A Study Of Buddhist College Of Wuchang During Republic Of China (1922-1949)

During the Republic of China, strife and crisis entangled the state while diversified doctrines sprung up comparatively. Buddhism was also under renovation for survive and state revitalization. The Wuchang Buddhist College established by Taixu in 1922 symbolized the peak of revolution and revitalization of modern Chinese Buddhism.Building on historical materialism, this thesis extracting related academic research results as the basis, manages to demonstrate, analyze and conclude comprehensively and objectively by combining historical investigations and theoretical analysis. On one hand, adopting historical research methods such as literature review and quantitative history for combination of cognition and detailed description, this thesis pays efforts to restore history as precise as possible.This thesis is divided into four chapters as following. The first chapter introduces the development process of Wuchang Buddhism College from its establishment in 1922 to the fact that it changed name to World Buddhism Study Center in 1929 to western relocation in 1938. Also it includes its back-moving in 1945 and suspension in 1949. In addition, the second chapter demonstrates education status of Wuchang Buddhism College in perspectives of conditions of faculty and curriculum, management and recruitment as well as cultivation quality. Besides, education of student monks is introduced in the two periods of Wuchang Buddhism College and World Buddhism Study Center. Moreover, chapter three illustrates Buddhism advertising in five aspects as in Buddhism research, research results; Buddhism product sales; publication of Ocean’s Roar; publicity speeches and preaching and international communication and overseas study. At last, the forth chapter summarizes the popular social activities of Wuchang Buddhism College like preaching in prison, establishing primary schools, fund and books donation and domestic and international communications.Through study on Wuchang Buddhism College established by Taixu in the Republic of China period, this thesis emphasizes on understanding of its development process, talents cultivation and Buddhism preaching to present achievements and limitations of Wuchang Buddhism College that played vital role in revitalization of modern Chinese Buddhism and historical fate of disappearing along with the doom of the Republic of China for not carrying its fatal leading responsibility.