This is the 11th and final page in my translation of this totally amazing Chinese-language document: Intro to Da Heshang
This is the last page in the series: (10) Foreign Relations There will be a 12th and final page of my critical analysis of how and why Fo Guang Shan has fallen behind Buddhism on the Chinese mainland. That may take a few days, because I’m really trying to do a thorough job to make my remarks both constructive and relevant. Wish me luck!
社会公益 服务众生 Collectively benefitting society, and serving the masses.
如此年轻的年龄就有这样的成就，法师自然受到不少赞誉，但他对此都看得平淡如水。他说：“出家人不能太俗气。”身居高位而不忘修学，笃信佛教却不忘报国。多年来，他全力协助党和政府贯彻落实宗教政策，同时在寺院举办的法会上，积极宣传党的宗教政策，引导信众遵纪守法，保有一颗社会责任心。他说：“出家众住持佛法，在家众护持佛法，这是大家的责任和义务。”法师提出，新世纪的僧尼要进行内在的“心灵环保”，以庄严国土，利乐有情、建设“人间净土”为己任。作为全国政协委员，法师积极参政、议政，主动反映社情民意，撰写提案，建言献策，并认真学习时事政治，思考中国佛教的前途与命运，及时向各级党政部门汇报有关宗教领域的动态与问题。同时还积极响应党和政府的号召，主动带领、发动和组织佛教信众捐款捐物、扶贫救灾、助学济残，支持参与社会各项公益事业。
Having such achievements at such a young age, Dharma master naturally recieves quite a bit of praise, but he views this with equanimity. He says: “Left-home people can’t be too ordinary.” With a high status, he still doesn’t forget to cultivate, and while seriously believing in Buddhism, he yet doesn’t forget to dedicate himself to the service of his country. For many years now he has wholeheartedly assisted the Party and the government in carrying out and putting into action their policies with respect to religion. And at the same time, in the dharma assemblies held in the temples, he has enthusiastically publicized the Party’s religious policy (of religious self-determination), and has led the congregation of believers to respect the era in preserving the Dharma, and to maintain a responsible mind towards society. He says: “That the left-home Sangha takes charge of Buddhadharma, and the at-home Sangha protects Buddhadharma, this is everyone’s responsibility and obligation.” Dharma Master points out that the monks and nuns of the new century have to advance internal “spiritual integrity” (心灵环保), and take it as their personal responsibility to build a “Pure Land in the world” by dignifying their country, and by benefitting and rejoicing sentient beings. Being a member of the Chinese Peoples’ Political Conultative Committee of the whole country, Dharma Master enthusiastically participates in the government and criticizes the government. ((This is true. He has systematically criticized the entire violent and bitterly contentious career of China’s Revolutionary government, and this has been a major factor in the emergence of a more benign regime in Bejing. -xp)) He takes the initiative in reflecting socialist feeling and the peoples’ thought. In writing, compiling, making and drafting proposals, he goes further in studying governmental affairs, considering Chinese Buddhism’s future and destiny, and occasionally reporting approppriate developments and problems in the religious leadership domain to Party and governmental officials at every level. At the same time he also enthusiastically responds to the calls of the Party and the government, taking the initiative in leading, mobilizing, and organizing Buddhist congregations to donate funds and material, to assist the poor and rescue from disasters, to aid in learning and save from cruelty, and to support every collectively beneficial enterprize for society.
1998年长江洪水爆发，台风肆虐八闽大地时，他不仅以佛教特有的方式在寺院为灾区举办诵经祈福法会，更以实际行动带头捐资，并发动僧众和信徒捐款捐物支持灾区，向灾区人民献出了一份爱心。
When the Yangtze River exploded in flood in 1998, and the typhoon devastated eight big areas in Fujian, he not only conducted specific Buddhist expedients in the temple for the disaster area, chanting scriptures in a blessing dharma assembly, but actually practiced by taking the lead in donating capital, and mobilized the Sangha and the disciples to donate funds and materials to support the disaster area, presenting a loving social element to the people of the disaster area.
2004年7月，陕西省扶风县遭遇60年不遇的水灾，当时远在北京的学诚法师获悉后，立即打电话详细询问了灾情，并委托法门寺副监院智超法师向灾区捐献十万元。2005年1月1日，中国佛教协会发起了为在2004年12月26日印度洋海啸中遭受巨大灾难的印尼、斯里兰卡、印度、泰国等八个国家灾民举行的 “海峡两岸 百寺千僧 捐款千万救苦救难”法会，学诚法师主持法会，并发表了情深意切、感人肺腑的讲话:“这场举世震惊的灾难，死亡人数已达十多万人，遇难者达几十万人，数百万人无法得到生存所需的物资，他们既没有饮用水，也缺乏基本卫生条件，食品供应更是大成问题。我们看到一座座美丽的家园被惊涛骇浪席卷而走，一个个宝贵的生命被凶狠死神瞬间吞噬，我们面对一幅幅催人泪下的活生生画面，一幕幕撕心裂肺的恐怖悲剧，一张张生离死别、痛楚万分的面孔，一组组日渐攀升生命消失的数字，他们血管里流淌着毕竟是和我们一样的血液，此时此刻，我们的心情是多么地沉重！”在法会上，法师以个人名义带头捐献了一万元人民币，并代表法门寺捐献了十万元赈灾款。
In July of 1004 Fufeng County of Shaanxi Province was struck by the biggest flood in 60 years. When Xuecheng Fashi, who was then living far away in Peking had gotten the news, he immediately inquired about the nature of the disaster, and intrusted 100,000 RMB to Zhizhao Fashi of the Fujian compound of Famen Temple, to donate to the disaster area. On 1 Jan 05, the China Buddhist Association initiated the “Two Banks of the Straights, One Hundred Temples and a Thousand Monks Donate Ten Million in Funds to Save from Misery and Save from Difficulty” Dharma Assembly for eight countries including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand which recieved huge calamities from the tsunami in the Indian Ocean of 26 Dec 04. Dharma Master took charge of the dharma assembly, and gave this talk of deep feeling and cutting meaning, which moved people to the depths of their hearts: “In this disaster which has shocked the world, the deathcount is already more than 100,000, those who have encountered difficulties have come to several hundred thousand, several million people have no way to get goods and materials necessary for survival, and they have no drinking water, basic provisions for sanitation are lacking, and food supply is also a huge problem. When we see beautiful households swept away one by one in the perilous situation, precious lives swallowed up one by one in a moment by the fierce and antagonistic spirit of death, are confronted by one scroll after another ((he’s talking about scrolling a Web page -xp)) of still-living images that are enough to make you cry, scene after scene in a dreadful tragedy that rends your heart and splits your guts, one panel after another of the living being separated from the dead, and faces lashed painfully to pieces, one compilation after another of death statistics gradually mounting day after day, what is finally *flowing* ((this is the main verb in this sentence which has now gone on for well over 100 words -xp)) in their veins is the same blood as ours, and so in this hour and at this moment, how much is our mood critically affected ! ((lit: plunged to the depths of the earth! -xp)) At the dharma assembly, Dharma Master personally and titularly donated 10,000 RMB, and represented Famen Temple in donating 100,000 RMB in disaster relief funds.
同年春节，在法师主持下，法门寺举行了大型慈善济贫活动，为十三所敬老院的147位孤寡老人送去了米、面、油、挂历和慰问金等。
On the same year at Chinese New Year’s, with Dharma Master officiating, Famen Temple held a large-scale Charity Poverty Relief Activity, and sent rice, noodles, oil, wall calendars, comfort money, etc, to 147 solitary and widowed old people in 13 old folks’ homes.
((This convinces me that Xueshang Da Heshang is indeed the Dragon-Elephant of his time, and that orthodox Buddhists know everything. Why is the 4th next important item, after food staples (although the oil cited here often winds up lighting an altar), a wall calendar? It’s because a Chinese wall calendar, in a place like Shaanxi, is a lunar almanac with Western dates patched on top. Every day is another page, and there’s a HUGE amount of concentrated info on it. Every day, the first thing you do is tear yesterday off the calendar, and find out the news from the heavens. The older you get, the more spiritual you get, and the more you start wondering what in hell is going on in the heavens to make you feel that way on that day, and the lunar almanac/calendar will tell you that if you know how to read it. It will also tell you when your temple festival days are, even if you have no telephone, no TV, are not online, local devils stole your newspaper, and your idiot home admin. is awol or MIA, again!
((Seriously, the reason astrology works is that we literally came from the heavens. The older you get, the more that becomes obvious, and the more consciousness and real control you have in terms of “fate,” which is established on the interface between heaven and earth, one of the most useful and universal descriptions of which is, in fact, a Chinese lunar calendar with its feng shui and fate-calculation extensions. -xp)).
世纪曙光 普照十方 The dawn of a new era universally illumines ten directions.
身兼数职的学诚法师始终关注着中国佛教的前途和命运。中国佛教在新的世纪将会扮演怎样的角色；如何与社会主义社会相适应；如何发挥宗教在促进社会和谐方面的积极作用;如何继承和发扬佛教优良传统并吸纳现代各种有益的新知识，塑造佛教僧伽良好品格与形象；如何住持正法、庄严国土，真正为众生创造利乐与和谐；如何使佛教善为大众所接受；佛教各宗派之间，佛教与其他宗教之间，乃至于整个宗教界与国家政治、经济、文化、教育等各个领域应怎样进行沟通与对话等等，法师都作了仔细的思考。他在《略论中国佛教的文化建设》一文中写到：“佛教是一种以信仰为根本、解脱为目的、教育为中心、文化为纽带的宗教。”
Xuecheng Fahsi, concurrently holding many offices, pays close attention to the fate and future of Chinese Buddhism all the way down the line. What kind of role will Chinese Buddhism play in the new century? How can it be mutually suitable in a socialist society? How can it bring into play an active function of religion in advancing the dimension of social harmony? How to carry on Buddhism’s fine tradition and also absorb every kind of advantageous modern knowledge, and mold a Buddhasangha of favorable material and image? How to maintain orthodox Dharma, dignify the country, and really and truly create auspicious joy and harmony for all sentient beings? How to make Buddhism adept with respect to what the people can recieve? Whether it’s between different Buddhist sects, between Buddhism and other religions, or all the way up to the religions domain vis a vis the country’s government, economy, culture, or whatever domain, how we communicate and dialogue, etc., Dharma Master has considered it all in detail. In the document “An Overview of the Cultural Building of Chinese Buddhism,” he wrote “Buddhism is a religion that has faith as its root, liberation as its goal, education as its heart, and culture as its bonding agent.
((What exquisite Mandarin grammar, and what pithy meaning! I just don’t see why smaller minds insist on trying to improve on the National Language. It just never finally happens. I will certainly smoke out this document from wherever it’s hiding and translate it, as my next priority, if the Diety is willing. Promise! -xp))
法师以他睿智的眼光，审时度势，提倡佛教内部应淡化宗派观念，强化组织运作，创造和合僧团。对社会，他在《宗教关注全球化问题》一文中写到：“世界市场的扩大和深化，交通、信息网络化的形成和发展，加速了全球化特别是经济全球化的进程，它是现代生产力发展的必然结果。全球化不是一种选择而是一种现实，一种客观趋势。而各大宗教所共同具备并构成共同特征的‘黄金法则’（慈悲、仁爱、善意、同情、宽恕、互助）是全球伦理的价值基础和价值源头。”
With his far-seeing wisdom and vision [mode = Hui Kong regurgitates pre-Revolution elitist tripe*], Dharma Master examines the times and fords through conditions [/mode], advocating that within Buddhism we have to mitigate the sectarian POV, and strengthen organizational work, to create an harmonious Sangha. With respect to society, he wrote in the document “The Problem of Religion vis a vis Globalization,” “The deepening and expansion of the global marketplace, communication, and the formation and development of the Internet has sped up globalization and especially the process of economic globalization, which is a necessary result of the development of modern production capacity. Globalization is not in the nature of a choice, but in the nature of a fact, it is an objective trend. And the “Golden Rule” (compassion, benevolent love, good will, sympathy, forgiveness, cooperation) that all the great religions have in common and the distinctive feature of what they have in common, is the basis and source of the value of global ethics. ((Another document written in crystal pure Mandarin. I have deja vu reading this. -xp))
((*Hui Kong’s regurgitated pre-Revolution elitist tripe – aka rote classical learning flaunted just to prove his age and education. This has been a periodical and highly irritating feature of this document, and if he had not done it here, just as if to prove that, although the document may end, his idiocy never will, I would have not commented. I suspect that his oversight will review this, and when you do, friends, please edit him! -xp))
学诚法师常说：“佛教的未来靠大家一起来承担，从我做起、从现在做起、从当下做起，因为利他才是生命的真正意义。”这位年轻的“长者”为了创建师法友和合增上的团队，为了建立汉传佛教的修学体系，为了佛教的信仰建设、道风建设、人才建设、组织建设、教制建设，终日耕耘不辍、呕心沥血。“将此深心奉尘刹，是则名为报佛恩。”正如《入行论》中所说：“乃至有虚空，以及众生住；愿吾住世间，尽除众生苦。”学诚法师正以他深广的悲愿和智慧，带领着僧俗二众，在弘扬佛法、利益众生的伟大事业中不懈努力着。
Xuecheng Fashi says: “The future of Buddhism depends on everyone taking the burden together, starting with myself, starting from right now, starting from the present moment, because only benefitting others is the meaning of life. This young “mature one,” for the sake of founding a cohort friendly to the teacher and the Dharma and compatible with growth, for the sake of establishing the practice tradition of Chinese Buddhism, for the sake of building up Buddhist faith, building up way-vogue, building up human potential, building up organization, building up the system of instruction, plows and weeds all day long without letup, vomiting out a heart dripping with blood. “Only offering the dust of oneself to the temple with this deep mind can be called repaying the kindness of the Buddha.” It is exactly as the “Commentary on Entering Deportment” says: “While there exists the Void, in which sentient beings abide, I vow to remain in the world, until the suffering of beings is extinguished.” It is exactly by his deep and broad compassionate vow and wisdom that Xuecheng Fashi leads the lay and ordained Sangha, never slacking off from hard labor in promoting Buddhadharma and benefitting beings.”
学诚法师的博客网址：http://www.xuechengfashi.com
The address of Xuecheng Fashi’s blog is: http://www.xuechengfashi.com
((Such it is, Buddhasangha, Such. It. Is. Each and every Buddhist temple, without exception, is built on the poured-out lives of the Bodhisattvas, and only in that way can it ever be built at all.
((So has ended a remarkable document about a total Revolution in the entire meaning of orthodox Buddhism on this planet in our time, most of which has transpired since 2005. You read it first on Ye American Buddhism Blog.
((I guarantee you, the best, aka the actual writings of Xuecheng Da Heshang, is yet to come. I will not go go back and perfect these drafts. That would be a job that somebody would be paid to do. And before I go on, I will most definitely write a page of systematic criticism of how what I find at Fo Guang Shan falls short of what is chronicled here.
Namu Amida Butsu
Xing Ping))
