History of Chinese Buddhism

Author: Jiang Weiqiao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: Reasons to Read This Book
Buddhists lack a sense of history and do not pay attention to organizing their own historical records. Buddhism has spanned thousands of years with complex facts, yet there has never been a systematic reference work. Writing Buddhist history is like searching in the dark, making it difficult to achieve anything. In terms of Buddhist doctrine, China has developed a particularly advanced field of study, with many individuals who have independently established their own schools. However, a lack of attention to historical research always hinders deep studies of doctrine. "The study of history is truly sufficient to assist in the study of doctrine" is the starting point for Jiang Weiqiao's writing of this book. It is recommended for the following groups to read this book:
- Scholars or enthusiasts of academic history
- Scholars or enthusiasts of Buddhist history
- Buddhists or laypeople
- Lovers or opponents of Chinese culture
- Party and government officials or the general public
Buddhism is one of the three major religions in the world. Although it originated in India, it has had a profound and widespread influence on the thoughts and lives of the Chinese people. There are roughly six theories about the time of Buddhism's introduction to China:
- Scholars during the Qing Dynasty, such as Yu Yue, held the "Buddhism came during the Zhou Dynasty" theory, believing it was introduced as early as the Pre-Qin period;
- Scholars during the Republic of China, such as Ma Yuancai, supported the "Qin Dynasty" theory;
- Historians like Guo Moruo, Fan Wenlan, and Jian Bozan advocated for the "late Western Han Dynasty" theory;
- Scholars such as Fang Litian proposed the "early period of the Two Han Dynasties" theory;
- Scholars like Ren Jiyu and Yan Beiming supported the "early Eastern Han Dynasty" theory.
The author of this book, Jiang Weiqiao (1876-1958), upheld the "Han Wudi theory," believing that "China became aware of Buddhism after Wudi's connection with the Western Regions." Buddhist historian Guo Peng regarded this as "a personal opinion." The study of Chinese Buddhist history has been the focus of academic Buddhist research since the early 20th century. And the domestic A History of Chinese Buddhism, as written by Jiang Weiqiao, is the book presented here. The book draws on the pre-Song Dynasty part of A General History of Chinese Buddhism by the Japanese scholar Jōno Tetsu, with corrections and supplements. The book is regarded as "the first concise history of Chinese Buddhism written using modern historical methods by Chinese people," "a classic," "an essential read for understanding the history of Chinese Buddhism," and "a well-structured framework for the history of Chinese Buddhism."
Jiang Weiqiao, a native of Wujin, Jiangsu, was a famous modern Chinese philosopher, educator, and Buddhist scholar.