Page 26 - EH62

FACE TO FACE | EASTERN HORIZON 23

speak of money as a poisonous snake; when speaking human nature the same as buddha-nature, a principle
about marriage, they would describe husband and based on the fact that “a buddha comes from a perfected
wife as adversaries; when talking about children, they human,” and “humans are buddhas-to-be,” namely, the
would call them debtors who have come to collect their unity of human and buddha-Humanistic Buddhism.
due. The lack of value for human life in “traditional” Ven. Master Hsing Yun believes that Humanistic
Buddhism has drawn criticism from society for being Buddhism can encompass all types of Buddhism
inhumanly and irrelevant to real life. together with the complex system of faiths and names
that have existed throughout the past two thousand
Sakyamuni Buddha featuring billions of manifestations years. Humanistic Buddhism shall redirect Buddhism
in Buddhism, we should all be allowed to follow our that was once divided by geography, time, and
own chosen faith and abide each other. Buddhism individual bias back to the Buddhism that is rooted in
truly has evolved along with history, culture, diverse oneself as a human being and the Buddha.
backgrounds, as well as the changing needs of time.
No matter the needs, Buddhism must be centered on Source: Humanistic Buddhism: Holding True to the
humans and help them discover happiness, safety, Original Intent of Buddha, by Ven. Master Hsing Yun,
and transcendence in addition to perfection of their (FGS Publication, 2016). EH
character. Therefore, Ven. Master Hsing Yun focus on

How to Determine

the Criteria of a True

Religion (Part 1)

By Rasika Quek

Quek Jin Keat aka Rasika Quek is a retired Chartered Information Modelling (BIM).
Quantity Surveyor. Born in 1958 in Johor Bahru,
he now resides with his family in Subang Jaya. In his younger days, Rasika gave talks at Buddhist
He has worked domestically and internationally centers throughout Malaysia. While at university,
in academic, consultancy, construction and he was Chairman of the University of Technology
development organizations. His last position before Malaysia (UTM) Buddhist Society. He was the
retirement was as Project Director in AECOM, the founder Chairman of the Metta Lodge Buddhist
world’s largest public-listed Project Management Centre, Johor, and founder Secretary of the Buddhist
company. He has been a speaker in his field and Wisdom Centre, Selangor. He was also one of the
has given talks domestically and internationally in originators of the Kota Tinggi Hermitage and the
Brunei, China, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore. Selangor Buddhist Vipassana Meditation Centre
He was given a commendation by the Construction in Petaling Jaya. He is currently a non-executive
Industry Development Board (CIDB) of Malaysia director of the Santisukharama Hermitage in Kota
for his contribution to the industry on Building Tinggi and Sukhi Hotu Sdn. Bhd.