Bailin jiaoli yuan 柏林教理院

Bólín Institute: Bólín jiàolǐ yuàn 柏林教理院

A short-lived Buddhist seminary associated with the World Buddhist Studies Center 世界佛學苑.

• 1930 - 1931
• Location(s): Bólín Temple 柏林寺, Běijīng 北京

A Buddhist seminary 佛學院 first established in the spring of 1930 by Táiyuán 台源, the abbot of Bólín Temple 柏林寺. In the summer of that same year, Tàixū 太虛 paid a visit, and lent his support to the endeavor. The head of the Institute was one of Tàixū's old friends, Chángxǐng 常惺. The Institute was formally established in September of 1930, when Tàixū asked his disciple Fǎfǎng 法舫 to come to Beijing from Wuchang to help make the Bólín Institute a branch of the World Buddhist Studies Center 世界佛學苑, which was based at the Wuchang Buddhist Seminary 武昌佛學院. The two locations were organized so that students at the Bólín Institute focused on Japanese language, while the students in Wuchang focused on English. Financial assistance and early guidance was provided by Hú Zǐhù 胡子笏.

The Buddhist Critic 佛教評論 was likely published in association with this school.

After the incursion of Japanese forces into northern China following the Mukden Incident of September 18, 1931 [1], funds for the Center dried up. As a result, the Bólín Institue closed and Fǎfǎng returned to the World Buddhist Center in Wǔchāng.

Erik Hammerstrom

Notable Students:

Notes:

References:

• 百度百科-法舫法師
• 百度百科-台源法師
• Shì Dōngchū 釋東初. Zhōngguó Fójiào jìndài shǐ 中國佛教近代史 (A History of Early Contemporary Chinese Buddhism), in Dōngchū lǎorén quánjí 東初老人全集 (Complete Collection of Old Man Dongchu), vols. 1-2. Taipei: Dongchu, 1974. Pp. 1.211.