Kaifu si 開福寺

Kāifú sì 開福寺 is a large temple in Chángshā 長沙.

History

This temple was first built as a summer garden by Mǎ Yīn 馬殷, founder of the later Kingdom of Chǔ 楚國. His son turned over part of the land for monks to live on. This soon became Kāifú Temple 開福寺. It became a center of Chán, and is seen as an ancestral temple by Rinzai Buddhists in Japan.

In 1886 (Guāngxù 光緒 12), Jìchán 寄禪, Lìyún 笠雲, and roughly two dozen others formed the Bìhú Poetry Society 碧湖詩社 here. In 1908, Lìyún established the Hú'nán Monastic Teachers Academy 湖南僧立師範學堂 here. Mizuno Baigyō 水野梅曉 visited and became friends with Lìyún here around the turn of the century.

Much of the present site was completed during the years of Guāngxù 光緒 (1875 - 1908). Many buildings were damaged or destroyed by fire in 1918, but these were repaired or rebuilt by 1922.

Personnel

Important Abbots

Notable Residents

• Guānkōng 觀空
• Kōngyě 空也
• Yándìng 嚴定

Temple Institution

Important Buildings or Artifacts

Associated Organizations and Groups

• Bìhú Poetry Society 碧湖詩社 (1886 - ??)
• Hú'nán Monastic Teachers Academy 湖南僧立師範學堂 (1908 - ??)
• Hú'nán branch of the Chinese General Buddhist Association 中華佛教總會 (1912 - 1915)

Notes

References

• 互動百科:開福寺