Lu Cheng 呂澂

Lǚ Chéng 呂澂 (1896-1989)

Lǚ was a student of Ōuyáng Jiàn 歐陽漸, headed his Chinese Inner Studies Institute 支那內學院, and remained a prominent figure in Chinese Buddhism after 1949.

• Born 1896 (Guāngxù 光緒 23) in Dānyáng county 丹陽縣, Jiāngsū 江蘇
• Died 1989 in Běijīng 北京 of illness
• Original name 原名: Lǚ Wèi 呂渭
• Courtesy names 字: Qiūyì 秋逸; Qiūyī 秋一; Jiùzǐ 鷲子

Biography

Lǚ tested into the economics department of National University 民國大學 but dropped out to study with Ōuyáng Jiàn 歐陽漸 in 1914. From 1915 to 1916 he studied art in Japan, and upon his return accepted the position of head of education at Shanghai School for the Arts 上海美術專科學校.

In 1918 Ōuyáng Jiàn was making preparations to establish his institute in Nánjīng 南京, and invited Lǚ to help him at the Jīnlíng Scriptural Press 金陵刻經處. Lǚ helped to raise money for the institute, and when it began to hold classes in 1923 he taught classes in addition to continuing to work in the press. Through the 1920s Lǚ published several books on art and aesthetics.

In 1953 he was chosen as the executive director of the newly established Chinese Buddhist Association 中國佛教協會.

Major Works:

• 印度佛敎史略 (1925)
• 佛敎研究法 (1926)
• 西藏佛學原論 (1933)
• 因明綱要 (1935)
• 印度佛學源流略論
• 中國佛學源流略論

References:

• 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. 1.406c-409b.
• Yú Língbō 于凌波. Zhōngguó jìnxiàndài Fójiào rénwù zhì 中國近現代佛教人物志. Beijing: Zongjiao wenhua chubanshe, 1995. Pp. 589-600.