Fǎfǎng 法舫 (1904-1951)
Fǎfǎng was a close disciple of Tàixū 太虛, and was involved with many of the Buddhist seminaries and organizations associated with him. He edited and wrote a large number of articles for the Hǎcháo yīn 海潮音 as well.
Fǎfǎng was born in farming family in Hubei. He was orphaned by a severe drought there in his youth, and as a result he went to live at a charity school run by Fǎyuán 法源 Temple in Beijing. With the help of Yáo Jiājǐng 姚家井 he took tonsure under Shìàn 是岸 at Guānyīn 觀音 Temple in 1921. He was 17. He received full ordination at Fǎyuán 法源 Temple under Dàojiē 道階 the same year.
In 1922, Fǎfǎng traveled to Wuchang to be a part of the first class at the Wuchang Fóxué yuàn 武昌佛學院. He graduated in 1924 and remained at the school as a teacher. When most of the school members scattered in 1926 because of the Northern Expedition, Fǎfǎng stayed on to protect the school's buildings with Dàjìng 大敬.
Major Works: Wéishì shǐguān jí qí zhéxué 唯識史觀及其哲學 (Consciousness-Only: Its Historical Viewpoint and Philosophy).
References:
1. Shì Dōngchū 釋東初. Zhōngguó fójiào jìndàii 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. (Taibei: Dongchu, 1974), 2:898-900.
2. Yìnshùn 印順, “Fǎfǎng fǎshī xíngzhuàn 法舫法師行傳 (Record of the Actions of Master Fǎfǎng),” in Fǎfǎng 法舫, Wéishì shǐguān jí qí zhéxué 唯識史觀及其哲學 (Consciousness-Only: Its Historical Viewpoint and Philosophy). (Taipei: Tianhua, 1998, reprint (n.p.: 1950)), 1-3.
3. 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), 1:680a-683a.