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管理員 - 其他 | 2025-01-27 | 點閱數: 257
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Introduction

Taichung Buddhist Lotus Society

Professor Bǐng-nán Lǐ (李炳南), respectfully known as Xuěgōng to his students, founded the Taichung Buddhist Lotus Society (TCBLS) in 1951.  His vision was to put the teachings of Master Yin-Guang into practice, disseminate Buddhist Dharma, and advocate Amitabha Recitation of Pure Land Buddhism (淨土宗) as a means for lay Buddhists to pursue enlightenment.  In subsequent years, Professor Lǐ established the Tsu-kuang Library (慈光圖書館, now Taichung Buddhist Culture Library), Tsu-kuang Children’s Home in 1960 (慈光育幼院, now Tsu-hsin Children’s Home), and Bodhi Relief Organization (菩提仁愛之家, now Bodhi Ren-ai Senior Citizen’s Home and Bodhi Hospital) in 1963. These institutions, along with many others around the island, were set up to provide spaces for Buddhist congregations to preach Confucian Classics and Buddhist Sutra and to practice Amitabha Recitation.

Professor Lǐ’s purpose in founding TCBLS is to preach Mahayana Buddhism(大乘佛法), concentrate on the practice of Pure Land Buddhism (淨土宗), promote ethical principles, support social education, and engage in charity. Our venerable teacher himself established three guidelines for TCBLS: first, expounding Confucian Classics and Buddhist Sutra to guide the minds of followers; second, assembling followers to practice Amitabha recitation to free oneself from reincarnation; and third, starting and sustaining cultural organizations and charities to improve public morals and social custom. TCBLS prioritizes educational and cultural activities, with charitable work as a secondary focus. 

For educational endeavors, we have the Classic Chinese Enlightening Class (啟蒙班)and Yue-yu Chinese Music Orchestra (樂育國樂團) for children and teenagers during school semesters and summer recesses. For members of  Buddhist student organizations in colleges, TCBLS also holds the Minglun Seminar (大專明倫講座) during winter and summer recesses. To train dedicated practitioners with a more substantial commitment to Buddhist studies and practice, Xuěgōng established the two-year Social Education Program (社教科) as the top level of study in TCBLS. The Xue-Chuang Buddhism Study Group (雪窗研習班) allows devotees to further research into the Schools of Tian-tai (天台宗), the Dharmalaksana (唯識宗), the Pure Land (淨土宗), and Confucian Analects based on their individual interest. Additionally, Hong Ming Kindergarten (弘明幼兒園)and Hong-Ming High School (弘明實驗高級中學) educate pre-K-12 students. Regular public sessions include sutra-expounding on Wednesday and Thursday evenings and lecture on Confucian Analects on Tuesday and Friday evenings to study the essences of Confucius’ teachings.

For cultural and publication efforts, the Minglun Ethics Monthly (明倫月刊) publishes more than 7,000 copies per issue in Taiwan and abroad. The Qing Lian Publishing Company (青蓮出版社) prints Confucian and Buddhist classics and various social and educational publications for the public. Radio programs, such as Voice of Ethics and Voice of Buddhists, aired Dharma and Confucian teachings.

For charity and public service endeavors, the Tsu-hsin Children’s Home (formerly Tsu-kuang Children’s Home) has been nurturing the youth for more than six decades. The Bodhi Ren-ai Senior Citizens’ Home attends to the needs of older adults, and the Bodhi Hospital provides medical services. TCBLS also prepares relief for those in need, mainly in central Taiwan, in case of crises and before the Chinese New Year.

To promote Pure Land Cultivation, TCBLS organizes the Family Amitabha Recitation Congregations to encourage generations within families to practice Amitabha recitation together. More importantly, TCBLS offers Buddhist hospice care with intensive Amitabha recitation for congregation members in the dying phase. To date, there are 76 congregations, varying from 20 to 100 members each. Besides regular gatherings, members from different congregations practice a joint Amitabha Recitation periodically. In honor of the late founder Xuěgōng, we also gather for Amitabha recitation in the first seven days of each lunar month, year to year. To uphold our duties, TCBLS only holds voluntary activities and events. To accommodate the joint Amitabha chanting sessions and Buddhist hospice care, a group of members built two Buddhist communities, Ming Yuan (明園) and De Yuan (德苑).

To advocate filial piety and commemoration of the departed, TCBLS holds ancestor worshiping rituals every spring and autumn. Meanwhile, to introduce Buddhism to beginners, TCBLS holds conversion ceremonies regularly. 

In summary, TCBLS has long adhered to Professor Li’s teachings– the Four Commitments and Three Prohibitions. The Four Commitments are to pursue knowledge and truth, to rectify corrupt custom, to free oneself from samsara, and to propagate and protect authentic Buddhist dharma. The Three Prohibitions are not to be exploited for the sake of Buddhism, not to greedily seek fame and wealth in the name of Buddhism, and not to be blindly swayed in ignorance of Buddhism. In line with these principles, TCBLS maintains its integrity by organizing only non-profit activities and events. All instructors contribute their time and expertise voluntarily, embodying the society’s commitment to selfless service and authentic Buddhist practice.