The Study Of Daopei's Chan Buddhist Thoughts

This dissertation employs an integrated approach, which involves philosophy and historiography. In the dissertation, Chan or Buddhism in Ming and Qing dynasties is not viewed as on the decline, since it has been manifested in its civil prevalence.During the Late Ming Dynasty and Early Qing Dynasty,Yongquan Temple in Gushan Mountain of Fuzhou in Fujian Province, was an important place of the Chaodong Sect of Chan. The famous Buddhist Monks, Yuanxian and Daopei were active and they formed a new sect—Gushan Sect which passed on their fixed heritage.Weilin Daopei is a famous Chan master of late Ming and early Qing dynastes. With the aid of precious original documents of Gushan and based on detailed investigation into Daopei's life story and works, this dissertation elaborates on five aspects of Daopei's Chan Buddhist thoughts, including his theory of Chan meditation, his judgment of Chan doctrine, his views on Chan and Pure Land Buddhism, history of Chan Buddhism and the three religions. In addition, it makes a careful study of Daopei's Chan Buddhist thoughts in their special historical background of late Ming and early Qing dynasties as well as from the broad trends of the development of Chinese Chan Buddhism.It argues that Daopei's Chan Buddhist thoughts have distinct characteristics of mountain Buddhism, different from scholar-bureaucrat Buddhism and official Buddhism. The style of mountain Buddhism has been a magic weapon for maintaining the dharma lineage of Gushan and therefore has been of great significance.