日僧佐佐木珍龍的臺灣開教：佛教曹洞宗在殖民初期(1895-1901)的活動=Preaching of the Japanese Monk, Sasaki Sinryo in Taiwan: Activities of the Sōtō School of Buddhism in the Beginning of Colony (1895-1901)
Studies of the prose is to explore the preaching processes and its results from the very first soldier preacher, Sasaki Sinryo who is the monk of the Sōtō School, during the Japan’s reign (1865-1934) in Taiwan. Sasaki Sinryo stayed in Taiwan for six and a half years, starting from June 1895 till December 1901. After Sasaki left, local newspapers even worshipped him, saying that “If Taiwan is an island where Buddhism spreads, its origin shall be the Sōtō School, which is easier for approaching than other schools. Therefore, it is Master Sasaki to thank for assisting such influence of preaching. Despite the master has left and the school changed constantly, people on this island still remember him with respects.” Sasaki’s efforts to preach in Taiwan has firmed the basis for the Sōtō School to start; additionally, The Chong Jun Shi Li Meng You Tan written before his departure from Taiwan has been also become a precious research resource for Buddhism in Taiwan at the end of Qing Dynasty. Except for the Sōtō School that Sasaki participated promptly invited domestic temples to join its alliance, the two major works constructed by him are more worthwhile for attention: the San Ban Qiao Cemetery, and the Hu Guo Shan Taiwan Temple, which continued to obtain certain powers even after he left. In the beginning, in December 1896, the governor-ranking army officer of Taiwan, Nogi Maresuke (1849-1912), decided to choose the San Ban Qiao region to build his mother’s grave, as well as making it as the cemetery for local Japanese residents. Later, in December 1897, Sasaki has successfully persuaded the Taipei County Government to plan and establish the San Ban Qiao Cemetery with his unique vision, which resulted in that almost all Japanese residents died in Taipei took San Ban Qiao as their prior graveyard selection, leading the cemetery to become a monopolized business. In April 1900, the colonizing government has formally regulated the place as an officially shared cemetery that became the only graveyard limited for Japanese in Taipei. After five years of Sasaki’s departure from Taiwan, the Sōtō School was retrieved by the Taipei County Government due to bad managements by the monks. On the other hand, despite that establishing the Hu Guo Shan Taiwan Temple as the ultimate center of colonizing Taiwan was the ideal that Sasaki upheld firmly, it was not until October 1908 this temple was built after buying the land outside the Eastern Gate of Taipei City.This was because the budget was to massive, and unfortunately, Sasaki could not personally participate in its accomplishment. However, such an event also displays the evidence that Sasaki does have a vision in planning to build a temple as early and permanent as he could. The two major Buddhism achievements for Sasaki are rarely studied in the past. Hence, the prose shall discuss the routes of Sasaki in Taiwan, processes for Taiwanese and Japanese celebrities and followers to assist him in developing the Buddhist careers, so that to replenish the preaching history of the Sōtō School in the beginning of Japan’s reign in Taiwan. Due to the space of prose, other Buddhist missionaries that came to Taiwan durin
