Buddhism: This word, for some scholars, can be illustrated by comparing it with Confucianism and Taoism in China, especially during the Sung and Ming Dynasties. Usually, they define Buddhism as referring to the clan of Buddha or the clan of Sakya, but that is just the viewpoint of the Ch'an Sect. Actually, however, Buddhism merely refers to the Buddhist teachings. Much of the time, people confuse Buddhism with Confucianism, which implies a deeply biased, prejudiced view.

Buddhism also refers to the schools, or systems, of belief. There are many schools of Buddhism. To put it briefly, there are, broadly, the Hinayana and the Mahayana schools. The Hinayana has twenty different sects in India, while the Mahayana has eight great sects in China. These eight sects have spread broadly and have great popularity in China; and, right up to the present, they are still being developed and expounded. Thus, the history of Buddhism in China goes back about two thousand years.

Buddhism, as an intellectual doctrine, includes the teachings of the Buddha and Sangha, the disciplinary system of the Vinyana, and the Tripitaka with its twelve divisions of the Mahayana canon. Even sculptures, paintings, and the way to build pagodas and temples -- all of them can be called Buddhism because they are all symbols of Buddhism. From those people and those things, we can recognize that the Buddhism is a kind of faith as well as the study of and research into the doctrine of the Buddhadharma. Those persons and things that represent Buddhism in its formal, or imagistic, period can be called the teachers because without them there may well have been no Buddhism. Moreover, in some Asian countries -- Afghanistan, Malaysia, Java, etc. -- traditional formal images and symbols of Buddhism have almost all vanished. Furthermore, in a few hundred years, the images and symbols of Buddhism in China will almost all be destroyed if we do not protect, preserve and maintain them well.

The Buddhadharma, which was introduced by the Buddha, explains what the truth is. It was also introduced in the form of the Tripitaka by many disciples of the Buddha and Buddhist students during many later dynasties. Ordinarily people do not clearly recognize or comprehend what Buddhism really is. They see only the temples, pagodas, statues, monks and nuns, and they think those things are Buddhism. Many of them recite the sutras, worship the Buddha, and try to save souls from suffering in the next world, even burning paper money for the dead. If that is Buddhism, why, then, do we have doctrines to learn and practice? Many even think that the doctrines of Buddhism are good, but too profound, too difficult to understand. They feel powerless and frustrated about studying. Actually, however, they have misunderstood the situation. People should realize that the Buddhadharma, which truly is lofty, deep, subtle and hard to comprehend, is really useful for present; for the Buddhadharma never separates itself from human life in the world.

Buddhism has existed in China for about two thousand years, but many people just consider it to be some kind of philosophy that came from India. They do not think that it is a perfect and useful religion, nor do they consider that the Buddhadharma is a good method for human beings to understand and reduce their suffering in the world. However, since they cannot generate any faith to promote and practice it, their study of the Buddhadharma merely increases their knowledge. Therefore, they can neither comprehend the profound theory of the Buddhadharma nor the deep faith and understanding of enlightened people in the world.

Buddhism is a religion and, more specifically, a wisdom religion designed to prompt and promote mental development, open the door of wisdom for people, and solve the problems of human life. Thus, Buddhism is not separate from human beings. The Old Master said, "Buddhism is not only inseparable from the world but also from the awareness of the world; thus, to seek Bodhi outside the world is as futile as seeking a horned hare." Therefore, it follows that to try to seek or spread the Dharma outside of the human realm is not only really useless, but it is also not real Buddhadharma.