The World Buddhist Studies Center (Shìjiè Fóxué yuàn 世界佛學苑) was a research-oriented institute formed at the Wǔchāng Buddhist Seminary that ran during the 1930s.
This center was established at Tàixū's 太虛 behest by Táng Dàyuán 唐大圓 on April 14, 1929 as part of the revitalized Wǔchāng Buddhist Seminary 武昌佛學院. It was begun with the agreement and financial support (100-200 yuan/person) of the Seminary's former board of directors, which included Hú Zǐhù 胡子笏 whom Tàixū asked to take primary control. A branch of the Center operated in Běijīng 北京 from the summer of 1930 to early 1932, where it was housed at the Bǎilín Institute 柏林教理院.
In 1932, the army billets that had been located at the Seminary since 1926 were finally moved out of the old buildings and the rooms were returned to Seminary control. The Center's organs included the Buddhist Studies Research Bureau 佛學研究部 and a library (世界佛學苑圖書館).[1] The library was opened on September 25, 1932 and it and the Research Bureau were run by Fǎfǎng 法舫 from 1932 to 1936. During this period, the Research Bureau was home to 27 graduates of various Buddhist Seminaries 佛學院 in China.
A lecture series was run there from 1933 to 1934, with 29 lectures total.
The entire center closed, along with the Wǔchāng Buddhist Seminary, at the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937.
Section Editor: Erik Hammerstrom