Manshujiedi 曼殊揭諦

Biography

Born of a Japanese mother, Mànshūjiēdì was tonsured under Wēijūn 微軍 at Chángjíguāng Temple 常寂光寺 in Hángzhōu 杭州. Later he began practicing Esoteric Buddhism and adopted the name Mànshūjiēdì.

Mànshūjiēdì often traveled between China and Japan, and in 1924 he was one of the Chinese delegates to the East Asian Buddhist Conference 東亞佛教大會 held in Tokyo. The following year (1926), he and Wáng Hóngyuàn 王弘願 traveled to Japan to study Esoteric Buddhism under Gonda Raifu 權田雷斧. After their return from Japan, Wáng began offering initiation around Southern China, and attracted the criticisms of a number of prominent Buddhists, including Tàixū 太虛. It appears that Mànshūjiēdì also became critical of Wáng.

In 1933, Mànshūjiēdì became the abbot of Néngrén Temple 能仁寺 on Báiyún Mountain 白雲山 in Guǎngzhōu 廣州.

Important Works

Notable Students

Notes

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. 1.425-426, 2.990.
• 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. 1.931c-932b.