Nenghai 能海

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Revision as of 02:55, 12 April 2010

Nénghǎi 能海 (1886-1967)

Lay surname 姓: Gōng 龔 Name 名: Xuéguāng 學光 Style name 號: Jīxī 緝熙 Courtesy name 字: Kuòchū 闊初 Dharma name 法名: Nénghǎi 能海 Born 1886 (Guāngxù 光緒 12) in Miánzhú County 綿竹縣, Sìchuan1 四川 Died DATE and PLACE

Notable Associates: Fóyuán 佛源 Zhāng Kèchéng 張克誠

Article editor: Erik Hammerstrom

Nénghǎi 能海 (1886-1967) and a short bio.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Important Works 3 Notable Students 4 Notes 5 References

Biography

Nénghǎi began his education in a traditional academy. In 1904 (Guāngxù 30) he tested into a military school in Sìchuān 四川. After completing his studies he worked in the military for several years. From 1909 to 1910 he taught at a military school in Yúnnán 雲南 before returning to Sìchuān. After the revolution of 1911 he was stationed in Chéngdū 成都.

In 1913, Nénghǎi's friend took him to see the Venerable Fóyuán 佛源 lecture on the Buddhist scriptures. Nénghǎi took refuge under Fóyuán and became a devout Buddhist. The following year, Nénghǎi took leave from the military and traveled to Běijīng 北京. There he met the famous Buddhist layman Zhāng Kèchéng 張克誠, had come from the same town as him. Nénghǎi began studying Consciousness-Only 唯識 under Zhāng at Guǎngjì Temple 廣濟寺. In Běijīng he also had the opportunity to study Esoteric Buddhism at the Yōnghé Temple 雍和宮. This experience would have a profound impact on the rest of his life.

In Běijīng, Nénghǎi decided to become a monk, but he had to wait until his wife had had a child. He returned to Sìchuān. In Sìchuān, Nénghǎi attended lectures at a local Buddhist study society. When his wife had a child, Nénghǎi went to Tiānbǎo Temple 天寶寺 in Chóngqìng 重慶 where he was tonsured under Fóyuán in 1924. He received full ordination under Guànyī 貫一 at Bǎoguāng Temple 寶光寺 the following year.

After his ordination, Nénghǎi read about the Residing-in-Tibet Dharma Studies Group 留藏學法團 organized by Dàyǒng 大勇 and he made his mind up to travel to Tibet to study Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism 西密.

Important Works

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Notable Students

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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. 1.897b-901a.