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Wen Jinyu: Layman Yang Renshan and Modern Chinese Buddhism

Other articles 2017-12-30

Yang Renshan layman

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2017The year coincides with the 180th anniversary of the birth of Mr. Yang Renshan, the founder of the Jinling Sutra Engraving Office. From December 29 to 30, the Chinese Buddhist community held an event at the Jinling Sutra Engraving Office to commemorate this Buddhist old man.This year is also of special significance for the Jinling Sutra Engraving Office, although the Sutra Engraving Office was the fifth year of Tongzhi. (1866)It was established and millions of Buddhist scriptures were printed and circulated, but there was no fixed place and it had been moved several times.Until the 23rd year of Guangxu (1897)Only then can there be a permanent fixed place."A Brief History of the Layman of Yang Renshan" records: "In the year of Dingyou, the house was built in Yanling Lane north of Jinling City, which was a place to preserve scriptures and circulation.” (Note: After buying the land, the actual construction started in 1898. )The year of Dingyou is the 23rd year of Guangxu (1897),In this way, this year is also the 120th anniversary of the permanent construction of the Jinling Sutra Engraving Office.

Yang Renshan was a lay Buddhist, but he was hailed as the father of the revival of modern Buddhism.In the history of Chinese Buddhism, no lay Buddhist can lead an era like him.American scholar Hosm Weici commented: "Yang Wenhui is often called the 'father of the revival' of this Buddhist movement.Even if he is not called the 'father of revival', he can at least be used as an early representative of this Buddhist revival movement, which was his creation of an appropriate starting point for the later development of this movement."Liang Qichao said in "A Brief Introduction to the Rise and Decline of Chinese Buddhism": "After the late Yang Wenhui was able to be effective in the "Avatamsaka Sutra", and taught people to use Pure Land to circulate classics and work tirelessly. Nineteen Buddhist scholars today have all heard of the trend of Wenhui."Master Taixu praised Mr. Yang Renshan as one of the most powerful people in Chinese Buddhism."Zhao Pu Lao praised: "Modern Buddhism prospered and righteous studies were revitalized, and lay Buddhists ranked first."It can be said that Mr. Yang Renshan is one of the founders of modern Chinese Buddhism.

Yang Renshan lay Buddhist

Yang Renshan was born in 1837 and is from Shitai, Anhui.The "Ta Ming" describes "The only lay Buddhists rose up at the meeting of the vast Dharma-Ending Age and the sect's style, and took the Tao with their own body, discussed the teacher, the Dharma General, the Tibetan Master, and the Sutra, and were brave in all their lives, and were tireless and sincere."He believes: "In the Dharma-Ending World, all depends on the circulation of Buddhist scriptures to help everyone."Then he left his home to run schools, engraved scriptures and circulated them, promoted the doctrines, and cultivated talents, laying the foundation for the revival of modern Buddhism.

Jinling Sutra Engraving

1. Circulate Buddhist scriptures.

《"The Biography of the Layman Yang Renshan" commented: "My Master Zibai created the Yi method and used it, and it was built in the southeast. He had white clothes and four great vows. He inherited the purple cypress for two hundred years, and was the layman Renshan."In his later years, Mr. Yang Renshan said: "I wish that the Jinling Sutras are engraved into a complete collection, so that they can proofread and print them, so that they will be carefully reviewed and not missed scholars."For the past forty years, I have been watching the world of peerless things and dedicated to the circulation of scriptures and circulation, and I have made the wish of spreading the Dharma and benefiting sentient beings."At that time, society was in turmoil and Buddhism was in decline, and it was almost impossible for believers to study Buddhism to find a sutra.After the establishment of the Jinling Sutra Engraving Office, lay Buddhist Yang Renshan searched for various Buddhist scriptures everywhere, selected good prints, and through the Japanese Shinsect monk Natsuki whom he met in London on his first mission to Britain and France, he purchased or hand-copied more than 280 important Buddhist scriptures in various Buddhist sects that had been lost in China since the Tang and Five Dynasties, and then selected and engraved and circulated.From its establishment to the Jinling Sutra Engraving Office until the death of Mr. Yang Renshan in 1911, over the past 40 years, a total of about 2,000 volumes of scriptures, totaling more than 1 million volumes, and more than 100,000 Buddha statues were circulated.It laid the foundation for the revival of modern Buddhism.Even though I look at these scriptures today, I still feel that the wisdom lamp is immortal and passed down from generation to generation, and I sigh that the "magic weapon" is here.

2. Run schools and educate talents.

Mr. Yang Renshan founded a Buddhist school at the Jinling Sutra Engraving Office, called "Jiehuan Jingshe", which is one of the earliest monk schools in China.The origin of this is introduced in "A Brief History of the Layman of Yang Renshan": "In the autumn of Ding, the Buddhist school was opened in the place where the sutras were engraved, called the Jihuan Jingshe.Hebei scholars are also familiar with Chinese and Western languages, and think that they will travel to India in the future to revitalize Buddhism.Comrades can take it for Chinese and English; lay Buddhists can take it for themselves.There are more than 20 scholars, monks and lay people, and they will make progress every day."The words "going to India in the future to revitalize Buddhism" are because in 1893, the "father of the revival of modern Indian Buddhism" Damopolo of Ceylon Buddhist layman attended the "World Religious Conference" held in Chicago. In 1895, he stayed in Shanghai for a brief visit to Mr. Yang Renshan, seeking a joint Chinese sect to revive Indian Buddhism, hoping that China could send eminent monks to India to preach the Dharma.Yang Renshan deeply agreed with the ideal of Damopola to revive Indian Buddhism and then promote Buddhism in the world, but "if you want to revitalize, you can only open the Shu School, and then have a turning point."This is the original intention of the founding of the Jehovahn Jingshe.

Jehovan Temple

In the 34th year of Guangxu (1908)School starts in winter, Master Dixian is specially hired to serve as the supervisor, Professor Su Manshu teaches English, Professor Li Xiaotou teaches Chinese, and lay Buddhist Yang Renshan personally serves in the Buddhist lecture.There are dozens of people including Shi Taixu, Shi Renshan, Shi Huimin, Shi Kaiwu, Shi Zhiguang, Shi Guantong, Shi Qiyun, Shi Dawu, Shi Shanliang and Qiu Ximing, the lay people.In Ouyang Jingwu's "Biography of the Layman Yang Renshan", it says: "Only the scale of lay people is extensive, so there are many talents under the school. Tan Sitong is good at Huayan, Gui Bo Hua is good at Tan Buddhism, Li Duanfu is good at three theories, and the knowledge of consciousness-based Dharma and appearance includes Zhang Taiyan, Sun Shaohou, Mei Xieyun, Kuai Ruomu and Ouyang Jian, which are also many."The disciples of the disciples are full of many scholars.Master Taixu said that "although it was designed by lay Buddhists, there were many scholars and monks, so it was the key to higher monks' education."Hosm Weici commented that “The monks followed the teachers at home to study Buddhist scriptures for the first time in China’s history, not only in China, but throughout Asia, this incident became the precursor to a series of events that followed."The rise of lay Buddhist Buddhism is a major feature of modern Buddhism. Since then, the rise of a large number of lay Buddhist trees is a symbol of an era.

3. Study Buddhist principles carefully.

Mr. Yang Renshan respects the Huayan Sutra in his doctrine and practices Pure Land in his practice. At the same time, he also has considerable research on sects such as Yogacara, Tiantai, and Zen.In "Wait or Not to Wait and View Miscellaneous Records" •In "With the Japanese Natsumoto Book 2", he once described his Buddhist journey: the opportunity of Mahayana starts from the Mahjong; the fate of Pure Land is due to the lotus pond; when studying Huayan, follow the square mountain; when studying the ancestor seal, admire the peak.He is like the Hanshan Mountain in Ming, and he is also what he admires.In the "Biography of the Bible of the Layman Yang Renshan" written by Zhang Ertian, it is said: "The learning of lay people is developed in the "Awakening of Faith", filled it with the "Lotus Sutra", and transformed it with the "Avatamsaka Sutra", and understood it with the "Consciousness-Only", and returned to the Pure Land.Do work during the day, recite sutras and chant Buddha's name at night, or practice quiet and contemplation, and go to bed until the loss is over."And commented: "Those who know the knowledge say that since the Lingfeng showed his destruction, there has never been a lay Buddhist teaching."Liang Qichao said in "Introduction to the Academics of the Qing Dynasty": "There is a stream of thoughts in the late Qing Dynasty, called Buddhism....Therefore, new scholars often study Buddhism.Shitao Yang Wenhui, young Zeng Guofan, was a member of the shogunate family, and then followed Zeng Jize to entrust Ying. He was well-versed in his heart, had extensive knowledge and high Taoism. In his later years, he stopped filming in Jinling and devoted himself to engraving scriptures and spreading the Dharma.By the third year of Xuantong, Wuhan ***He passed away one day before.The literary master has a deep understanding of the Dharma and Huayan schools, and scholars have gradually respected and believed it by teaching Pure Land.Tan Sitong traveled for a year and wrote "The Study of Ren Xue" based on what he obtained, and often encouraged his friend Liang Qichao.Qi Chao cannot study further, and he is also very fond of it, and his writings often recommend religion.Kang Youwei is a good-talking religion, and often advances and retreats according to one's own intentions.Zhang Binglin also likes the Faxiang School and has written works.Therefore, all the so-called new scholars in the late Qing Dynasty were related to Buddhism, and anyone with true beliefs led to the refuge in the literary society."This shows the influence of Yang Renshan's thoughts at that time.

4. The Pure Land Conscience of Mr. Yang Renshan.

Open the complete works of Mr. Yang Renshan and you will see his huge thoughts and broad vision.It is connected with Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism outside, and it is promoted by the eight internal sects.Judging from his social connections, there are foreign scholars like Namjo Moriho, Damopolo, and Marx Muller, as well as politicians like Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang.Therefore, Mr. Yang Renshan himself is an encyclopedia book.Because I just presided over the affairs of the Pure Land Culture Research Center, I only have a glimpse of the whole story from the perspective of Pure Land.We know that the first sutra published by the Jinling Sutra Engraving Office is the Pure Land Sutra.In 1866, he moved to Nanjing and discovered the "Four Pure Land Sutras" compiled by Wei Yuan at the home of his colleague Wang Meishu, who was proficient in Buddhism.He once said: "After the war, I only saw the small version of the Amitabha Sutra, but I was unable to obtain it in the large version of the Amitabha Sutra and the Sixteen Contemporary Sutras.When I came to Jinling, I found this book from Wang Jun Mei Shu. Once I searched for it for several years, I was overjoyed."So he and Zheng Xuechuan and other fellow Buddhists planned the business of engraving scriptures, contacted all sectors of society to donate money. On the eighth day of the Buddha's enlightenment on the twelfth lunar month that year, he engraved the first classic - "The Four Pure Land Sutras", and wrote the "Republication of the Four Pure Land Sutras", marking the founding of the Jinling Sutras.

The Four Pure Land Sutras

After that, he also compiled a collection of "Four Fourteen Types of Pure Land Sutras and Treatises" and "Ten Books of Ancient Pure Land".Many of the sutras are collected from the long-term loss of the country and are missing in the Song and Ming dynasties.Japanese man Mitsuhiro Natsu and Yang Renshan had been with him for 30 years. Natsuhiro once said: "After the 24th year of Meiji, I met fellow Taoists and Han Nei Ci, which I gave to him 283 pieces.However, the lay Buddhists wrote about more than 10 books, such as Tanluan, Daochuo, Shandao, Kuiji and Zhixu, among which were also included."Master Yin Guang said in the re-engraved preface to the "Shandao Sutra of the Amitabha Buddha Sutra": "During the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, Yang Renshan invited this sutra from Japan to "Shandao Sutra", "Huiyuan Sutra of the Amitabha Sutra", and "Tanluan's Notes on the Rebirth of Rebirth".All of them are magic weapons that have been lost for a long time, and they are all engraved."The large number of classics invited by Mr. Yang Renshan through Japanese friends, including important works by Tanluan and Shandao, can be said to have played an important role in the promotion of modern Pure Land thought.For example, adhering to the purpose of Shandao's special practice and explaining the gains and losses of the two practices of special practice and miscellaneous practices comes from Shandao's "Four Posts and Commentaries on the Contemporary Sutra".For example, it is also recommended to rely on the Buddha's compassion and be reborn with karma. The interpretation of the power of Buddha and self-power is verified by Tanluan's "Notes on Rebirth".Therefore, the Pure Land Sutra that was invited by Mr. Yang Renshan to return and engrave and circulate was of great significance to the revitalization of the modern Pure Land Sect.

In addition to the merits of circulation in the classics, lay Buddhist Yang Renshan also had unique insights into the Pure Land.Although he respects the thoughts of "Awakening of Faith" and the Huayan School in terms of doctrine, he attaches great importance to the Pure Land Method in practice.In his "Prajna Paramita Speech", he said: The Tathagata's teachings are very different, and it is difficult to advance and easy to retreat when practicing the Dharma-Ending Era.There is a universal method of salvation that can be achieved quickly and without retreating, and will directly seek Buddhahood. This is the method of chanting Buddha's name and being reborn in the Pure Land.In "A Brief Introduction to Learning Buddhism", he called the Pure Land the "Everyone's Way of Saving the Way", and the three roots are universally vague, which is the wonderful method of "quickly achievement and non-regression and direct pursuit of Buddhahood" in the Dharma-Ending Age. "If you want to do it in one's life, you must go directly to the Pure Land as your return. This is the fastest way."He is in contrast to the Pure Land Dharma held by ordinary people at the time of the Dharma-Ending Age, and sentient beings have poor roots and have to rely on the Buddha's power to see each other. He believes that "the vastness of Buddhism is as good as the Pure Land!" In "A Brief Introduction to Learning Buddhism", he also said that "If you realize the One True Dharma Realm, you still need to dedicate to the Pure Land and worship Amitabha in the face of Amitabha, you can forever eliminate life and death and achieve the supreme path.""In "Letter to Li Dan", he said: "The Pure Land is a gate that covers all the Dharmas; all the Dharmas are all in the Pure Land."The lay Buddhist Yang Renshan's understanding of Pure Land follows the style of his teacher, Master Lianchi, and uses Huayan to understand Pure Land.In the "A Brief Explanation of the Ten Sects", he pointed out that at the end of the "Avatamsaka Sutra", Samantabhadra led the way to the Pure Land with the Ten Great Vows Kings... Later, Ma Ming wrote the "Awakening of Faith" and also took the Pure Land as his return.In "Book of Chen Zhongpei", he said: "Using all Buddhist teachings into the chanting of Buddha's name, the meaning of "Avatamsaka Sutra" is to integrate the unobstructed purpose."He understood the thoughts of Huayan and Pure Land, and in the "A Brief Treatise on Contemplation of Amitabha Sutra", he explained the view of the Buddha's name in the "A Brief Treatise on Contemplation of Amitabha", and used the teachings of Huayan to explain the view of the Buddha's name: the Bodhisattva's practice is not out of two: one is to seek the Buddha's path, and the other is to transform sentient beings....The previous observation method was to devote one's own heart to Amitabha's vows; the next observation method was to reflect the entire Amitabha's vows and return to Amitabha's vows and return to his own heart.Such a lot of involvement, all over the world, and inclusive. Who says that there are two aspects of Huayan and Pure Land? He believes that the profound and wonderful aspects of visualizing and chanting Buddha are no different from the Huayan realm, and they enter the state of inconceivable liberation together.

In addition, he made a distinction between the core concepts in the Pure Land method of chanting Buddha's name.In the "Abhidharma Sutra", it is said: "Reciting Buddha's name is different from chanting Buddha's name. If you remember it in your heart, it is called chanting Buddha's name, and chanting the name on your mouth, and it is called chanting Buddha's name."And "all the sixteen methods mentioned in the "Avatamsaka Sutra" are the methods of reciting the Buddha's name."He once discovered that the true religion of Pure Land in Japan "has many different ways to be incompatible with the scriptures."One of the reasons is that the true religion only uses the name of chanting Buddha's name, but excludes various methods of chanting Buddha's name, such as visualization, from chanting Buddha's name.This launched a reciprocal doctrine debate with the Pure Land of Japan. During this period, "the letters were exchanged, and the sect was not afraid of thousands of words, and the sect was to make up for the partiality and save the disadvantages."As later lay Buddhist Fan Gunong said, "People in the world do not observe it, but use the narrow meaning of reciting the Buddha's name to force the five vehicles.Although the truth is not wrong, the facts are unreasonable.The consequences of the consequences are as follows, and the name of abolishing all teachings, so the Pure Land Buddhism is prosperous and Buddhism declines."It's indeed a pertinent word.Mr. Yang Renshan also advocated both self-reliance and other power, and opposed the use of the Pure Land Method as a method of saving others.In the "Brief Explanation of the Ten Sects", it is believed that the Pure Land Dharma is "believe in other powers and do your best."In the "Prajna Paramita Speech", it is emphasized that "although rebirth relies on other powers, we still do not waste our own powers, so we encourage it through cultivation and study."In "A Brief Introduction to Learning Buddhism", I asked someone why not use universal methods to save effort. He replied: "Ordinary people have the most habits. If they are asked to concentrate on chanting the name of Buddha, they will be tired over time and their minds will move from the environment, and they will often go astray without realizing it."Therefore, he advocated that the sutras and treatises should be studied, "to use the profound and wonderful sutras and treatises to clear away false emotions, to encourage one's spirit, and to move forward bravely and straightforwardly, so as to avoid retreating in the middle of the journey."This warns some of the disadvantages of many people who practiced pure karma and were abusing things, relying on others, and not paying attention to sutras and treatises.

Ouyang Jingwu wrote the "Biography of Yang Renshan" to summarize Yang Renshan's contributions: "In the late Qing Dynasty, Yang Renshan paid attention to the ultimate study and deepening of Buddhism, and had ten merits in Buddhism: one, the scale of knowledge was expanded; two, the book was created and engraved; three, the books were collected; four, the painting and carving Buddha statues for sculpture; five, the monks were promoted; six, the monks were promoted to spread the Dharma; seven, the lay Buddhist temple was created; eight, the daughter was given to the nun, the granddaughter and niece were single and not married; nine, the Jinling carving scriptures were abandoned in the ten directions; ten, the ability to engrave scientific geisha and devote themselves to Buddhist affairs, and the Bodhisattvas were seeking the five wisdoms, wouldn't that be so!" Hosm Weici also commented on this: "The importance of Yang Wenhui in the history of Buddhism is not so much because of his early attempts in many aspects, but rather because of the profound impact they had brought to later generations.Millions of Buddhist books were engraved in his sutras; a large number of monks and lay Buddhists with leadership in the next generation emerged among his disciples; he rekindled the Buddhist community's attention to the Dharmaxiang School.Most importantly, he was the first Chinese Buddhist to come to Europe to understand the European scientific and technological civilization, and to examine Buddhism as a world religion in a world where science is paramount.”

Mr. Yang Renshan devoted his life to Buddhism.I told others that "When I am in the world, I should do my best to the Dharma."In 1901, in order to have a permanent place for the engraving office, he ordered his three sons to establish a "separation document", donating more than 60 residential houses and more than 6 acres of residential land, and donating them all to the engraving office of Jinling, as a place for engraving, collector's edition, and circulation.However, in order to support the career of engraving, the three houses will be repaid for the 3,810 taels of silver debt owed over the years.Now reading "The Yang Family Division of the Family" I can't help but burst into tears.

Yang Renshan Pagoda

1911In the autumn of 2018, lay Buddhist Yang Renshan passed away.Ouyang Jingwu wrote a brief story about the story of Yang Renshan lay Buddhists: "When he was sick, he asked his son and daughter-in-law: My vows are consistent with Amitabha's vows.I go when I go, without any fatigue.Don’t be miserable, just recite the Buddha’s name with all your heart and send me west. My wish is enough."According to his last wish of "where the scriptures are located, the coffin is located", he buried him behind the Shenliu Hall in the Jinling Sutra, and set up a tower as his ambition.

180The anniversary is not far away, and the footprints of the sages and great masters are still clearly visible.

2024-02-05 18:07
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