Based on the problematique of Chinese Buddhist responses to modernity, this paper tries to explore Ven. Juzan’s discourse of neo-Buddhism including its concern, aims and contents, figuring out that his neo-Buddhist discourse includes three interwoven themes: to mobilize Buddhists to be engaged in Anti-Japanese War, to reorganize sangha system through “being engaged in producting and learning” (生產化和學術化) and to classify Buddhist teachings. Juzan’s insight and oversight in each theme is also analyzed briefly. The paper goes on with a further exploration to Juzan’s standpoint and principles when he develops his neo-Buddhist discourse, pointing out that there is a combined stand of Buddhism-centrism and Chinese ethnocentrism under his discourse, though the possible inherent tension is softened by his insistence on coherence between each other. By tracing the relationship between Juzan and Chinese Institute for Buddhist Studies (支那內學院), and Lücheng particularly, this paper finds that Juzan’s stand of Chinese Buddhism-centrism has once modified in large scale, which is mostly due to the influence of Lücheng’s Buddhist views, though he finally reaffirmed this stand. The paper ends with a brief comparison between Juzan and his tutor Taixu.
