Living Affinity

by Hsing Yun

Human beings are social; we cannot live apart from community. According to the Taiwanese Buddhist teacher Venerable Hsing Yun, when we understand that human society is nothing other than a web of human relationships we will understand just how crucial our relationships are. In Living Affinity, Hsing Yun describes the foundations of that web—whether in community relationships, love and affection, the environment, wealth and the material world, time and space, and in terms of spiritual development. Through a close examination of the some of the key sutras and stories of Buddhist doctrine, Hsing Yun provides us with a wisdom rooted in the knowledge of centuries and yet vibrantly relevant to today.

160 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2003

About the author

Hsing Yun was a Chinese Buddhist monk, teacher, and philanthropist based in Taiwan. He was the founder of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist monastic order as well as the layperson-based Buddha's Light International Association. Hsing Yun was considered a major proponent of Humanistic Buddhism and one of the most influential teachers of modern Taiwanese Buddhism. In Taiwan, he was popularly referred to as one of the "Four Heavenly Kings" of Taiwanese Buddhism, along with his contemporaries: Master Sheng Yen of Dharma Drum Mountain, Master Shih Cheng Yen of Tzu Chi and Master Wei Chueh of Chung Tai Shan.