The Jiāoshān Buddhist Seminary (Jiāoshan Fóxué yuàn 焦山佛學院) was a Buddhist Seminary 佛學院 founded by Abbot Zhìguāng 智光.
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This seminary was founded by Abbot Zhìguāng 智光. The first class of 40 monks began in 1934, at which point the Seminary was headed by Xuěfán 雪煩. Students studied Buddhism, as well as geography, history, art, and sciences. In addition to attending two lectures per day, students also chanted the Huáyán Sūtra 華嚴經 and participated in meditation and niànfó 念佛 retreats. The first class graduated in 1937. On December 8 of that year, the Japanese Army occupied Zhènjiāng, during which time they ransacked Dìnghuì Temple and its Seminary.
In 1940, the school was reopened. The first batch of 60 students was separated into two classes, the first of which graduated in 1942.
In 1943, Zhīfēng 芝峰 began teaching at the school.
In 1946, Míngshān 茗山, a former student at the Seminary, began working as the principal of the school. Míngxìng and Yuánzhàn also returned to teach. These teachers oversaw a student body of 46 monks. That year, the Seminary began publishing the periodical Midstream 中流.
A total of nearly 300 monks graduated from the Seminary Between 1934 and 1948, many of them have gone on to serve as abbot and/or found important temples in mainland China, Taiwan, and in other foreign countries.
Section Editor: Erik Hammerstrom
(From 1934 to 1937)
(From 1940 to 1946)
(From 1946 to 1948)