Zhihuan jingshe 祇洹精舍

Jetavana Hermitage: Qíyuán jīngshè 祇洹精舍

A groundbreaking, but short-lived, Buddhist seminary 佛學院 founded by Yáng Wénhuì 楊文會.

• 1908 to 1910
• Location(s): Nánjīng 南京

This school was founded by Yáng Wénhuì 楊文會 at the site of his Jīnlíng Scriptural Press 金陵刻經處 in Nánjīng 南京. This school was exceptional in that both the student body and teaching staff included monks and lay people together. This was probably the first time in Chinese history that laymen taught Buddhist subjects to monks.^[1] Courses included not only classes on Buddhism, but also English and the basics of Pāli and Sanskrit. ALthough this institution was short-lived, many its students went on to have significant impacts on Chinese Buddhism in the 20th century.

Erik Hammerstrom

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Notable Teachers

• 諦閑 - Tiāntái 天台
• 蘇曼殊 - English
• 楊文會 - Śūraṃgama Sūtra

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Notable Students

• 梅光羲
• 歐陽漸
• 邱虛明
• 仁山
• 太虛
• 智光
• 觀同

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Notes

1. ↑ Cite Welch

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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. 1.80.