A History of Chinese Buddhism (Illustrated Treasure Edition)

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 history. Buddhism has spanned thousands of years with complex facts, yet there has never been a systematic reference work. Writing the history of Buddhism is like searching for something 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 emphasis on historical research always hinders deep study of doctrine. "The study of history is truly sufficient to assist in the study of doctrine," this is the starting point for Jiang Weiqiao's writing of this book. It is recommended for the following groups to read this book:
Researchers or enthusiasts of academic history, researchers or enthusiasts of Buddhist history, Buddhists or laypeople, lovers or opponents of Chinese culture, party and government cadres 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: Qing Dynasty scholars such as Yu Yue held the "Buddhism came during the Zhou Dynasty" theory, believing it was introduced as early as the Pre-Qin period; Republican scholars such as Ma Yuancai held the "Qin Dynasty" theory; historians such as Guo Moruo, Fan Wenlan, and Jian Bozan held the "late Western Han Dynasty" theory; scholars like Fang Litian held the "early period of the Two Han Dynasties" theory; and scholars such as Ren Jiyu and Yan Beiming held the "early Eastern Han Dynasty" theory. The author of this book, Jiang Weiqiao (1876-1958), adhered to the "Han Wudi theory," believing that "China became aware of Buddhism after Wudi opened up the Silk Road." Buddhist historian Guo Peng regarded this as "a personal opinion." The study of the history of Chinese Buddhism has been the focus of Buddhist academic research in China since the early 20th century. The domestic work A History of Chinese Buddhism is the book written by Jiang Weiqiao. The book draws on the pre-Song Dynasty part of A General History of Chinese Buddhism by Japanese scholar Jingo Tetsu, with corrections and supplements. The book is regarded as "the first concise history of Chinese Buddhism written using modern historical methods," "classic," "an essential read for understanding the history of Chinese Buddhism," and "a well-structured framework for the history of Chinese Buddhism." Jiang was a famous modern Chinese philosopher, educator, and Buddhist scholar from Wu Jin, Jiangsu.