Written by Scott Pacey. Buddhism in Taiwan sits within a complex religious milieu that includes Daoism, folk religion, Protestantism, Catholicism, and various new religious movements (NRMs).
Category: Religion
COMPETITION WITHOUT ENVY – INTRODUCING THE “BUDDHA-DHARMA CUP”
Written by Corey Bell and Yao-hung Huang. It is in the backdrop of this unique ecology that a truly distinctive event has come into being – the ‘Buddha-Dharma Cup’ 佛法盃. The name is derived from the juxtaposition of the first characters of ‘Buddha’s Light’ and ‘Dharma Drum’…
BRINGING BUDDHISM TO THE MASSES – LOOKING BACK AT SAN MIN BOOKS’ “NEW TRANSLATION” SERIES OF BUDDHIST CLASSICS
Written by Shang Haifeng.
This venerable and influential company began releasing publications on Buddhism as part of its “Series of Annotated Modern Translations of [Chinese] Classics” (古籍今注新譯叢書) as early as the 1960’s. This was at the same time that China’s heritage – and its religious heritage in particular – was suffering sustained attacks during the Cultural Revolution.
The Evolving Personhood of the Fetus: Abortion Ritual in Taiwan within the Transnational Flow
Written by Grace Cheng-Ying Lin. In Taiwan, abortion rituals (嬰靈超渡, 嬰靈供養) have been gaining popularity since the 1980s. The ritual attempts to appease or rescue Yingling (fetus spirits嬰靈), the spirits of fetuses that have died from abortions or miscarriages. Within most contemporary religious discourse, abortion is seen as an inappropriate means of ending a life.
Taiwan and the Vatican: Relations from Past to Near Future
Written by Alexandre Tsung-ming Chen. During the last five years relations between the Vatican and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have developed at a dramatic pace. Many observers have been surprised at this series of events, even questioning whether the Holy See and PRC will normalise relations in the near future. Since the number of countries officially recognising the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan has fallen from 22 to 17 in the last two years, the Vatican-PRC diplomatic warming has caught Taipei’s attention and contributed to concerns of a diplomatic crisis.
Buddhism and books: Lin Ching-hsuan’s cross-Strait careers
The late Lin Ching-hsuan 林清玄 was a publishing phenomenon, with his books on Buddhism captivating readers in post-martial law Taiwan.
Gender, Women and Buddhism in Taiwan
Thus, although Buddhism in Taiwan does not confer complete equality on women, their position is greatly improved over that of the past. Moreover, it has provided opportunities for women to greatly enlarge their social lives through volunteering and participation in Buddhist groups as well as opportunities to develop and utilize their social, organizational, administrative and leadership abilities.
Mindfulness in Taiwan
Written by Chung-Wei Lin Mindfulness originated from the early Buddhist classics referred to as “Samyukta-Agama” and “Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta”. Mindfulness are those teachings of the Buddha that were handed to the disciples, and which Buddhists believe are the direct path to realization. Mindfulness has four steps: mindfulness of the body
How People Choose Their Religions in Taiwan: The Characteristics of the Followers Within Weixin Shengjiao
Written by Liu Hsiu-Yi According to a 2014 report from the Pew Research Center, Taiwan ranks second-highest in religious diversity in the world. The many
The ‘Enchanted’ Island: Religion, Secularisation and Modernity in Taiwan
Written by Scott Pacey There was once a time when sociologists expected religion to decline, both as a social force, and as an object of
Taiwan and the Catholic Church
Written by Michael Reilly. On 24 August the government in Taipei announced that Vice-President Chen Chien-jen will attend the 4 September canonization ceremony at the
Taiwan Insight 