Humanistic-Huddhism
What is Humanistic-Buddhism?
We know that the founder of Buddhism, Shakyamuni Buddha, was a Buddha of the human world. He was born, practiced, attained enlightenment, and taught all beings in the human realm. Everything he did centered on humanity. Why didn’t the Buddha attain enlightenment in the other five realms of existence? Why, among the Ten Dharma Realms, did he choose to be born and awakened in ours? Furthermore, why didn’t he choose a time in the distant past or the far future, but instead chose this current Sahā world? The answer is clear: the Buddha advocated for a Buddhism centered on the human world.
The Six Characteristics of Humanistic Buddhism
Human Character
Integration into Daily Life
Altruism
Joyfulness
Timeless Relevance
Universality of Deliverance
Attaining Bodhi in the Human World
Buddhism is a human-centered religion. Throughout various sutras, the Buddha emphasized,
“I am one of the people,” signifying that he was not a god.
The Vimalakirti Sutra states that the Buddha-land is found among sentient beings. Without sentient beings, there is no Buddha; to seek the Way apart from the community is to find nothing at all. The Sixth Patriarch, Huineng, famously said: “The Dharma is in the world; enlightenment is not found apart from it. To seek Bodhi outside of this world is like looking for horns on a rabbit.” If we wish to become a Buddha, we must temper ourselves and practice within the human realm. It is only as a human being that one can attain Buddhahood; it cannot be achieved in any other realm.