Promoting Buddhism through Modern Sports: The Case Study of Fo Guang Shan in Taiwan

• Authors: Junwei Yu
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

In the past, traditional Buddhism in China focused on chanting and meditation that detached itself from the society. However, after generations of strenuous efforts to promote ‘Humanistic Buddhism’, several Masters have been encouraging religion to engage more in daily lives. One of the proponents was Master Hsin Yun, who was born and raised in mainland China and subsequently moved to Taiwan along with the ‘Monk Rescue Team’. It was in Taiwan that Master Hsin Yun founded Fo Guang Shan, one of the most sacred Buddhist sites on the island. At the beginning, he started the place from scratch, setting up basketball courts for the followers to take part in basketball games. Upholding the notion that Buddhism needs to engage the public, Master, therefore, has a unique way of combing religion with modern sports in an attempt to let more people get in touch with religion. Accordingly, basketball, soccer, gymnastics, and other sports were promoted and sponsored under the auspices of Fo Guang Shan, which certainly topples public stereotypes around sedentary Buddhism. In the end, Master hopes that, in the future, sports can unite healthy Fo Guang followers worldwide and bring honor to Taiwan.

Keywords

EN

buddhism; Master Hsin Yun; Fo Guang Shan; Taiwan

• Publisher: De Gruyter Open
• Journal: Physical Culture and Sport. Studies and Research
• Year: 2011
• Volume: 53
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 28-38

Dates

published

1 - 12 - 2011

online

25 - 12 - 2011

Contributors

author

Junwei Yu

• National Taiwan College of Physical Education, Taiwan

References

• Foguang shan zongwu weiyuan hui /The religious affairs committee of Foguang Mountain/ (Ed). (1997). Foguang shan sanshi zhounian jinian tekan /The 30th anniversary commemorative edition of Foguang Mountain/. Gaoxiong: Foguang wenhua.
• Foguang shiji /Buddha's Light Newsletter/. (2001, May 16). Jiaoyu zhageng zai feizhou /Education takes root in Africa/. Retrieved April 11, 2010 from
• Foguang shiji /Buddha's Light Newsletter/. (2010, January 2). 2010 nian zhi hufa pengyou de yifeng xin /Master's letter to Dharma's protectors and friends - 2010/. Retrieved April 15, 2010 from
• Fu, Z. (2006a). Yunshui riyue: xinyun dashi zhuan (shang) /Cloud, water, sun and moon: The biography of Master Hsin Yun (volume 1)/. Taipei: Tianxia wenhua.
• Fu, Z. (2006b). Yunshui riyue: xinyun dashi zhuan (xia) /Cloud, water, sun and moon: The biography of Master Hsin Yun (volume 2)/. Taipei: Tianxia wenhua.
• Gong, T., and Li, Y. (2001, December 27). Tadui moqi dizhi zhuli wufa zhuce /Tacit boycott from other teams, main players cannot register/. Lianhe bao /United Daily/, 30.
• Holt, R. (1989). Sport and the British: A Modern History. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Hu, J. (2001, June 22). Foguang shanshang chujia zhong ye reai da lanqiu /In Foguang mountain, monks also like to play basketball/. Mingsheng bao /Minsheng Daily/, B3.
• Li, H. (2005, November 9). Pumen gaozhong nulan songjing dazuo chu yali /Pumen senior high school's female basketball team use chanting and meditation to relieve stress/. Zhongguo shibao /China Times/, A19.
• Li, M. (2000). Taixu jiqi renjian fojiao /Master Taixu and his Humanistic Buddhism/. Zhejiang: Zhejiang renmin chubanshe.
• Li, Y. (2010, January 30). Sanhao tiyu xiehui nu sheshou yaolan /Three acts of goodness sports association, the cradle of female shooters/. Renjian fubao /Merit Times/. Retrieved April 5, 2010 from http://www.merit-times.com.tw/NewsPage.aspx?unid=165669.
• Liang, Y. (1994, May 29). Chujia shifu minyi daibiao lanqiu yisai /Buddhist monks, legislative members, and basketball charity match/. Lianhe bao /United Daily/, 5.
• Luo, X. (2006). Foguang shan de yundong bantu cong pumen zhongxue nulan tanqi /The sports map of Foguang Mountain, Starting from Pumen High School's femal basketball team/. Xuexiao tiyu shuangyue kan /Bimonthly Journal of Physical Education in School/, 16(2), 85-90.
• Mangan, J. A. (1998). The Games Ethic and Imperialism: Aspects of the Diffusion of an Ideal. 2nd ed. London: Frank Cass.
• Marshall, D. B. (2009). "A canoe and a tent and God's great out-of-doors": Muscular Christianity and the flight from domesticity, 1890s-1930s. In H. Ellis and J. Meyer (Eds.), Masculinity and the other: Historical perspectives. Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Cambridge Scholars.
• Master Hsin Yun (Ed.) (1998). Fojiao congshu (10) renjian fojiao /Buddhism book series (10), Humanistic Buddhism/. Gaoxiong: Foguang shan zongwu weiyuan hui.
• Master Manyi. (2005). Xinyun moshi de renjian fojiao /Master Hsin Yun's model of Humanistic Buddhism/. Taipei: Tianxia wenhua.
• Money, T. (1997). Manly & Muscular Diversions: Public Schools and the Nineteenth-Century Sporting Revival. London: Duckworth.
• Rao, P. (2009, February 18). Gaozhong lansai yinfa jiayou tuan yu! /High school basketball game, cheerleading from elderly people/. Lianhe bao /United Daily/, C1.
• Shi, M. (1997, April 12). Fu zhiying zhu xinhuo cexie xinyun fashi /Fu Zhiying wrote Xinhuo on Master Hsin Yun/. Lianhe bao /United Daily/, 18.
• Shi, X. (2001). Renjian fojiao chanfa jiqi dangdai shijian: Yinshun daoshi chanxue sixiang yanjiu /Buddhist law of Humanistic Buddhism and its contemporary practice: The research of Mentor Yinshun's Buddhist thought/. Taipei: Fajie.
• United States Department of State (2009, October 26). International Religious Freedom Report 2009. Retrieved May 1, 2010 from
• Wang, J. (2007, February 7). Ticao jiangbei zeng xianfu puzhong huo zanzhu 330 wan /Gymnastic cup given to county government, Pumen high school was awarded 3.3 million Taiwanese dollars/. Lianhe bao /United Daily/, C2.
• Wang. J. (2008, April 28). Quanzhong yun saishi /The national high school competition/. Lianhe bao /United Daily/, C2.
• Wang, S. (2001, June 20). Ami tuofo! Foguang shan jiang zu nulan dui /Buddha Amitabha! Foguang mountain will organize a female basketball team/. Lianhe Wanbao /United Evening News/, 19.
• Wang, Z. (2008). Wujie shi xiaogui /The five precepts are school rule/. Dongzhan fojiao xueyuan yuekan /Monthly Journal of Dong Zen Institute of Buddhist Studies/, 10, 8-13.
• Wei, G. (2001, August 29). Shanglan hongfa foguang puzhao /Buddhist missionary through basketball, Foguang shines/. Zhongguo shibao /China Times/, 30.
• Wu, Y. (1997, June 26). Taiwan da lianmeng foguang shanshang xinling gaige /Taiwan major league went through spiritual reengineering at Foguang Mountain/. Lianhe bao /United Daily/, 20.
• Xue, Y. (2005). Renjian fojiao de shehui he zhengzhi cangyu: Taixu he xinyun rushi shuo /The social and political participation of Humanistic Buddhism: The sayings of Master Taixu and Master Hsin Yun/. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Chinese University.
• Yan, F. (2009, March 24). Puzhong nulan fenghou jiaolian gonglou da /Pumen female basketball team won the championship, the coach deserves great credit/. Lianhe bao /United Daily/, C2.
• Yang, H. (1991). Dangdai fojiao sixiang zhanwang /The prospects of contemporary Buddhist thoughts/. Taipei: Dongda.
• Yiji ticao jiaolian yixin touben ziyou /Top gymnastic coach determined to defect/. (1981, October 8). Lianhe bao /United Daily/, 3.
• Youzhi jingcheng foguan shan /Where there is a will there is a way by Foguang Mountain/. (2007, October 25). Zhongguo shibao /China Times/, C2.
• Zeng, W. (1997, June 26). Xinyun fashi dui qiuyuan de kaishi /Master Hsin Yun gives Dharma talks to players/. Zhongshi wanbao /China Times Express/, 11.
• Zhonghua minguo xiangqi wenhua xiehui /Chinese Chess Culture Society/. (2008). 2008 Foguan bei quanguo jingying xiangqi jibiao sai baodao /The report of 2008 National Foguang Chinese Chess Elite Championship/. Retrieved April 5, 2010 from

Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/v10141-011-0020-x