More significant is the number of accessions from the learned class. Many
officials, disheartened by the present confused political situation, have
sought refuge in the monasteries. Some of them are now abbots of monasteries
and are using their influence to build them up. All over China there are
Confucian scholars who are giving themselves to the study of Buddhism and to
meditation. Some of the Chinese students who have studied in Buddhist
universities in Japan are propagating Buddhism by lecture and pen.
_(c) Publications._—Quite as significant is the increase in the
publication of Buddhist literature of all kinds. Many of the monasteries have
printing departments where they publish the sutras needed for their own use. In
addition, there are eight or more publishing centers where Buddhist literature
is printed. The most famous are Yang’s establishment at Nanking, the Buddhist
Press in Yangchow and that in Peking. In these establishments about nine
hundred different works are being published. The most noteworthy recent
publication has been that of the Chinese Buddhist Tripitaka in Shanghai.
Among these publications are a few modern issues. The Chung Hua Book Company
has published several works on Buddhism. Other books have been issued for the
sake of harmonizing Buddhism with western science and philosophy. In this
enterprise Japanese influence is visible. In 1921 a Shanghai press published a
dictionary of Buddhist terms containing 3302 pages, based on the Japanese
Dictionary of Buddhism. Other works also show the influence of Japanese
scholarship.
Among the publications have appeared two magazines. One published at Ningpo, is
called “New Buddhism.” This is struggling and may have to succumb. The other is
known as the “Sound of the Sea Tide,” now published in Hankow. Moreover, in all
the large cities there are Buddhist bookshops where only Buddhist works are
sold. These all report a good business. This literary activity reveals an
interest among the reading classes of China. Few such books are purchased by
the monks. The Chinese scholars read them for their style and for their deep
philosophy, but also for light and for help in the present distracting
political situation of their country.
_(d) Lectures._—Along with publication goes the spread of Buddhism by
lectures in the monasteries and the cities of China. A few years ago Buddhist
sermons, however serious, were only listened to by monks and by a few pious
devotees. Today such addresses are advertised and are usually well attended by
the intellectuals. Often many women are found listening. Monks like T’ai Hsü
and Yuan Ying have a national reputation. Not only monks, but laymen trained in
Japan are delivering lectures on the Buddhist sutras. The favorites are the
Awakening of Faith and the Suddharma Pundarika sutra.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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