Featuring the theme of “Exchange for Mutual Learning, Middle Way for Perfect Harmony,” the 5th World Buddhist Forum, organized by China Religious Culture Communication Association (CRCCA), took place in Putian, Fujian Province, China, on October 29 and 30.

More than 1,000 Buddhist practitioners, academics, and scholars from 55 countries attended the conference. Ven. Guo Huei (果暉法師), DDM Abbot President, Ven. Guo Dong (果東法師), former abbot president of DDM, Ven. Guo Xing (果幸法師), Vice Dean of Bhikshuni Sangha at DDM Sangha University, and Ven. Guo Kai (果慨法師), convener of DDM Dharma Service Program, attended the meeting on behalf of Dharma Drum Mountain.

At the opening ceremony, Ven. Guo Huei gave a speech on the challenges and future development of Buddhism in the 21st century. He quoted late Master Sheng Yen’s proposal at the preparatory meeting for the Sanya Forum in Hainan, China, in 2005, which offered two suggestions: firstly, enhancing the exploration in Chinese Buddhism and mutual connections between the four regions on both sides of the Strait in this regard, as they share the same source in the Dharma; secondly, embracing extensive views from different fields of studies and working together to address pressing issues concerning humanity and societies. He also shared DDM’s idea of “the rising great compassion” as the essential spirit for “uplifting the character of humanity and building a pure land on earth,” by putting in practice the methods developed based on its core value of “protecting the spiritual environment.” He emphasized that only by purifying our minds can we purify our actions, and thereby making the purification of society and the world possible.

On October 30, Ven. Guo Dong and Xuan Fang, an associate professor at Renmin University of China, jointly hosted a sideline forum titled “Two Sides Across the Strait, Hong Kong, and Macau,” for the discussion of the topic of “Buddhism and Chinese Culture: tradition and modernity.” At the sideline forum “Buddhism and Environmental Protection,” participants agreed on the ideal of “protecting the spiritual environment” as an essential practice for environmental protection, and that all people need to strive to realize it in their daily life. In her talk entitled “Praying for Blessings in the Could as an Effort to Realize the Ideal of Protecting the Spiritual Environment,” Ven. Guo Kai shared how DDM had planned and organized its DDM Water and Land Dharma Service, in which the ritual of “praying for blessings in the Cloud” was established, to reflect late Master Sheng Yen’s guidance that Dharma assemblies and Buddhist ceremonies should be carried out in an eco-friendly manner.

In a sub-forum titled “Chinese Buddhism, Japanese Buddhism, and Korean Buddhism,” Ven. Guo Xing presented her paper entitled “Master Menzan Zuihō’s (面山瑞方) rearch in Silent Illumination in the Tokugawa Bakufu Era and Its Modern Inspiration.” She put forward the point that Master Sheng Yen and Mater Menzan Zuihō shared a similar effort to inherit the past to inspire the future, in that the later studied the method of silent illumination for the purpose of enhancing Dogen’s Dharma lineage, while the former extensively quoted the "Expanded Record of Chan Master Hongzhi" (宏智禪師廣錄) to expound and promote Silent Illumination Chan. In addition, Master Sheng Yen further incorporated the method of vipassana into a method that features a gradual and sequential practice. Ven. Guo Xing urged various Buddhist traditions as practiced in different parts of the world to engage more in exchange and interaction, to enhance mutual understanding in the Dharma and foster joint collaboration in the spreading of Buddhist teachings. Otani Tetsuo, former principle of Komazawa University, praised the venerable for her grounded research and solid arguments.

Texts: Dharma Drum Monthly
Translation: Elenda Huang
Editing: Chang, Chia-Cheng (張家誠)