From Monks to Educators

Venerable Zongyue and Buddhist Charitable Educational Activities in Early Twentieth-Century Beijing

Bibliographic Data

ID3237782
AuthorsWei Wu (0000-0003-1901-9134, Emory University, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume15
Issue7
Pages779
Publication date2024-06-27
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReligions (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel15070779
OpenAlexW4400077341
LanguageEN
References cited13

This article explores the charitable activities of Chinese Buddhists in Beijing in the first decades of the twentieth century, with a focus on Buddhists' efforts in building schools and promoting modern education. Specifically, the activities led by Venerable Zongyue 宗月 (1880-1941) are examined, in his role spearheading various Buddhist charitable activities in Beijing, including building several schools for commoners (pingmin xuexiao 平民學校) in the 1920s. Zongyue also established a library and a Buddhist newspaper called Fobao Xunkan 佛寶旬刊 to promote ideas about philanthropy. In the late 1920s, inspired by Zongyue's example, as well as under pressure from the government during the anti-superstition campaigns, many other temples in Beijing began building schools to offer educational opportunities to students. This article investigates the interactions between Buddhism, education, and the government. By examining the initiatives started by Zongyue and the role of Chinese Buddhists in promoting charitable educational activities and social change, this article sheds light on the broader impact of Buddhism on Chinese society in the early twentieth century

Beijing · Buddhism · China · Newspaper · Political science · Social science · Sociology · Superstition · The Venerable · Chinese history and philosophy · History · Law · Religion, Society, and Development · Vietnamese History and Culture Studies

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