Humanistic Buddhism and the Future

Fo Guang Shan, Taiwan
December 15th-17th, 2023
Note that all dates and times are in TST (Taipei Standard Time).

Symposium Program

December 15th (Friday)

19:30PM ~ 21:00PM

Opening Ceremony & Keynote Speech

Wan Chin-chuan (Director, Department of Buddhist Studies, Fo Guang University)

  • The Future Prospects of Education for Clergy in Humanistic Buddhism

Stephen Hill (Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University of Wollongong)

  • Living with Impermanence – The Path to a Positive Future

December 16th (Saturday)

08:30AM ~ 10:00AM

Panel 1A

The Actualization of Humanistic Buddhism

Facilitator: Chen Chien Huang

(Director, Centre for the Study of Humanistic Buddhism, The Chinese University of Hong Kong)

Kan Cheng-Tsung (Professor, Dept. of Buddhist Studies, Fo Guang University)

  • Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s View on Humanistic Buddhism during His Early Years in Taiwan

Lin Hsin-yi (Assistant Professor, Dept. of Buddhist Studies, Fo Guang University)

  • A Buddhist History View on Humanistic Buddhism: From Taixu to Yinshun

Panel 1B

The Philosophy of Humanistic Buddhism

Facilitator: Stefania Travagnin

(Reader in Chinese Buddhism, SOAS, University of London)

Kenneth Holloway (Associate Professor, Florida Atlantic University)

  • The Early Philosophical History of Humanistic Buddhism

Hsiao-Lan Hu (Professor of Religious Studies, University of Detroit Mercy)

  • Toward an Inclusive Future: On the “Human” in Humanistic Buddhism

Miroj Shakya (Chair of Department of Religious Studies, University of the West)

  • An Examination of the Concept of Bodhicitta in the Context of Humanistic Buddhism

Maria Majorie R. Purino (Professor, Dept. of Philosophy, University of San Carlos; Humanistic Buddhism Center of the Philippines)

  • Six Pāramitās & Four Brahmavihārās & : Foundational Virtues of Humanistic Buddhism

10:20AM ~ 11:40AM

Panel 2A

Humanistic Buddhism and Psychology

Facilitator: Weijen Teng

(Director of the Department of Buddhist Studies, Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts)

Kuo Chao-Shun (Dean, Dept. of Buddhist Studies, Fo Guang University)

  • From Psycho-Metaphysics to the Practical Psychology of Cultivation: Exploring the Potential Development of Consciousness-Only in Humanistic Buddhism

Chiang Chiang Ming (Assistant Professor, Dept. of Literature, Nanhua University)

  • Towards the Light: Literary Classics and Mind-Body-Spirit Healing Courses from the Perspective of Humanistic Buddhism

Poon Kai Chung (Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Social Science, Hang Seng University of Hong Kong)

  • Footsteps of Awakening: Research on Buddhist Social Welfare Work in Hong Kong

Panel 2B

Humanistic Buddhism and Education

Facilitator: Jens Reinke

(Assistant Professor of Buddhist Studies, Buddhist Seminary, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

Bruce McKenzie (Founder, Systemics Development Associates)

  • Building a Buddhist Ethos in a Tertiary Education Institute, Nan Tien Institute, Australia: A Qualitative Study

Michael Tan (President, Guang Ming College)

  • Kusà: Volition and Ethics for Education in the Philippines

Cecile Manikan (Director, Humanistic Buddhism Center of the Philippines)

  • Transforming While Being Transformed: An Impact Assessment of the “Three Acts of Goodness” Project In Philippine Public Education

Josette Balandra (Education Program Supervisor, Dept. of Education, Division of Sagay City, Education Program)

  • Humanistic Buddhism—A Reminder, A Way of Life: At the Lens of an Educator

14:00PM ~ 14:40PM

Book Launch—Proceedings from the 8th Symposium on Humanistic Buddhism:

Cultivating Compassion: Going Beyond Crises

Facilitator:

Ven. Miao Guang

(Deputy Chancellor, Fo Guang Shan Institute of Humanistic Buddhism)

Ven. Miao Fan (Chancellor, Fo Guang Shan Institute of Humanistic Buddhism)

Stephen Hill (Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University of Wollongong)

Ven. Juewei (Director, Humanistic Buddhism Centre, Nan Tien Institute)

Bee Scherer (Professor of Buddhist Studies and Rector, Buddhist Seminary, VU Amsterdam)

Cecile Manikan (Director, Humanistic Buddhism Research Center of the Philippines)

15:00PM ~ 16:00PM

Panel 3A

Humanistic Buddhism and Management

Facilitator: Sheng-hsin Hsu

(Professor, Dept. of Chinese Literature, National Taiwan University)

Li Yu-Chen (Professor, Graduate Institute of Religious Studies, Chengchi University)

  • Religion and Management: Using Modern Taiwanese Buddhism as an Example

Chen Chien Huang (Director, Centre for the Study of Humanistic Buddhism, The Chinese University of Hong Kong)

  • Simplicity in Business Management and the Spirit of the Bodhisattva Path—With Emphasis on the Teaching of the Amitabha Sutra

Chen Ken (Research Assistant, Centre for the Study of Humanistic Buddhism, The Chinese University of Hong Kong)

  • A Discussion on the Leadership Transformation of Humanistic Buddhism in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Panel 3B

Humanistic Buddhism and Interconnectedness

Facilitator: Maria Majorie R. Purino

(Professor, Humanistic Buddhism Center of the Philippines)

Funie Hsu (Associate Professor of American Studies, San Jose State University)

  • Addressing Contemporary Suffering: May We Gather and Intra-Buddhist Collaboration

Stefania Travagnin (Reader in Chinese Buddhism, SOAS, University of London)

  • An Inclusive Bodhisattva Path: Buddhist Examples of Global Trans-Faith Humanitarianism

Xin Ying Tracy Liu (PhD candidate, Cambridge University)

  • Connecting the Self with Others: An Anthropological Study of Humanistic Buddhist Giving

19:30PM ~ 21:00PM

The Theory and Practice of Humanistic Buddhism

Facilitator:

Kuo Chao-Shun

(Dean, Dept. of Buddhist Studies, Fo Guang University)

Presenters:

Venerable Miao Guang (Deputy Chancellor, FGS Institute of Humanistic Buddhism)

  • Translating Words and Actions: The Current State of Translation Activities in Fo Guang Shan’s Globalization

Venerable Miao Le (Abbess of Nan Ping Temple)

  • The Theory and Practice of Turning Temples into Schools

Venerable Miao You (Head Abbess of Fo Guang Shan South America)

  • Planning and Actualizing the Localization of Humanistic Buddhism

December 17th (Sunday)

08:30AM ~ 09:30AM

Panel 4A

The Wisdom of Humanistic Buddhism

Facilitator: Li Yu-Chen

(Professor, Graduate Institute of Religious Studies, Chengchi University)

Kuo Shou-Jen (Director, Institute for the Study of Humanistic Buddhism, University of the West)

  • Fifteen Lectures on Introduction to Humanistic Buddhism: My Views on Establishing a Humanistic Buddhism Research Course in Western Academic Institutions

Gu Wei Kang (Associate Professor, Buddhist College of Singapore)

  • Between Wisdom and Ignorance: On the Nature of Humanistic Buddhism

Panel 4B

Humanistic Buddhism and Ancient Studies

Facilitator: Miroj Shakya

(Chair of Department of Religious Studies, University of the West)

Arun Kumar Yadav (Assistant Professor, Department of Pali Nava Nalanda, Mahavihara, Deemed University)

  • Recent Discovery of the Lost Hermitage Place of Ven. Mahendra in Patna

Ghani-ur-Rahman (Director, Regional Integration Centre at Quaid-i-Azam University)

  • Gandharan Buddhist Civilization, Pakistan: Depiction of Bodhisattvas as the Main Inspiration for Humanistic Buddhism

09:50AM ~ 11:30AM

Panel 5A

Humanistic Buddhism and Artificial Intelligence

Facilitator: Kuo Shou-jen

(Director, Institute for the Study of Humanistic Buddhism, University of the West)

Darui Long (Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies, University of the West)

  • Exploring Digitization Challenges: Insights from the Qisha Canon in the Rare Book Collection at the East Asian Library, Princeton University

Venerable Tzu-yen (Director, Library of Luminary Buddhist Institute)

  • The Transformation and Innovation of Buddhist Libraries in the Age of AI

Cheng Kai-wen (Assistant Research Fellow, Education & Research Center for Tzu Chi Buddhism, Tzu Chi University)

  • Artificial Intelligence and Human Wisdom: A Discussion on AI and the Buddha-Dharma

Panel 5B

Humanistic Buddhism and Social Issues

Facilitator: Cecile Manikan
(Director, Humanistic Buddhism Center of the Philippines)

Shun-Man Simon Ho (President, Hang Seng University of Hong Kong)

  • The Myths of ESG and Optimizing the Sustainable Values of Different Stakeholders: Some Buddhism Perspectives
Magali Goirand (Director, Systemics Development Associates)
  • Contribution of Humanistic Buddhism to the Implementation of Ethics in Medical AI

Nathan Jishin Michon (JSPS Research Fellow, Ryukoku University)

  • Karuna as Healthy Compassion: How Distinguishing Forms of Compassion can add Depth and Resilience for Care Professions and in Daily Life

Rana Purushottam Kumar Singh (Dean of Buddhist Studies, Nava Nalanda Mahavihara University)

  • Buddhist Attitude to Human Values and Its Relevances in Contemporary Indian Scenario

14:00PM ~ 15:10PM

Panel 6A

Humanistic Buddhism and the Future

Facilitator: Kan Cheng-Tsung

(Professor, Dept. of Buddhist Studies, Fo Guang University)

Hsu Sheng-hsin (Professor, Dept. of Chinese Literature, National Taiwan University)

  • A Discussion on the Future of Buddhism based on Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s The Biography of Sakyamuni Buddha

Weijen Teng (Director of the Department of Buddhist Studies, Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts)

  • Post-Secularism Religious Revival and Humanistic Buddhism

Panel 6B

Humanistic Buddhism and the Future

Facilitator: Ven. Juewei

(Director, Humanistic Buddhism Centre, Nan Tien Institute)

Bee Scherer (Professor of Buddhist Studies and Rector, Buddhist Seminary, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
  • Posthumanistic Buddhism? No(self) Futures

Jens Reinke (Assistant Professor of Buddhist Studies, Buddhist Seminary, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

  • Appreciating the Past while Creating Compassionate Futures: Humanistic Buddhism for the 21th Century

15:30PM ~ 16:30PM

General Discussion and Closing Ceremony