Taixu
Taixu was born on the 8th of January 1890 in Haining, a county within Zhejiang province. His parents died while he remained very young. He grew up under the care of his grandparents instead of his biological family. At age sixteen, he entered Xiao Jiuhua Temple in Suzhou for ordination into the Linji school of Chan Buddhism. Shortly after this ceremony, he received the Dharma name Taixu, which translates to Great Emptiness. This early life set the stage for a man who would later challenge the structures of Chinese religion.
Political writings by Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao influenced Taixu's thinking during his youth. By 1911, he traveled to Guangzhou where he contacted revolutionaries plotting to overthrow the Qing dynasty. He participated in secret revolutionary activities against the ruling regime. These experiences shaped his political ideology as described in his Autobiography. After the establishment of the Republic of China, he founded the Association for the Advancement of Buddhism. The organization lasted only a short time due to resistance from conservative Buddhists. Shocked by the outbreak of World War I and suffering in China, he went into seclusion on Putuoshan for three years starting in October 1914.
Taixu envisioned a plan to reorganize the Sangha, the monastic order of monks. Historical records indicate that by 1930, he had cut the number of monks within the order significantly. This reorganization aimed to revitalize Buddhism and bring about a Pure Land in this world rather than a distant cosmological realm. He propagated the idea of creating a Pure Land here and now through tangible social action. Professor Don A. Pittman notes these efforts were part of a grand scheme to modernize Buddhist practice. Despite these ambitions, few of his projects succeeded due to economic and political turmoil across China during wars and revolutions.
While traveling in Europe, Taixu observed the successes of Christian charitable organizations. He hoped to import their organizational style into his reformed Buddhism. He implemented these methods into groups like the Bodhi Society and Right Faith Society. These lay organizations provided charity to the sick, poor, and misfortunate. However, he maintained critical distance from Christian theology regarding God and science. Western critics argued he was naive about Christian philosophy and called his lectures amateurish. He believed Christianity failed to prevent economic depressions or World Wars despite its organizational strengths.
Taixu wrote an essay titled Science and Buddhism where he discussed the relationship between faith and reason. He explained that scientific knowledge could prove Buddhist doctrine but never ascertain its realities. In one example, he translated the teaching that every drop of water contains 84 thousand microbes. This aligned with the Buddhist Sutras stating space is endless and worlds are infinite. He argued that superstition creates obstacles to enlightenment by closing minds to new discoveries. Scientific methods can corroborate doctrine but cannot advance beyond it to achieve liberation on their own.
Taixu died on the 12th of March 1947 at Jade Buddha Temple in Shanghai. Several influential disciples carried forward his ideas after his death. Yin Shun lived from 1906 to 2005 and Dongchu lived from 1907 to 1977. These figures preserved his reformist thoughts despite the failure of many institutions. Most organizations set up to bring about a better life were crushed by various forces including communists. His attempts at global propagation of the Dharma ultimately failed yet left a lasting intellectual legacy within modern Chinese Buddhism.
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Common questions
When and where was Taixu born?
Taixu was born on the 8th of January 1890 in Haining, a county within Zhejiang province. His parents died while he remained very young.
What religious order did Taixu join at age sixteen?
At age sixteen, Taixu entered Xiao Jiuhua Temple in Suzhou for ordination into the Linji school of Chan Buddhism. He received the Dharma name Taixu shortly after this ceremony.
Why did Taixu go into seclusion starting in October 1914?
Taixu went into seclusion on Putuoshan for three years starting in October 1914 because he was shocked by the outbreak of World War I and suffering in China. This period followed his participation in secret revolutionary activities against the Qing dynasty.
How many monks were reduced in Taixu's reorganization plan by 1930?
Historical records indicate that by 1930, Taixu had cut the number of monks within the order significantly to revitalize Buddhism. This reorganization aimed to bring about a Pure Land in this world through tangible social action.
Which organizations did Taixu create to implement charitable methods from Europe?
Taixu implemented organizational styles from Christian charities into groups like the Bodhi Society and Right Faith Society. These lay organizations provided charity to the sick, poor, and misfortunate while maintaining critical distance from Christian theology.
When and where did Taixu die?
Taixu died on the 12th of March 1947 at Jade Buddha Temple in Shanghai. His ideas were carried forward after his death by influential disciples Yin Shun and Dongchu.