Toward a Modern Chinese Buddhism: Taixu’s Reforms

404 Pages·2001·2.347 MB·English

by  Don A. Pittman

TOWARD A MODERN CHINESE BUDDHISM

TOWARD A
MODERN
CHINESE
BUDDHISM
Taixu’s Reforms
Don A.Pittman
University of Hawai‘i Press
Honolulu
© 2001 University of Hawai‘i Press
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
01 02 03 04 05 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Pittman,Don Alvin.
Toward a modern Chinese Buddhism :Taixu’s reforms /
Don.A.Pittman
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0–8248–2231–5 (alk.paper)
1.Buddhist renewal—China.2.Ta’i-hsü
BQ4570.R4 P58 2001
294.3'0951'09041—dc21
00–061603
University of Hawai‘i Press books are printed on acid-free paper
and meet the guidelines for permanence and durability of the
Council on Library Resources.
Printed by The Maple-Vail Book Manufacturing Group
For Nancy
and in memory of
Joseph Mitsuo Kitagawa
(1915–1992)

CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ix
A Note on Romanization xi
Introduction:In Search of a New Buddhism 1
1 Defending the Dharma in a Revolutionary Age 13
2 The Sound of the Tide for a New China 61
3 An Ecumenical Vision for Global Mission 105
4 Mahâyâna and the Modern World 153
5 A Creative Recovery of Tradition 196
6 Taixu’s Legacy 255
Notes 299
Glossary of Chinese Characters 353
Selected Bibliography 363
Index 379
vii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
T
his book on modern Chinese Buddhism evolved over a
number of years, and in its preparation I benefited from
the help of many people.Those who read all or part of the
manuscript and offered valuable comments include Joseph
M. Kitagawa, who first suggested to me a study of Taixu’s reforms
when I was a doctoral candidate at the University of Chicago,Frank
E.Reynolds,Judith A.Berling,Liu Qingqian,and Venerable Master
Shengyan.Richard C.Bush,Jr.,was kind enough to loan me his set
of Taixu dashi quanshu (The Complete Writings of the Venerable Mas-
ter Taixu) until I could purchase my own.Hong Jinlian and the staff
of the Chung-Hwa Buddhist Institute, the library staff of the Fa-
Kuang Buddhist Institute,and Shen Jiaqi of the School History Office
and Chinese Catholic Museum of Fu Jen University, all in Taipei,
kindly answered questions and provided me with helpful materials.
Appreciation must also be expressed to Venerable Master Xingyun
and the staff of Foguang Shan,who invited me to participate in the
1990Foguang Shan International Buddhist Conference on “Buddhism
in the Modern World”and to deliver a paper on Taixu.In connection
with that conference,I would also like to thank John R.McRae,the
coordinator for the English-language section,as well as the Office of
Graduate Studiesand Research,TexasChristianUniversity,which pro-
vided me with a faculty travel grant.For the encouragement offered
ix