Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c15.s2.t19.1

v2.c15.s2.t19.1

Dongchu was a modern Chinese Buddhist and Buddhist scholar. Before he became a monk, he was surnamed Fan and styled Deng Lang. He was named Dongchu as a monk. People usually called him Presbyter Dongchu (Dongchu Zhang Lao in Chinese). He was born in Tai County, Jiangsu Province (now Jiangyan District, Taizhou City, Jiangsu Province). Dongchu became a monk of the Jiangsu Guanyin'an in 1920 and Monk Jingchan helped him to wear cassock and shave his hair according to ritual. He took complete precepts in Changlong Temple, Baohua Mountain in 1927. In 1931, he went to Zhenjiang Zulin Temple Buddhist College and acknowledged Ai Ting and Nan Ting as Masters. In 1934, he graduated from Xiamen Minnan Buddhist Seminary founded by Master Taixu. He used to serve as the Monastic Manger of Zhejiang Jiaoshan Dinghui Temple, head of Jiaoshan Buddhist College, publisher of ‘*Zhong Liu*’ monthly magazine, and was entrusted by Master Taixu to launch training classes for event personnel of the Buddhist Association of China. In 1949, he went to Taiwan for discipline in Shandao Temple and created the monthly magazine ‘*Humanity*’. In 1950, he shut himself in Beijing Facang Temple and devoted himself to reading. In 1956, he founded the Centre for Chinese Buddhist Culture and appointed himself as the