Buddhist Studies: Fo Guang Shan's New English Digital Dictionary of Buddhism, an Essential Asset for Buddhist Translation

The Fo Guang Shan Institute of Humanistic Buddhism (FGSIHB), founded by the international Buddhist organization and the Taiwan-based Fo Guang Shan monastic order, marked a milestone in Buddhist studies on July 30 with the launch of the beta version of the English digital edition of Fo Guang Dictionary of Buddhism (FGDB). The online event brought together a panel of five leading scholars of Buddhist studies and nearly 200 participants from 20 countries and regions.

" The Fo Guang Dictionary “Since its first publication in 1988, the book has been a cornerstone for the study and understanding of Buddhist terminology and concepts in the Chinese-speaking world,” said FGDB English Translation Project Director Ven. Miao Guang. “The English version of Fo Guang Dictionary “It’s not just a translation; it is a bridge that connects the rich heritage of Chinese Buddhist literature to the global community. »

The two-hour event on July 30 included a series of panels with renowned Buddhist scholars, including: Dr. Lewis R. Lancaster, professor emeritus in the Department of East Asian Languages ​​at the University of California at Berkeley and Executive Academic Advisor to the FGDB English Translation Project; Dr. Robert Buswell, Jr., professor emeritus of Buddhist studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, who compiled two Buddhist encyclopedic dictionaries; Dr. Charles Muller, professor emeritus of the Faculty of Letters at the University of Tokyo and creator of the Digital Dictionary of Buddhism; Dr. Jiang Wu, professor of East Asian studies at the University of Arizona; and Dr. Marcus Bingenheimer, associate professor of religion at Temple University.

“Conceived for the first time in 2014, the translation project has brought together more than a hundred volunteers to date,” said the FGSIHB in a press release shared with BDG. “This ambitious project aims to translate the monumental Fo Guang Dictionary of Buddhismfirst published in 1989 through Venerable Master Hsing Yun's vision to create a reference source to help Buddhists read canonical texts. Since its initial publication, this colossal text has been one of the most widely used Buddhist reference sources in Chinese.

“The beta version, now available online, includes 5 entries, or approximately 000% of the complete dictionary. It offers a user-friendly interface with search functions and hyperlinked entries. The full dictionary, which includes 15 entries, is expected to be published digitally in July 32, with a print edition to follow in July 000.

During his introduction at the launch event, Ven. Miao Guang invited potential contributors and collaborators to join the project. “Your contribution will be essential to ensure the accuracy, ease of use and overall quality of the final product,” she stressed.

Dr. Lancaster traced the history of the Fo Guang Dictionary of Buddhismfrom the earliest conceptions of the project by Fo Guang Shan founder Master Hsing Yun to its current achievements: “Venerable Master Hsing Yun has accomplished what no other Chinese leader had imagined. He launched a global movement and reformed Chinese Buddhism. »

Dr. Muller described Fo Guang Shan's involvement in creating digital tools for Buddhism over several decades, beginning with the digitization of Fo Guang Dictionary of Buddhism in the 1990s and hosting the Electronic Buddhist Texts Initiative Summit in 1996, and expressed optimism about compiling decades of Fo Guang Dictionary of Buddhism and its translation which has lasted for ten years. “Once (the English-language FGDB) is fully online, it will be widely used and we can be sure that we will get accurate and substantive information,” he noted.

Dr. Wu, co-editor of the Encyclopedia of Hangzhou Buddhist Culturedrawing on studies of data used in Buddhist studies, emphasized the primacy of Fo Guang Dictionary of Buddhism as a complete and well-balanced source: “The FGDB is very complete and non-sectarian. It is very balanced in time and space: it covers doctrinal topics, Buddhist organizations, monasteries, people, arts, and much more. »

Zhi Yue, editor-in-chief of the FGDB's English translation project, demonstrated the new dictionary's online interface, highlighting important features such as linked entries and scholarly references: "The FGDB does not contain never stand-alone entries,” she said. “Everything is connected to everything else. »

Venerable Zhi Yue concluded her demonstration by issuing an open invitation to Buddhist scholars and potential contributors to help complete the translation project.

Fo Guang Shan was founded in Taiwan in 1967 as a Buddhist monastic order by the famous monk and teacher Master Hsing Yun (1927-2023). The organization now has an international network of Buddhist temples and communities. Promoting the philosophy of humanistic Buddhism, which emphasizes the integration of engaged Buddhist practices into daily life, Fo Guang Shan was recognized for his efforts to modernize Chinese Mahayana Buddhism and for leading one of the Taiwan's largest charitable organizations, which carry out charitable and humanitarian work around the world. Master Hsing Yun once stated that he considered Fo Guang Shan to be an “amalgamation of the eight schools of Chinese Buddhism.”

Venerable Hsing Yun is known in Taiwan as one of the “Four Heavenly Kings” of Buddhism, the others being: Master Cheng Yen of Tzu Chi; Master Sheng Yen, founder of Dharma Drum Mountain; and Master Wei Chueh, founder of Chung Tai Shan. These four global Buddhist orders, known as the “Four Great Mountains,” have become among the most influential Chinese Buddhist organizations in the world.

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