| Summary: | 碩士 === 玄奘大學 === 宗教學系碩士在職專班 === 102 === This paper uses the qualitative research method and studies the cases of the Huayen-World Zhunan Branch believers. It collects the information about the religion conversion process of the objects of research by semi-structured interviews and then further analyzes it with the grounded theory supported with seven conversion stages from The Lofland-Stark Conversion Model. It also makes comparison with relevant references and attempts to analyze what objects’ initial contact with Buddhism and the factors of conversion are, how their conversion processes were influenced by personal subjectivity or objective environmental factors, how the obstacles were resolved, what changes have happened to the individuals after the conversion, and how the objects think of the process. At the same time, it explores the importance of the religious (Buddhist) leader – “master” in the conversion process. It is hoped that through this research, we can gain a more elaborate understanding of the Taiwanese Buddhist believers’ conversion process.
According to the research, most of the studied individuals have first accessed Buddhism because of unfortunate events in life such as suffering of illness, interpersonal pressure or grief over loss of family member. The major avenues are often interpersonal social networks, and secondly through media, magazines and books. Most of the individuals had been in touch with other religious groups before Huayen-World, but it appears to be that they were unable to find the worldview that they believed in within those groups. After they converted to Huayen and received Master Hai Yun’s teachings, their inner cognitions were reconstructed and a new set of life values was generated. They found that their language and behavior became softer and gentler and they viewed the world with a more positive attitude, followed by becoming physically healthier. The studied individuals have all more or less experienced obstructions during the conversion process. The most common obstructions were “conflicts with family relations” and personal subjectivity factors. However, there were also benefits such as relations with family members inspired by their relationship with Master and long-term stress or depression resolved during the process. Furthermore, there are cases where the believers felt miraculous forces and influences of Buddhism during the experience.
These beneficial factors gave the believers the strength to continue the conversion and further the development of connection to the community. Therefore, there were a few phased, progressive transformation processes in the conversion journey of each studied individual, and these processes all had unique experiences, thereby rendering the diversity and richness in the conversion process of religion.
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