A Buddhist Seminary 佛學院 founded by Abbot Zhìguāng 智光.
The first class of 40 monks began in 1934, at which point the Seminary was headed by Xuěfán 雪煩. Other teachers included Shì Dōngchū 釋東初 Yùquán 玉泉, Yúnkāi 雲開 Juémín 覺民 Màntuó 曼陀. Students studied Buddhism, as well as geography, history, art, and sciences. In addition to attending two lectures per day, students also chanted the Huáyán Sūtra 華嚴經 and participated in meditation and niànfó 念佛 retreats. The first class graduated in 1937. On December 8 of that year, the Japanese Army occupied Zhènjiāng, during which time they ransacked Dìnghuì Temple and its Seminary.
In 1940, the school was reopened. Teachers included Rénshān 仁山, Yǔtán 雨曇, Míngxìng 明性, Yuánzhàn 圓湛, and Léngjìng 楞鏡. The first batch of 60 students was separated into two classes, the first of which graduated in 1942.
In 1943, Zhīfēng 芝峰 began teaching at the school.
In 1946, Míngshān 茗山, a former student at the Seminary, began working as the principal of the school. Other teachers included Xiànyuè 現月, Huìzhuāng 惠莊, Shàozōng 紹宗. Míngxìng and Yuánzhàn also returned to teach. These teachers oversaw a student body of 46 monks. That year, the Seminary began publishing the periodical Midstream 中流.
A total of nearly 300 monks graduated from the Seminary Between 1934 and 1948, many of them have gone on to serve as abbot and/or found important temples in mainland China, Taiwan, and in other foreign countries.
Notable Students:
Notes:
References:
Jiāoshān Gazetteer 焦山志 Beijing: Fangzhi, 1999. Pp. 91-96.