Buddhist experts disapprove of so-called 'Buddha youth'

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04:44

The 4th International Buddhist Conference kicked off on Tuesday on north China’s Mount Wutai, the most famous destination in the country for Buddhist pilgrims, and one of the five most sacred places in the world. More than a hundred experts and young scholars from around the world attended the event.

Kuan Guang introduces the Buddhist culture to a monk from Italy in a monastery on Mount Wutai. /CGTN Photo

Monk Kuan Guang has been quite busy helping to hold this conference. He joined the Buddhist order when he was a 17-year-old on Mount Wutai. Now he’s a research fellow at King’s College London and the deputy director of the Wutai International Institute of Buddhism and East Asian Cultures. He’s been devoted to the promotion of Buddhist cultural exchanges between China and Britain for over a decade.

Mount Wutai is also known as a great place to escape the summer heat. /CGTN Photo

Mount Wutai rises above the Loess Plateau. Its highest peak is over 3,000 meters above sea level. The cooler climate makes it a great place to escape the summer heat, and many Buddhist young people come to learn how to meditate around this time every year.

“To practice meditation doesn’t mean you need to convert to Buddhism. It’s a way to find a balanced mind. This is not only beneficial to some individuals but also it’s quite beneficial to the whole society,” Kuan Guang said.

Young people learn how to meditate from an Italian monk on Mount Wutai. /CGTN Photo

Another growing trend in China is the emergence of so-called Buddha-style youths, who claim to care about little and to have no desire to win or achieve anything. Kuan Guang says they misunderstand Buddhism.

“There’s a common concept that Buddhism is very withdrawn and anti-social. In fact, this is the wrong understanding of Buddhism. I think so-called 'Buddhist youth' have nothing to do with Buddhism. Being a Buddhist is all about hard work and discipline,” he emphasized.

Foreign experts and scholars gather on Mount Wutai for the conference. /CGTN Photo‍

Using their recent work experience as an example, he added, “Like what we do now. We’re organizing an international conference. Even though we’re in a remote place, we’re very actively trying to be involved with society.”

The ongoing Buddhist conference will last for three days. And after the event, a week-long forum for young Buddhist scholars will start from Friday.