole world, Geshe Kelsang wishes to give this eBook freely to everyone. We would like to request you to please respect this precious Dharma book, which functions to free living beings from suffering permanently. If you continually read and practice the advice in this book, eventually your problems caused by anger, attachment and ignorance will cease. Volume 1 Sutra explains how to practise basic Buddhist compassion and wisdom in daily life. Covering topics such as What is Buddhism?, Buddhist Faith, The Preciousness of our Human Life, What does our Death Mean?, What is Karma?, The Four Noble Truths & Training in Love and Compassion, this volume shows how we can transform our lives, improve our relationships with others and look behind appearances to see the way things really are. Please enjoy this special gift from Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, who dedicates: “May everyone who reads this book experience deep peace of mind, and accomplish the real meaning of human life.” With best wishes, Manuel Rivero-De Martine Tharpa Publications, UK Tharpa Director info@emodernbuddhism.com

The present volume is part of a series entitled World Spirituality: An Encyclopedic History of the Religious Quest, which seeks to present the spiritual wisdom of the human race in its historical unfolding. The volume presents the richness of the spiritual heritage of the human race and designed to reflect the autonomy of the traditional in its historical development.

Pure Land was one of the main fields of mythopoesis and discourse among the Asian Buddhist traditions, and in Japan of central cultural importance from the Heian period right up to the present. However, its range, inconsistency, variability, and complexity have tended to be misevaluated. The pieces reproduced in this set, organized both chronologically and thematically, have been chosen as linchpin works accentuating the diversity of what evolved under this heading of Buddhism. Special attention is given to the traps into which Western observers may fall, the role of the large True Pure Land (Jōdoshinshū) school, and the richness of Tokugawa and twentieth-century developments. These selections of previously published articles will serve as an essential starting point for anyone interested in this perhaps underestimated area of Buddhist studies.