In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ix T his book on modern Chinese Buddhism evolved over a number of years, and in its preparation I benefited from the help of many people.Those who read all or part of the manuscript and offered valuable comments include Joseph M. Kitagawa, who first suggested to me a study of Taixu’s reforms when I was a doctoral candidate at the University of Chicago, Frank E. Reynolds, Judith A. Berling, Liu Qingqian, and Venerable Master Shengyan. Richard C. Bush, Jr., was kind enough to loan me his set of Taixu dashi quanshu (The CompleteWritings of theVenerable Master Taixu) until I could purchase my own. Hong Jinlian and the staff of the Chung-Hwa Buddhist Institute, the library staff of the FaKuang Buddhist Institute,and Shen Jiaqi of the School History Office and Chinese Catholic Museum of Fu Jen University, all in Taipei, kindly answered questions and provided me with helpful materials. Appreciation must also be expressed toVenerable Master Xingyun and the staff of Foguang Shan, who invited me to participate in the 1990 Foguang Shan International Buddhist Conference on “Buddhism in the ModernWorld” and to deliver a paper onTaixu. In connection with that conference, I would also like to thank John R. McRae, the coordinator for the English-language section, as well as the Office of Graduate Studies and Research,Texas Christian University,which provided me with a faculty travel grant. For the encouragement offered x ACKNOWLEDGMENTS in recent years by President I-to Loh and my colleagues at Tainan Theological College and Seminary, Tainan, Taiwan, I am also very grateful. For permission to publish the photographs of Venerable Master Taixu andVenerable MasterYinshun, I would like to thank theYinshun Cultural and Educational Foundation (Yinshun wenjiao jijin hui) in Xinzhu County,Taiwan. For providing the photograph of Venerable Master Xingyun,I would like to thankVenerable Master Juemen, Executive General of Foguang Shan, Kaohsiung County,Taiwan. For the photograph of Venerable Master Shengyan, I want to thank the staff of the Nongchan si near Taipei, and for that of Venerable Master Zhengyan, the staff of the Buddhist Tzu Chi Philanthropic Foundation (Fojiao Ciji shan shiye jijin hui) near Hualian,Taiwan. Several research assistants in the United States andTaiwan labored to help me find and interpret relevant materials.Therefore, I want to thank Jin Gu, Pamela G. Holt, Chen Wenshan, and Lin Mingzhen. I also wish to thank Patricia Crosby, senior editor of the University of Hawai‘i Press, and her editorial staff for their patient assistance during the publication process, as well as the two anonymous readers whose critical reviews of the first draft prepared for the press were very helpful in making final revisions. Of course, any errors of fact or judgment in the book are my responsibility alone. Finally, I wish to thank my entire family.Without their constant love and support—especially that of my wife Nancy and my daughters Debra, Katheryn, and Merillat—the sustained effort required of this extended period of research and writing would not have been possible. D.A. P. ...

Share