Taiwan's Tzu Chi As Engaged Buddhism
BSRV 30.1 (2013) 137–139 Buddhist Studies Review ISSN (print) 0256-2897 doi: 10.1558/bsrv.v30i1.137 Buddhist Studies Review ISSN (online) 1747-9681 Taiwan’s Tzu Chi as Engaged Buddhism: Origins, Organization, Appeal and Social Impact, by Yu-Shuang Yao. Global Oriental, Brill, 2012. 243pp., hb., £59.09/65€/$90, ISBN-13: 9789004217478. Reviewed by Ann Heirman, Oriental Languages and Cultures, Ghent University, Belgium. Keywords Tzu Chi, Taiwanese Buddhism, Engaged Buddhism Taiwan’s Tzu Chi as Engaged Buddhism is a well-written book that addresses a most interesting topic in Taiwanese Buddhism, namely the way in which Engaged Buddhism found its way into Taiwan in, and through, the Tzu Chi Foundation (the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation). Founded in 1966, the Foundation expanded in the 1990s, and so became the largest lay organiza- tion in a contemporary Chinese context. The overwhelming involvement of the laity introduced a new aspect, and has triggered major changes in Taiwanese Buddhism. The present book offers a most welcome comprehensive study of the Foundation, discussing its context, development, structure, teaching and prac- tices. With its focus on both the history and the social context, the work devel- ops an interesting interdisciplinary approach, offering valuable insights into the appeal of the movement to a Taiwanese public. Nevertheless, some remarks still need to be made. The work is based on research that was completed in 2001, and research updates have not been pro- duced since, apart from a small Afterword (pp. 228-230). Yet not publishing the present work would have been a loss to the scientific community.
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