Weifang 葦舫

Wěifǎng 葦舫 (1908-1969)

Wěifǎng

Lay surname 姓: Zhū 朱 Courtesy name 字: Wěifǎng 葦舫 Dharma name 法名: Chéngyuàn 乘願 Born 1908 in Dōngtái County 東臺縣, Jiāngsū 江蘇 Died February 1969

Notable Associates: Fǎfǎng 法舫 Fǎzūn 法尊 Tàixū 太虛

Article editor: Erik Hammerstrom

Wěifǎng 葦舫 (1908-1969) was connected with many of the seminaries in Republican China, both as a student and a teacher. He was also a long-time disciple of Tàixū 太虛.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Notable Students 3 Notes 4 References

Biography

Wěifǎng came from a Buddhist family and was tonsured at the age of 13 suì 歲 at Fúhuì Temple 福慧寺 in his home area of Dōngtái County 東臺縣, Jiāngsū 江蘇. Five years later (in 1927) he received full ordination at Mt. Bǎohuá 寶華山. After ordination he spent time studying at the Dharmadhatu Seminary 法界學院, the Bǎilín Institute 柏林教理院, and the Wǔchāng Buddhist Seminary 武昌佛學院.

Wěifǎng spent many years serving as the lecture-recorder for Tàixū 太虛. Eventually Tàixū tapped him to teach at the Sino-Tibetan Institute 漢藏教理院 in Chóngqìng 重慶. He took over control of the Institute in 1935 when Fǎzūn 法尊 went to Tibet 西藏. From 1937 to 1938 he served as principal of the Wǔchāng Buddhist Seminary and edited the Hǎicháo yīn 海潮音. In 1938, the Second Sino-Japanese War made it necessary to close the Seminary and move the editing of the magazine to Luóhàn Temple 羅漢寺 in Chóngqìng.

In 1938, Wěifǎng went with Tàixū and others on a trip of Buddhist countries in south and southeast Asia. Wěifǎng returned in May of 1939.

After the end of the War, Tàixū sent Wěifǎng to reopen the Wǔchāng Buddhist Seminary and the World Buddhist Studies Center Library 世界佛學苑圖書館. Later Wěifǎng took a position at Jiāngtiān Temple 江天寺 before becoming abbot of Dàlín Temple 大林寺 on Mt. Lú 廬山.

Wěifǎng came to Shānghǎi in March of 1947 after Tàixū died at Yùfó Temple 玉佛寺. That month Wěifǎng became abbot of Yùfó Temple and handed control of the Wǔchāng Buddhist Seminary to Fǎfǎng 法舫. In 1954, Wěifǎng welcomed delegations from Buddhists countries in south and southeast Asia, and Japan.

During the Cultural Revolution, Yùfó Temple was closed and its monks persecuted. Wěifǎng died in February 1969.

Notable Students

Notes

References

• Yú Língbō 于凌波, ed. Xiàndài Fójiào rénwù cídiǎn 現代佛教人物辭典 (A Dictionary of Modern Buddhist Persons), 2 vols. Taipei: Foguang, 2004. Pp. 2.1359c-1361a.