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BOOK REVIEW | EASTERN HORIZON 63

He spent well over 30 years building a Buddhist Unlike Venerable Chuk Mor and Venerable Yen Pei
community in post-colonial Singapore; first as abbot who were both born in China, Ashin Jinarakkhita was
of Leng Foong Bodhi Institute (1964-1979), and as a born in Indonesia. He is best depicted as an ethnic
social activist and founding chairman of the Singapore Chinese monk, dressed in a Theravada saffron robe and
Buddhist Welfare Services (1980-1996). His monastic wearing a beard in the Chinese Mahayana style. He was
education, which he acquired from several prominent instrumental in the revival of Buddhism in Indonesia.
Buddhist learning centers in China greatly influenced
his subsequent religious ministry in Singapore where He realized that Buddhism had to adapt to Indonesian
he migrated in 1964. He played a pivotal role in the culture to survive, otherwise it would remain a foreign
development of Chinese Buddhism in Singapore. religion. In 1965, after a coup attempt, Buddhist
organizations had to comply with the first principle
Yen Pei’s approach to Buddhism was heavily influenced of the Indonesian state ideology - Pancasila- the belief
by Master Yin Shun who promoted Humanistic in one supreme God. All organizations that doubted
Buddhism. He believed that one should strive to follow or denied the existence of God were outlawed. As this
the example set by Sakyamuni Buddha, by practicing the posed a problem for Buddhism which doesn’t have God
Dharma and achieving Buddhahood in the human realm. as its central belief, Jinarakkhita presented Nibbana
as the Theravada “God”, and Adi-Buddha, the primeval
Although most Singaporeans claim to be Buddhists, Buddha of the region’s previous Mantrayana Buddhism,
Venerable Yen Pei realized that they had little as the Mahayana “God”. According to Jinarakkhita, the
th
knowledge and understanding of basic Buddhist concept of Adi Buddha was found in the 10 century
teachings. He encountered the same problem as Javanese Buddhist text Sang Hyang Kamhayanikan.
Venerable Chuk Mor in Malaysia. Most Singaporeans
who consider themselves Buddhists only knew the Besides forming the first Indonesian Buddhist lay
ritualistic aspects of Buddhism such as lighting of organisation, Persaudaraan Upasaka Upasika Indonesia
joss sticks or chanting. He realized that the temples (PUUI), he also initiated Perbudi where both Theravada
needed to be restructured so that Buddhism could be and Mahayana monastics were united. Subsequently, he
taught properly. Among his many initiatives, he invited formed the Sangha Agung Indonesia, a community of
prominent Buddhist monks from all over the world to monastics from the Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana
deliver lectures on Buddhism, especially on Humanistic traditions. His movement came to be called Buddhayana.
Buddhism and how local people could relate to the It promoted non-sectarian doctrines and practices to be
Buddha’s teachings in their daily lives. in line with the national discourse of the Government’s
“unity in diversity”. In this way, he tried to make
Besides educating Singaporeans on Buddhist teachings, Buddhism in Indonesia less Chinese to ensure its survival
Venerable Yen Pei also realized that the country’s rapid as a minority religion in a predominant Muslim nation.
economic growth had led to inequalities in society. As
such, he began to promote welfare services to help In his Conclusion, the author explained that Buddhist
those of lower socioeconomic status. It was easy for him modernism, as exemplified by the three monks in this
to be both a scholar monk as well as a social activist. study, was shaped by a combination of transnational
This is also an aspect of Humanistic Buddhism which circulations and local circumstance. He explained
emphasizes kindness and compassion for others. Other how Buddhist modernism in these three countries
areas he was remembered for were his social welfare incorporated notions of orthodoxy from the ideas of the
programs on filial responsibility, organ donation, and Buddhist reform movement in China and Taiwan and
drug abuse rehabilitation. His welfare and community from the concerns of modern nation states. All three
programs were well endorsed by the Government. monks in this study played a stabilizing role in a rapidly
changing socio-political environment. EH