Wenyin Library: Esoteric Buddhism (Volume 1 and 2)

Author: Wu Limin, Editor-in-Chief, Hong Kong Chi Lian Jing Yuan Cultural Department
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-07-01
Features: Buddhism was introduced to China during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Through its transmission and development during the Three Kingdoms, Western and Eastern Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, it reached its peak in the Sui and Tang dynasties. In the late Tang Dynasty, Emperor Wu Zong suppressed Buddhism, leading to its gradual decline. Through the efforts of eminent monks and scholars during the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, each sect continued to make new contributions. After the Opium War, influenced by Western culture, the Buddhist community in China faced unprecedented challenges and shocks.
《》 (Weiyin), a Buddhist journal, was first published in January 1930. Initially a bimonthly, it was changed to a monthly starting from its 25th issue and ceased publication in September 1937, with a total of 78 issues. The original articles were published in nine categories: essays, sects, scriptural interpretations, esoteric Buddhism, translations, miscellaneous notes, monographs, lectures, and news. Due to the limited space in journal publications, some articles spanned several years, scattered across different issues, making research cumbersome and reading inconvenient.
Now, the Cultural Department of Hong Kong Chi Lian Jing Yuan has vowed to reorganize 《》 in an anthology format. They have invited Mr. Wu Limin to serve as the editor-in-chief, to reformat and punctuate the content. Referring to the original journal's categories, the entire collection has been divided into nine volumes: essays, sects, scriptural interpretations, esoteric Buddhism, translations, miscellaneous notes, monographs, lectures, and news. The original front covers of books are also compiled and attached at the end of the "News Volume," and a general index of 《 Anthology》 is included at the end of each volume.