Yin Shun
Yin Shun (Chinese印顺, Pinyin Yinshun, W.-G. Yinshun; born March 12, 1906 in Haining; † 4 June 2005 in Hualien, Taiwan) was a Chinese monk, he is considered one of the greatest Buddhist teachers of Chinese Mahayana Buddhism the second half of the 20th century.
After years of reading Taoist and Confucian texts, but mainly the Bible, all of which had not satisfied him, he wanted to go the way Budhhas. On Putuo Shan, an island in Ningbo, one of the four sacred mountains of Chinese Buddhism, he managed to enter the small temple Fuquanan to study Buddhist scriptures there. There he was ordained in the winter of 1930 by the monk Qingnian ( 1875-1957 ). His ordination master Qingnian had the same ordination masters like Taixu (太虚; 1889-1947 ), that was his master 's brother ( Shixiong ).
His main teacher was later learned monk Taixu its " Buddhism of human life " ( Rensheng fojiao ) an important part of the opening of Buddhist practice, to community outreach, instead of mere effort at self-redemption was. Yin Shun was also his writings out later. With his doctrine of " Buddhism of the human world " ( Renjian fojiao ) Yinshun has created a much-publicized slogan for a socially engaged Buddhism Chinese. But his Buddhism the human world also meant a move away from speculation, strange beliefs and inventions.
Yin Shun said: "I was not trying to be a learned Buddhism watchers by broad erudition, I tried to open also no dharma Supermarket, which gives the people what they would like (...). I introduce the idea of Buddhism of human life, which is not plugged full of ghosts and demons ( fei Guihua de Rensheng fojiao ) by Master Taixu gone, think one step further and give a Buddhism that is not full of gods inserted ( fei tianhua de ), a theoretical basis. "
Yin Shun is the teacher of the nun Zhengyan (证 严* 1937 ), who heads the largest Buddhist charity organization in the world ( Ciji Gongde hui ).
Through works on the history of Buddhism, especially its Indian roots, he opened the eyes of the Chinese Buddhist community, which was very china centered on Buddhism as a major religion. Skeptical, he remained, in spite of his friendship and cooperation with Fazun in Sichuan, the straight Tsong -kha - writings of pa (1417-1478), the great Tibetan reformer and founder of the Dge - luks -pa school under the Chinese title Mizongdao cidi Guanglun had translated, opposite the Tibetan Buddhism, which he held for heterodox. There are a number of critical comments on certain beliefs and practices of the Tibetans. Yin Shun also has criticized Confucianism and Christianity.
For the students of Buddhist seminars in Taiwan Yin Shun a compulsory read. Will be read mainly zhi dao Chengfo and Buddha Fa gailun, Xuefo san yao and Chuqi dacheng fojiao zhi yu Qiyuan kaizhan.
Elemental are both his introductions to Buddhism, his historical works as well as its specialized treatises also the Buddhist Chinese communities abroad. In Malaysia, the largest Buddhist Seminary of the ( Triple Wisdom Hall, Penang ) Buddha Fa gailun for a full year is used as a reading. The Young Buddhist Association Malaysia zhi dao Chengfo used for a " propagator YBAM Dhamma Training Course ". Yinshuns students Yanpei (1917-1996) was after his move to Singapore ( around 1967 ) one of the most prominent scholar monk there. Another student Yinshuns, Miaoqin (1921-1974), was established there to an important personality among Chinese Buddhists in Manila and has the still existing Nengren school.
The scholar Shi Yin Shun Shengyan holds together with Zhixu, Taixu and Ouyang Jian for the greatest Buddhist scholars of modernity. (see Four great thinkers in modern Chinese Buddhism. In: Fu, Charles Wei - hsun; Wawrytko, Sandra A. ( eds.) ( 1991), 55-67. )