History of Chinese Buddhism

Author: Jiang Weiqiao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: This book is a work written by Jiang Weiqiao, a modern Chinese educator and Buddhist scholar, based on the "Outline of the History of Chinese Buddhism" by the Japanese scholar Jōno Tetsuzō. It played a positive role in the study of Chinese Buddhism after the Republic of China and is considered a classic. It remains an essential reading for understanding the history of Chinese Buddhism. Introduction to Jiang Weiqiao's "History of Chinese Buddhism" by Deng Zimei
1. Jiang Weiqiao and Jōno Tetsuzō
Jiang Weiqiao, a native of Wujin, Jiangsu, was known by the courtesy name Zhuzhuang and the pseudonym Yinsizi. He was a renowned modern Chinese philosopher, educator, and Buddhist scholar. In 1895, he studied at the famous Nanzheng College in Jiangyin (now Nanzheng Middle School in Jiangsu Province). This school was known for its strengths in traditional Chinese studies, but Jiang Weiqiao was not content with this and had a particular interest in "Western learning." The following year, while studying at Nanzheng College, he also attended classes at the Changzhou Zhiyong College, participating in monthly exams at both institutions for six years. Although this only earned him a certificate of attendance from Nanzheng College, his ability to master both Eastern and Western knowledge was built on the foundation laid during his youth. This incident also demonstrates his exceptional talent.
In 1902, he joined the Chinese Education Association organized by Cai Yuanpei, advocating for "saving the nation through education." This association was also one of the founding groups of the Alliance of China led by Sun Yat-sen (established in 1905). In February 1903, at Cai Yuanpei's invitation, he became a voluntary teacher at schools such as the Shanghai Patriotism School. In addition to teaching, he translated Japanese news for the "Sū Bào," a newspaper inclined toward the revolutionary faction, earning a living through his. This laid the foundation for his Japanese language skills. Later, he was elected as a supervisor of the Chinese Education Association and became the principal of the Patriotism Girls' School, pioneering a new trend in girls' education. That same year, in May, the "Sū Bào" was for publishing articles by Zhang Taiyan ("Refutation of Kang Youwei on Revolution") and Zou Rong ("The Revolutionary Army"), forcing Jiang Weiqiao to take a part-time position at the Commercial Press, where he compiled primary school textbooks and headed the school's primary school normal school, Shanggong Primary School, and commercial supplementary school.