Taixu

[Huichan]

I'm wondering what members of the Sangha think of Taixu?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taixu

I've just started reading a book about him after briefly coming across him a while back. He was a Chinese Buddhist monk who wanted to modernise Buddhism during the Republic of China era and especially known for wanting to bring the Pure Land to this world. It seems when he was alive, he was quite conterversial but influenced others who would later implement some of his ideas with more success.

Gassho
Ross
stlah

[Jundo]

I'm wondering what members of the Sangha think of Taixu?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taixu

I've just started reading a book about him after briefly coming across him a while back. He was a Chinese Buddhist monk who wanted to modernise Buddhism during the Republic of China era and especially known for wanting to bring the Pure Land to this world. It seems when he was alive, he was quite conterversial but influenced others who would later implement some of his ideas with more success.

Gassho
Ross
stlah

I am not an expert. He was part of many reform movements which were happening in Asia, from Burma to Korea to Japan, as part of an effort to "modernize" Buddhism and compete with Christian missionary activities.

Gassho, Jundo

[Huichan]

I finished reading the book and found it really interesting but might not be the sort of book that would interest everyone here. I definitely got the impression that he was someone ahead of his time and if he could see how Buddhism has spread and modernised in many parts of the world, he would be very pleased but would still see that Buddhism has a long way to go.

Here is a quote from the book:

An energetic, intelligent leader whom many Buddhists came to revere highly, he was nevertheless judged by most of the Chinese monastic community as a teacher far too radical in his insistence on religious change. More concerned with establishing a pure land on earth than in achieving rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Amitâbha, Taixu called for a revitalization of Buddhism through institutional reorganization, modern education, compassionate social action, and ecumenical cooperation in global mission. Conservative teachers in the sangha... responded by portraying Taixu as a gifted but dangerously strident and disruptive voice within a Chinese Buddhist community that did not need innovation but only rededication to its ancient patterns of spiritual discipline.

For some reason, the quote kind of reminds me of someone around here...

Sorry for running long.

Gassho
Ross
stlah