On March 3, 2023, Associate Professor Cristal Huang (Huang Hsiao-hui) of the Department of Philosophy at Soochow University visited the College of Buddhist Studies to deliver a lecture titled "Reading Religious Texts: A Human Interpretation and Reconstruction." This event served as the fifth interdisciplinary expert lecture on Buddhism and Psychology under the Center for Buddhist Studies' 2022 academic year research project, "Text, Action, and Healing: Reading and Interpretation of Buddhist Scriptures and Practice Education." The session was introduced by the Project General Director and Dean of the College of Buddhist Studies, Prof. Guo Chao-Shun, with approximately 25 faculty members and students attending both online and in person.
Prof. Huang mentioned that following the passing of Paul Ricœur (1913–2005), she noticed a rising concern within French philosophy regarding the issue of "repair" (or reconstruction). This "repair" does not imply that something was inherently problematic or broken; rather, through a process of slow interpretation—without expecting high efficiency from that interpretation—an individual spontaneously undergoes a transformation of state.
Prof. Huang described a shift in her philosophical approach to entering the world of religious texts: moving from an initial hermeneutic approach to narrative theory, and finally to semiotics. This altered her reading experience, a method she applied to a "first reading" (or primal reading) of Buddhist scriptures. She shifted from an attitude of trying to exhaustively explain and map out historical contexts to establish an interpretive system, to "letting go" of the attempt to conquer words and meanings. Instead, she consciously allowed the "structure" of the textual narrative to emerge. Finally, while maintaining the original characters of the classic text, the self opens up to the possibility of being guided toward a new state.
"I simply utilize a short time in the mornings and evenings to unfold short sentences from the sutras in my mind, breaking away from the rigorous study of etymology and literal meaning. Gradually, a certain structure reveals itself to you, and this structure does not necessarily run linearly from the first word to the last." This "return to simplicity" in the "first reading" of Buddhist classics generated an experience of "repair" for Prof. Huang.
Prof. Guo responded to Prof. Huang’s sharing of her reading experience. He noted that as scholars, it is difficult to suspend one's "pre-understanding" of the inherent knowledge systems regarding religious texts. However, Prof. Huang’s lecture proposed a reading method of laying down the attempt to master knowledge and directly encountering the religious classic. Prof. Guo further pointed out that this approach seems to presuppose that the classic flows from someone with profound life experience; later readers encounter it unexpectedly, are genuinely touched by it, and resonate with the ancient sages. This so-called "repair" is akin to the Buddhist term "letting go"—letting go of the attempt to untie a specific knot. Since many knots in life cannot be untied, one retreats to facing them with contemplation, achieving "resolution without seeking resolution."
During the session, Prof. Lee Wei-Lun of National Chengchi University, Associate Prof. Chou Wei-Lun of the Department of Psychology at FGU, and Assistant Prof. Tseng Chih-Mien of the Department of Buddhist Studies engaged in a lively exchange with Prof. Huang.
The next interdisciplinary expert lecture will feature Professor Emeritus Liu Chien-mei of the Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Toronto. She will speak on "Landscape, Aesthetics, and Cultivation" on March 8 from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. For details, please visit the official website: https://cbs.fgu.edu.tw
Associate Professor Cristal Huang of the Department of Philosophy at Soochow University speaking on "Reading Religious Texts: A Human Interpretation and Reconstruction."
Introduction by Project General Director and Dean of the College of Buddhist Studies, Prof. Guo Chao-Shun.
Prof. Lee Wei-Lun of National Chengchi University exchanging views with Prof. Huang online.
Associate Prof. Chou Wei-Lun of the Department of Psychology at Fo Guang University exchanging views with Prof. Huang.
Assistant Prof. Tseng Chih-Mien of the Department of Buddhist Studies at Fo Guang University exchanging views with Prof. Huang.
The lecture attracted 25 faculty members and students.
Prof. Guo Chao-Shun presenting a gift of appreciation to Prof. Cristal Huang on behalf of the Center.