The practice of Yin Shun's Ren Jian Fo Jiao: A case study of Fu Yan College, Dharma Drum Mountain and Tzu Chi Buddhist Compassion Relief

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate one of the growing movements known in Taiwan as Ren Jian Fo Jiao or 'Buddhism in the Human World' in Taiwan, propounded by an eminent Buddhist scholar Yin Shun (1906-2005). Three prominent Buddhist organizations in Taiwan, which are Tzu Chi Buddhist Compassion Relief Association, Dharma Drum Mountain, and Fu Yan Buddhist College, acknowledge being influenced by Yin Shun and identify themselves as the followers of Ren Jian Fo Jiao. However, the problem is that their connection to the teaching of Ren Jian Fo Jiao is vague and ambiguous. In this thesis I explain how Ren Jian Fo Jiao is defined and practiced by the organizations' members. My explanation is based on the results of a social survey conducted during a thirty-day visit to Taiwan in May of 2006.;From this study I found that there was a strong perception of unity among adherents within the movement, because members claimed that there were no differences in thought between their organizations and the ideas of Yin Shun. However, an investigation of their activities reveals that the Ren Jian Fo Jiao movement is not unified in practice, because the organizations rely on different implementation methods. It was discovered that the practices of Ren Jian Fo Jiao are continually evolving to meet the demands of new environments and practitioners. This suggests that a certain degree of digression in the application of Ren Jian Fo Jiao is required to appeal to the needs of different people. The ability of Dharma Drum and Tzu Chi to keep up with the modern times, owing greatly to the vast financial resources of the groups, have led to the rise of innovative practices in those organizations. As a result, the original identity of the movement, which began as a Buddhist academic movement, has changed to a humanitarian movement, the major characterization of Ren Jian Fo Jiao.