The Sino-Tibetan Institute of the World Buddhist Studies Center (Shìjiè Fóxué yuàn Hàn Zàng jiàolǐ yuàn 世界佛學苑漢藏教理院) was a Buddhist seminary established in Chóngqìng 重慶 that served as a bridge between Chinese and Tibetan Buddhist monastics.
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This was a Buddhist Seminary 佛學院 established by Liú Xiāng 劉湘 with help from Tàixū 太虛. It was organized as part of the World Buddhist Studies Center 世界佛學苑 based at the Wúchāng Buddhist Seminary 武昌佛學院, and much of the early work of setting it up was done by Mǎnzhì 滿智, who was also the Institute's first principal. From 1933 to 1949, Fǎzūn 法尊 was principal of the school. He handed over control to Wěifǎng 葦舫 in 1935 and 1936 while he was in Tibet, and he shared duties as principal for 2 or 3 years with Fǎfǎng 法舫 starting in 1938.
Gray Tuttle points out that the original purpose of the Institute was the training of Chinese monks in Tibetan language and Tibetan Buddhism. Before it opened, the Institute received money from the government and it was granted buildings and rent-producing lands by the Army. With these grants came the stipulation that the Institute work as a bridge between Hàn 漢 and Tibetan cultures, for the implied purpose of bolstering Hàn control of Tibetan areas. It thus became the first modern Buddhist school to receive "both public funds and a government mandate."[1]
During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Institute became one of the leading seminaries in China as a number of prominent Buddhists fled from the East Coast to Sìchuān. Many of them taught at the Institute (see below).
It closed in 1949.
Section Editor: Erik Hammerstrom