Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c15.s2.t36.2

v2.c15.s2.t36.2

Ran Yun-hua graduated from Shaanxi Normal Specialized Postsecondary College. Later, he studied history in Sichuan University and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in 1948. He went to study in Visva-Bharati University, India in 1953 and studied Buddhism and history of Indian religions from Prabodh Chandra Bagchi and Tan Yun-shan et al. In 1964, he obtained a Religious Doctoral Degree of Visva-Bharati University and stayed at the university to teach. Later, he was invited to serve as the Dean of the Department of Science of Religion of McMaster University, and engaged in Buddhism and Chinese religious studies. He retired as an honourary professor of the university in 1988. He has successively worked as President of “Society for the Study of Chinese Religions”, member of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, and the Buddhism Group of Association for Asian Studies. He also assumed important posts in the International Association of Buddhist Studies and International Religious Association. In 1989, he went to Taiwan and became a Professor of Faguang Buddhist Culture Research Institute and researcher of the Chung-Hwa Institute of Buddhist Studies. He focussed on