Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of East Asia (대순사상과 동아시아종교)

DAOS(The Daesoon Academy of Sciences) (대진대학교 대순사상학술원)
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Death Cannot be Seen: The Mortuary Rites of a Contemporary Monastic

  • XU Mingqian (National Chengchi University)
  • Received : 2023.12.20
  • Accepted : 2024.03.20
  • Published : 2024.03.30
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Abstract

What should death be like for a deeply venerated or highly prominent Buddhist monastic? This question itself does not just pertain to death rituals, funerals, or cremations but also to the entire process, as understood within the tradition, of leaving this realm and entering into another. It is in all of these aspects that something exceptional should be highlighted to exemplify accomplishments of the given individual's religious life, and draw attention to the profound spiritual attainment of that figure that devotees believe lies beyond what is achievable by ordinary humans. The recent death of Venerable Hsing Yun, the founder of Fo Guang Shan, led to plentiful discussions in Taiwanese society from people of all walks of life, spanning scholars to media and citizens. This study will reveal the peculiarities of this interesting case, mainly as it relates to the late master's mortuary rites. In doing so, other monastics who passed away in contemporary times will be brought up for comparison. In addition to its notable innovations and creativity, the focal case of the mortuary rites for Hsing Yun manifests the tension between traditional and modern Buddhist ideologies and practices; especially as these tensions unfold within the Humanistic Buddhist context.

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