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A Study of the Development of Buddhist Libraries in Taiwan

Abstract

    In recent years Taiwanese are interested in religion much more than twenty years ago. As for Buddhism, more and more Buddhists are eager to read and to study books on Buddhism, but there is a problem that most libraries don’t have enough collection of Buddhism. However, the quantity and quality of the Buddhist library in Taiwan has changed obviously in the 90’s,which attracts me to study the development of Buddhist libraries in Taiwan.

    In chapter one, I would start with my motives; purpose and the problem for investigation, then to explain why I choose historical survey as my main study method; and telephone survey as well as quantity interview is supportive one. In the end of this chapter, I will give the definition and explanation of some important terms in this study.

    In chapter two, I would give a summary of the development of ancient Chinese Buddhism libraries, namely, a brief history of the management of ancient temple library. Because temple library is one of the most important systems in Chinese library history, will generally discuss the ancient temple library in terms of macroscopic study furnishing with historical documents. First of all, my focus is on the category of the collection in temple library and how do the temple library acquire it. Second, explaining how the monks deal with their collection, especially the history of call number, and the conservation of the Tripitak. Third, I will use temple norms as principal to introduce the duty of temple library management such as the job of the Cang-zhu (藏主)--the library director, and the rules of books circulation. At last, in order to show the whole picture of the culture of the ancient Chinese temple library, the function of temple library will be discussed completely.

    To realize the origin of Buddhist library in Taiwan, it is necessary to search the development of modern Chinese Buddhism and the Taiwan Buddhism in colonial era, which I would discuss in chapter three and four. In chapter three, I will point out the development of Buddhist library resulted from the movement of “Miao-chan Hsing-hseh 廟產興學 (the promotion of education with temple property)”. It also influenced the

rise of modern Buddhist education, the publishing of Buddhist books, and the emergence of the society of lay Buddhist. In the following part, I will take four famous modern Buddhist libraries as examples to analysis the development, achievement and change of Buddhist libraries.

    My main points lie in chapter four. In the beginning I will introduce the history of Taiwan Buddhism in the Period of Japanese Dominance, then to discuss the transition of Taiwan Buddhism after Taiwan’s Restoration. In addition to find out the characteristics of the development, I will also notice the Taiwan Buddhist education at that time and the development of the publishing of Buddhist books. Based on the objective and subjective factors in the developments of Taiwan Buddhist Libraries, along with some fragment documents, I would divide the development of Taiwan Buddhist Libraries into four periods. The brewing period, from the colonial era to 1957; the embryo period, from 1957 to 1978; the growing period, from 1979 to 1989; the florescence period, began from 1990.

    In terms of telephone survey and quantity interview, I would analysis the situation of present Taiwan Buddhist libraries. Further, I will explain two mainly achievements of modern Taiwan Buddhist libraries: the librarian not only participated the business of education and propagation of Buddhism actively, but also revised the new classification scheme for Buddhist libraries through library cooperation. Finally, according to the above statements I will reveal the functions of Taiwan Buddhist libraries and explicate the advantage and disadvantage of them.

    At last, I would pose my conclusion and suggestions for operating the Buddhist libraries in the future. Wishing those Taiwan Buddhist libraries in every area can achieve the goal of social and Buddhist edification.

Keyword: Buddhist libraries, temple libraries, temple norms, Taiwan Buddhism, modern Chinese Buddhism,

                society of lay Buddhist, publishing of Buddhist books, education of Buddhism.