中英文摘要

This study explores the personalities of Ven Master Sheng Yen and how his characteristics led his ways in spreading and practicing Dharma.

The reason why each organization/group differs from each other is due to theirdistinctive core values. Such differences are originated from the inner cores of the founders. As one's inner core may refer to the characteristics dwelt in a man, these features are generally derived from two sources - the innate one and the acquired one.

At first glance, it seems the innate features are something to be born with; yet, from Buddhism's point of view, they are the accumulation of Karma in successive past lives; hence, will be affected by the interaction among one with him/herself, the people, the objects, and the events in one's present life. Based on this idea, this research discusses how Ven Master Sheng Yens' characteristics are molded by his life experiences.

This study takes the autobiography of Ven Master Sheng Yen as the axis, accompanying with the discussion of his interaction with people, objects, and events he had experienced. Through the inquiry, this research summarizes the innate features of Ven Master Sheng Yen while further verifying if the features result in his unique ways of spreading and practicing Dharma. Though the topic of this research is a single object only, it reveals more insights on Ven Master Sheng Yen's thought system to the common.

本文意在探討聖嚴法師的人格特質，對於其弘法事業的方向與發展的影響。

每個團體、組織的理念之所以都不相同，是因為這些理念源自於團體創辦人的內心，而一個人內心的傾向，可指向一個人內在的特質。而這些特質大致上有兩種來源，一者來自於先天。二者來自於後天。

然而，所謂的先天，看起來好像是一出生就有的，但從佛教的角度而言，先天亦是過去世的累積至今而有的，所以也仍會不斷的與後天的人、事、物互相影響。因此本文將以聖嚴法師的生命經驗，作為其人格特質形成的探討。

探討的文本，主要以聖嚴法師的生平自傳為核心，而探討的方法，則是藉由整理出聖嚴法師所經驗到的人、事、物等事件。藉由這些事件的探討，一方面歸納出聖嚴法師的特質，一方面整理出這些特質與聖嚴法師未來弘法的理念是否有確切的關連性。雖然這是屬於較為狹隘性質的對象研究，不過卻也能使我們對於聖嚴法師的思想有更多的了解。