Buddhism in China has, in the past half century, become bountifully fruitful in promoting national integrity, maintaining national unity, social stability, the motherland's reunification and safeguarding world peace, according to Venerable Sheng Hui, vice president of the Buddhist Association of China.

"Buddhism has figured out a way of growth in line with socialism after having experienced a deviated development and rejuvenation," said Venerable Sheng in Beijing on Friday.

Religious insiders claim China's full national independence and integrity since the founding of new China in 1949 as the grounds for the association's establishment and a quarter century of the country's reform and opening-up as the main driving force for the association's new stage of development.

Especially over the past decade, Buddhism developed rapidly and Buddhists have obviously attained more accomplishments, according to the senior Buddhist leader, who added that a total of 29,000 Buddhists were ordained on the Chinese mainland.

China currently boasts more than 10,000 Buddhist temples, 34 Buddhist colleges as well as various periodicals such as the Voice of Dharma and the Culture of Buddhism.

The Chinese government now exercises full respect toward the developing rules of religions and treats them as they should. Senior Chinese leaders have also repeatedly stressed law-based administration of religious affairs and protection of normal religious activities and followers' legitimate rights.

Buddhism, with a history of over 2,000 years in China, has fused into traditional Chinese culture and thinking. A large number of famous literature works left from past centuries are relevant to Buddhism wisdom. Even today, a wealth of vocabularies and modern words can well be traced into Buddhism classics.

"The diversity of spiritual life covers respecting and protecting the freedom of religious belief, and we should treat religious cultures correctly and in an objective way," said Ye Xiaowen, head of the State Administration of Religious Affairs.

In the 1980s, the association introduced "promotion of earthly world-oriented Buddhism" into its constitution as a long-term or permanent guide, encouraging followers' positive participation in social affairs.

"Sakyamuni (565-486 BC), the founder of Buddhism, was born in the earthly world, gained enlightenment in the earthly world and reached nirvana from the earthly world, so we can say that Buddhism is an earthly-oriented religion in nature," said Venerable Sheng. "The disciples and followers have generally been seasoned with society."

This move shows that Chinese Buddhists have worked out another successful explanation for Buddhism doctrines, a signal of Buddhists' aspiration to keep pace with the times, according to analysts.

"School-based education surely constitutes another major factor for the prosperity of Chinese Buddhism," said Venerable Sheng.

In China, there are a large number of Buddhists with college education backgrounds and some pious monks and lay people have been sent abroad to study Buddhism. Some of them have returned with doctoral degrees. "It's really good news for us all," said Venerable Sheng.

Buddhist temples and branches of the association around the country have opened institutes, museums, libraries, electronic databases and even websites.

An input of over US$1.25 billion in the past decade has greatly improved the holy worship sites and living conditions inside Buddhism temples.

In the past 50 years, the number of devout and experienced Buddhism researchers on the Chinese mainland has risen to over 100. Together with some 4,000 writers, they have published about 10,000 valuable articles related to Buddhism studies.

"Chinese Buddhists did undergo some tests in the past, but we are living in a prosperous China," said Venerable Sheng. "China's national power and international status are on rise, and both the country and Buddhism are enjoying a rare historical opportunity."

"Our association will spare no effort to better its organization and talents and we are ready to do our part for the prosperity of China, peace of the world and the happiness of the humankind," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 27, 2003)