Introduction to Hsuan Chuang University Center for the Study of Buddhism in Taiwan

 

I.    The Mission of the Center for the Study of Buddhism in Taiwan

In July 2022 the Center for the Study of Buddhism in Taiwan was founded at Hsuan Chuang University based on a unique research subject with its own specialty.

 

a.    The unique research subject—Buddhism in Taiwan

1. Within its limited geographic scope, Taiwan has amassed three monumental international Buddhist organizations—Tzu-Chi, Fo Guang, and Dharma Drum, with 10 million devotees and supporters spread toall corners of the globe.
2. With skillful means derived from the wisdom of the Buddha dharma, Taiwanese Buddhist organizations have fully realized Buddha’s spirit of helping the world. Not only are they promoting Humanistic Buddhism, but also proactively participating internationally in sociallyengaged Buddhistactivities that have resulted in notable fruition. Consequently, Taiwanese Buddhism is highly valued and revered whether it be withinglobal Buddhist communities or within international religious studies academia.
3. Female Taiwanese monastic practitioners as a whole demonstrate remarkable strength. Their notably high educational status, contribution to disaster relief efforts, and involvement in social activism have garnered them acknowledgment from our local society and they are regarded as exemplary around the world. This is a contrast to the inferior status and circumstances many female monastic Buddhists face elsewhere.  
4. Taiwan’s unique history with Buddhism began with major influences   from both the Chinese and East Asian Buddhist streams. Later, Christianity and Western civilization were introduced, which fostered a sense of inclusivity in the minds of many Taiwanese Buddhists. One further development has been the adoption of practical applications of modern technology by these Buddhist organizations. The result is seen in the establishment of new centers around the world, which are flexible and easily adaptive to the distinct societies and cultures they are entering. Thus, Taiwanese Buddhism has a tendency toward successful globalization and therefore could be a good research model for modern Buddhist studies.  
5. The scope for research studies on Buddhism in Taiwan includes but is not limited to:

i.     The development of Buddhism in Taiwan based on historical and cultural contexts 

ii.    The diversity of Buddhist philosophical development and lineages in Taiwan

iii.   Taiwanese bhikkhunis' (female monastics) social participation and their influence 

iv.   Taiwanese Buddhist scholars’ interdisciplinary dialogues or writings with experts from other fields of knowledge.

v.    Taiwanese Buddhist organizations’ practical application of the latest technology such as CBETA–a digital database of Buddhist scriptures in the Chinese language.

vi.    Taiwanese Buddhist organizations’ globalization including cross-religion dialogues

vii.   How Taiwanese Buddhist organizations function and their integration into society 

6. Specific research topics:

i.      Globalization and Taiwanese Buddhism

ii.     Buddhist ethics studies

iii.    Mapping Buddhism in Taiwan with metaverse

iv.    The oral history of Buddhism in Taiwan

v.   Dialogues between different Buddhist lineages in Taiwan (The Chinese Buddhism, Theravadan Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, the practice of Buddhism specific to Yunnan, and other lineages nationwide and overseas)

vi.     Buddhist culture and art

vii.  Taiwanese Folk Buddhist traditions—Vegetarian Religion, Ritual-central and Syncretic sectarian schools(A fusion of Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, and folk religion), and Fa Religion (One of the two major Taoist sects in Taiwan)

viii.   Humanistic Buddhism and Engaged Buddhism (dialogues from biennial international and cross-strait academic conferences)

ix.      The study of Master Yin-Shun’s philosophy

7. Institutes for intercommunion in research

i.      Buddhist academic institutes in East Asia

ii.     Buddhist academic institutes in China, Hong Kong, and Macau

iii.    Buddhist academic institutes in South East Asia

iv.    Buddhist academic institutes in Europe and the Americas

v.     Buddhist academic institutes in India

 

b.   Center for the Study of Buddhism in Taiwan — Elements that make this center prominent

 

1. Under the Department of Religion and Culture, Hsuan Chuang University has 4 research centers— applied ethics, Tibetan Buddhism, sinology, and Dr. Ambedkar’s philosophical research and practice. After establishing CSBT, we will invite national and international scholars and experts in the field of Buddhism to form an international consultant team and an interdisciplinary research team.
2. All staff from the four centers, whether Buddhist practitioners or not, will conduct research on topics related to Buddhism in Taiwan with “outsider” objectivity and academic spirit. This scrupulous attitude is fundamentally different than what is found in other publications written from sectarian or devotional perspectives and tends to become promotional towards their own religions or lineages.
3. The ongoing production of a semiannual academic journal which at present has published 37 issues; ongoing organization of at least one international or cross-strait academic conference every year by our university.

 

II. Short, mid, and long-term goals along with the responsibilities of CSBT

 

a.    The Short term goal (the first year)

1. To source nationwide and international publications and research regarding Buddhism in Taiwan. Then catalog and compile the datato build a digital collection database.
2. To set up an official website and a Facebook Page for CSBT.
3. To organize a series of offline and online talks on the topic of “Buddhism in Taiwan” (We plan to organize 10 talks, all of which will be recorded and uploaded to YouTube)
4. To organize 2 soft outreach activities such as mindfulness trainings, stress relief seminars, and Buddhist scripture study groups.
5. In order to prepare for the foundation of CSBT, we will gather necessary materials fromHsuan Chuang Buddhism Studies Semiannual Journalfor the AHCI index-journal list.
6. To offer scholarships for “the most outstanding research paper” and “distinguished research paper” to attract Master’s theses and Doctorate dissertations on Buddhism in Taiwan.

 

b.   Mid and long-term goals

1.   To file aformal application supporting the inclusion of Hsuan Chuang Buddhism Studies Semiannual Journal in the AHCI index-journal list.

2.    To publish books predominantly in Mandarin and English on Buddhism in Taiwan and relative topics and work with academic journals and magazines to feature articles on Buddhism in Taiwan. The digital copies of all these articles and books will also be collected and cataloged into the online database.

3.     To offer funds and awards to attract Master’s theses and Doctorate dissertations on Buddhism in Taiwan.

4.     To call for research projects on Buddhism in Taiwan.

5.     To organize a biennial international or cross-strait academic conference with joint efforts from international and national scholars to foster diversified and interdisciplinary research.

6.     To contact international research organizations for website alliances and offline events cooperation.

7.     To continueto collect, compile and catalog data research regarding Buddhism in Taiwan.

8.     To offer regular updates on the CSBT official website and Facebook Page.

9.    To continue to organize regular sessions on Buddhism in Taiwan for online and offline talks. (6 talks per year. All talks will be recorded and uploaded to YouTube)

10.  To continue to organizesemi-annual soft outreach activities such as mindfulness trainings, stress relief seminars, and Buddhist scripture study groups.

 

 

III.   The organization chart of the CSBT and our team (work in progress)

 

￭Structure of CSBT

1.       Chief consultants and board of consultants

2.      Head of the research center

3.      Research unit: research team

4.     Administration unit: Chief Executive Officer, bilingual secretary of Chinese and English, research assistant

 

￭Chief Consultants (As a matter of convenience, names are presented in alphabetical order)

1.    Rey-Sheng Her (何日生), DeputyExecutive of Tzu-Chi Foundation; adjunct associate professor of Religion and Culture Department, Hsuan ChuangUniversity; associate scholar at Faculty of Arts and Sciences, CAMLab at Harvard University; visiting fellow at Harvard, Oxford Cambridge and Columbia Universities

2.    Sulak Sivaraksa, Founder of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists

3.    Bily Wang (汪秉龍), Chairman of YTEC and Harvatek; General Director of Taiwan Optoelectronic Semiconductor Industry Association (TOSIA)

 

￭Academic Consultants

1.  Bhikkhu Bodhi, Ph.D. in philosophy, Claremont Graduate University, U.S.A.;  president of the Buddhist Association of the United States

2.   Yu-Feng Chen (陳玉峯), Emeritus professor of the Department of Taiwanese Literature, National Cheng-Kung University; former vice president of Providence University, Taiwan

3.  Min-HsiuChiang (江明修), Distinguished Professor of the Department of Public Administration, National Chengchi University; former Dean of the School of Social Science, Taiwan

4.    Richard Gombrich, former President of the Pali Texts Society, U.K.; Founder-President of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies, U.K.

5.     Jien-Ming Jue (朱建民), Emeritus professor of the Graduate Institute of Philosophy, National Central University; former president of Huafan University, Taiwan

6.     Ji-Fu Lan (藍吉富), Researcher at Chung-Hwa Institute of Buddhist Studies, Taiwan

7.     Shui-Chuen Lee (李瑞全), Emeritus professor of the Graduate Institute of Philosophy, National Central University; Director of the research center of Chinese philosophy, Taiwan

8.     Lee-Chen Lin (林麗珍), Director of the Legend Lin Dance Theatre, Taiwan

9.     Pao-Yao Lin (林保堯), Emeritus Professor of the Taipei National University of the Arts, Taiwan

10.   Dhammachari Lokamitra(世友）,Founder of Nagarjuna  TrainingInstitute

11.    Richard Madsen, Professor of Sociology, University of California, San Diego, U.S.A.

12.   Peter Singer, Tenured Professor of Bioethicsat Princeton University, U.S.A.; Winner of 2021 Berggruen Prize

13.   Chuo-Zhong Wang (王綽中), President of China Times newspaper, Taiwan

14.   San-Ching Wang (王三慶), Emeritus Professor of the Department of the Chinese Literature, National Cheng-Kung University, Taiwan

15.   Hai-Yen Yeh(葉海煙), Professor and the former director of the Department of Chinese Literature, National Cheng-Kung University, Taiwan

 

￭CSBT Fellows

A.   On-campus fellows –Hsuan Chuang University

1.    Shao-Chi Chien (簡紹琦), President of Hsuan Chuang University, Taiwan

2.   Marcus Günzel, Associate professor of the Department of Religion and Culture; Ph.D. in Sinology from the University of Göttingen, Germany

3.   Rey-Sheng Her (何日生), Adjunct associate professor of the Department of Religion and Culture; Deputy Executive of the Tzu-Chi Foundation; associate scholar at Faculty of Arts and Sciences, CAMLab at Harvard University, U.S.A

4.   Kung-Hong Ho (侯坤宏), Professor of the Department of Religion and Culture; former head of Department of Compilation and Research, National Academia Historica, Taiwan

5.   Hui-Ying Huang (黃慧英), Associate researcher of the center for Sinology, Hsuan Chuang University, Taiwan; former associate professor of Lingnan University, Hong Kong

6.   Yun-Si Huang (黃運喜), Professor and Head of the Department of Religion and Culture; former Dean of the Faculty of the Arts and Sciences

7.   Tatsuaki Ikeda (いけだ　たつあき池田辰彰), Associate professor and head of the Department of Applied Japanese

8.    Cheng-Chung Lai (賴建誠), Adjunct Professor of the Department of Religion and Culture; Ph.D. from École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, (EHESS), France; Emeritus professor of Department of Economics, National Tsing-Hua University, Taiwan

9.    Chao-Hwei Shih (釋昭慧), The convener of CSBT; Professor of the Department of Religion and Culture; former Dean of the Faculty of the Department of Social Sciences

10.  Shing-Kuang Shih (釋性廣), Chairperson and adjunct associate professor of the Department of Religion and Culture

11.   Wu-Yin Shih (釋悟殷), Adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Religion and Culture

12.   Jen-Rung Tsai (蔡震榮), Professor and Dean of the Department of Law; Former Deputy Executive of Ministry of the Interior, National Immigration Agency, Republic of China (Taiwan)

13.   Yao-Hong Tsai (蔡耀弘), Associate professor of the Department of Visual Communication Design; Director of Library and Information Center

14.   Ching-Yao Wu (吳敬堯), Associate professor and head of the Department of Visual Communication Design

 

B.     Off-campus fellows 

1.    Christien  Chang (張玉玲),Joint President, International Buddhist Confederation (IBC)

2.    Doris Li-Wen  Chang (張瓈文) , Associate Professor, Department of English Language and Literature, Fu Jen University, Taiwan

3.    Shiun Chang (張珣), Research fellow of the Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan

4.    Yi-Biao Chen (陳一標), Professor of the Department of Buddhist Studies, Fo Guang University, Taiwan

5.    Sheng-Shen Chen (陳省身), Assistant Professor, Department of History, Tamkang University, Taiwan

6.    Min-Chieh Chiu  (邱敏捷), Professor of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, National University of Tainan, Taiwan

7.    Elise Anne DeVido (戴愛蓮), Ph.D. in History and East Asian Languages; Associate Professor , Department of English Language and Literature , International College, Tzu Chi University, Taiwan

8.    Douglas Gildow (顧立德), Assistant professor of the Center for the Study of Humanistic Buddhism, Department of Culture and Religion Studies, The Chinese University, Hong Kong

9.    Jun Gong (龔雋), Professor of the Graduate Institute of Comparative Study of Religion, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China

10.  Chien-Ming He (何建明), Professor ofthe Institute for the Study of Buddhism and Religious Theory, Renmin University of China, China; Director of the Center of Buddhism in Modern China

11.   Natasha Heller, Associate professor of the Department of Religious Studies, University of Virginia, U.S.A.

12.  Li-hua Hsiao (蕭麗華), Dean of the School of Humanities, Fo Guang University, China

13.  Sia-Nian Huang (黃夏年), Former research fellow of the Institute of World Religions, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China

14. Julia Huang (黃倩玉), Adjunct faculty of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, DePaul University, U.S.A.

15.  Wei-Shan Huang (黃維珊), Associate professor of the Department of Sociology, Hong Kong Shue Yan University

16.  Zhe Ji (汲喆), Professor of the Institut National des Langues et CivilisationsOrientales (INALCO), France

17. Charles B. Jones, Professor of the Catholic University of America, School of Theology and Religious Studies, U.S.A.

18.  Cheng-Tsung Kan (闞正宗), Professor of the Department of Buddhist Studies, Fo Guang University, Taiwan

19.  André Laliberté (安德瑞),  Professor of the Department of Political Science,  University of Ottawa, Canada

20. Yu-Chen Li(李玉珍), Professor of the Graduate Institute of Religious Studies, National Chengchi University, Taiwan

21. Chao-Cheng Lin (林朝成), Professor of the Department of Chinese Literature, National Cheng-Kung University, Taiwan

22. Chien-Te Lin (林建德), Professor and Dean of the Institute of Religion and Humanities, Tzu-Chi University, Taiwan

23. Chi-Hsien  Lin (林其賢), rustee of Tungfang Design University, Taiwan

24. Mei-Rong Lin (林美容), Former research fellow of the Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan

25. Rong-Tze Lin (林蓉芝), The secretary-general of the Chinese Buddhist Temple Association, Taiwan

26. Yun-Rou Lin (林韻柔), Associate professor of the Department of History, National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan

27. Lawrence Y.K. Lau(劉宇光), Visiting professor of the School of Religious Studies, McGill University, Canada

28. Kimimasa Matsukane (マツカネキミマサ松金公正); Vice president of Utsunomiya University; Professor of the Department of International Studies at Utsunomiya University, Japan

29. Jeffrey Nicolaisen (倪杰), Ph.D., Duke University, U.S.A.; research fellow of the International Institute for Cultural Studies, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan

30. Matthew Bryan Orsborn (歐慧峰), Departmental Lecturer in the Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford, U.K.

31. Scott Pacey (龐思考), Assistant Professor of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Nottingham, U.K.

32. Jens Reinke, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and director of the Institute for the Study of Humanistic Buddhism, University of the West, U.S.A.

33. Justin R. Ritzinger (芮哲), Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of Miami, U.S.A.

34. Hai Sang (桑海), Ph.D. in Literature from Tsing-Hua University, Taiwan; Editor in Chief of the Journal of Macau University of Science and Technology, China

35. Wei-Jen Teng (鄧偉仁), Ph.D. in Religious Studies, Harvard University; Associate professor and Dean of Department of Buddhist Studies, Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts, Taiwan

36. Stefania Travagnin (史芬妮), Lecturer of the School of Religion, History, and Philosophy, SOAS University of London, U.K.

37. Lina Verchery, Executive editor of the Yin-Cheng Journal of Contemporary Buddhism, Taiwan

38. Sung Wang (王頌), Professor of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Peking University; Director of the center for Buddhism Studies, China

39. Robert P. Weller, Professor of the Department of Anthropology, Boston University, U.S.A.

40. Fang Xuan (宣方), Associate professor of the Institute for the Study of Buddhism and Religious Theory, Renmin University of China, China

41. Wei-Hung Yen (嚴瑋泓), Professor of the Department of Philosophy, Tunghai University, Taiwan)

42. Kin-Tung Yit (越建東), Professor of the  Graduate Institute of Philosophy, National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan

43. Hsiang-Chou Yo (游祥洲), Member of Executive Council, World Fellowship of Buddhists

 

IV. Faculty Committee

1. Director of the CBST:

Chao-Hwei Shih, Professor; Former Head of the  Department of Religion and Culture; Former Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences,  Hsuan Chuang University, Taiwan; Recipient of the 38th Niwano Peace Prize

2. Research fields/Academic communities conveners and faculty

1.    Globalization and Taiwanese Buddhism

Professor Rey-Sheng Her, Deputy Executive of Tzu-Chi Foundation, Taiwan

Chien-De Lin, Professor, and Dean of the Institute of Religion and Humanities, Tzu-Chi University, Taiwan

 

2.    Buddhism map of Taiwan and Metaverse

Shao-Chi Chien, President of Hsuan Chuang University, Taiwan

Yun-Si Huang, Head of the Department of Religion and Culture, Hsuan Chuang University, Taiwan

Ching-Yao Wu, Head of the Department of Visual Communication Design, Hsuan Chuang University, Taiwan

Yao-Hong Tsai, Director of Library and Information Center, Hsuan Chuang University, Taiwan

 

3.    Buddhist ethics studies

Wei-Hung Yen, Professor of the Department of Philosophy, Tunghai University, Taiwan

 

4.   The oral history of Buddhism in Taiwan

Kung-Hong Ho, Professor of the Department of Religion and Culture, Hsuan Chuang University, Taiwan

 

5.    Dialogues between different Buddhist lineages in Taiwan (The Chinese Buddhism, Theravadan Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, the practice of Buddhism specific to Yunnan, and other lineages nationwide and overseas)

Wei-Jen Teng, Associate professor and Dean of the Department of Buddhist Studies, Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts, Taiwan

Yu-Kuang Liu, Visiting professor of the School of Religious Studies, McGill University, Canada

 

6.   Buddhist culture and art

Pao-Yao Lin, Emeritus professor of the Taipei National University of the Arts, Taiwan

 

7.    Taiwanese Folk Buddhist traditions—Vegetarian Religion, Ritual-central and Syncretic sectarian schools(A fusion of Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, and folk religion), and Fa Religion (One of the two major Taoist sects in Taiwan)

Yun-Si Huang, Head of the Department of Religion and Culture, Hsuan Chuang University, Taiwan

Cheng-Tsung Kan, Professor of the Department of Buddhist Studies, Fo Guang University, Taiwan

Sheng-Shen Chen (陳省身), Assistant Professor, Department of History, Tamkang University

 

8.   The study of Master Yin-Shun’s philosophy and Humanistic Buddhism (international and cross-strait academic conference)

Chao-Hwei Shih, Professor of the Department of Religion and Culture, Hsuan Chuang University, Taiwan

Rey-Sheng Her, Deputy Executive of Tzu-Chi Foundation, Taiwan

Yueh-Shiuan Chen, Executive Director of the international academic conferences of the Department of Religion and Culture atHsuan Chuang University, Taiwan

 

V. Potential international partnerships for academic cooperation

 

We welcome and appreciate any opportunity to work with universities, research or teaching centers, or institutes of Buddhist studies in East Asia, South Asia, Europe, the Americas, Cross-Strait, Hong Kong, and Macau. Our cooperation might include academic lectures and seminars. Below is a list of our potential partners for such an exchange:

 

1. Institute of Religion and Humanities, Tzu-Chi University, Taiwan
2. Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts, Taiwan
3. Institute of Buddhist Studies, Fo Guang University, Taiwan
4. Department of Buddhist Arts, Huafan University, Taiwan
5. the Graduate Institute of Religious Studies, theCenter for the Study of Chinese Religions at National ChangChi University
6. School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
7. Center for the Buddhism Studies, Peking University, China
8. Center of Buddhism in Modern China, Renmin University of China, China
9. Department of Asian Studies, University of British Columbia, Canada
10. Tzu-Chi University of Science and Technology, Taiwan
11. Department of Religious Studies, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan
12. Department of Philosophy, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
13. Institute of World Religions, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China
14. Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of Buddhism, Institut National des Langues et CivilisationsOrientales (INALCO), France
15. University West, U.S.A
16. Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan
17. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University Delhi, India

 

CSBT Administration Resources

1. Administration Staff

1.       CEO: Yueh-Shiuan Chen

2.      English secretary: Wen Lai, Zhi-Yi Wen and Shiao-Ching Yuan

3.      Chinese  secretary: Saik Chee Teng

4.     Administration assistant: Zhi-Yi Wen

5.      Editors of CSBT Journal: Jien-Yi Shih, Ming-Yi Shih, Yin-Yue Shih, Sin-Hao Shih, and Yue-Hsuan Chen

     B. Location of CSBT

Office: 301A Room, 3F, Miao-Ran Building, Hsuan Chuang University

Center for the database: The room with special literature collection and Miao-Ran Library

     C. Hsuan Chuang Journal of Buddhism Studies

This journal will feature themes related to the study of Buddhism in Taiwan according to the academic purpose of our center.

     D. Dharmadatu Publications

This publisher will publish a series of books regarding the study of Taiwanese Buddhism according to the plan of our center

     E.  Hong-Shi Bimonthly Journal

This journal will feature themes related to the study of Buddhism in Taiwan according to the plan of our center

     F. Ask a philosopher Journal

Through this journal, we will encourage students of Master’s or Doctoral programs to write theses/dissertations relating to the study of Buddhism in Taiwan