馬來西亞佛教=Buddhism in Malaysia; 鏡盦法師=Reverend Jin An; 八打靈觀音亭=Petaling Guan Yin Temple; 水陸大法會=Great Compassion Liberation Rite of Water and Land; 《慈悲》=Buddha Mgazine
By studying the biography of Reverend Jin An, the purpose of this paper is to elaborate the transformation and rooting of Buddhism in Malaya and later Malaysia. The paper is dealing with his interactions with prominent leaders. Their interactions that were based either mutual concern or common faith, proved to be beneficial for the development of Buddhism and the enhancing of the image of Buddhism. The same interactions however, also invited much criticisms. Rev Jin An first arrived in Malaya in 1947. Five years later, he established the first Buddhist temple in Petaling Jaya, the new Satellite City of the national capital of Kuala Lumpur. He devoted himself to public welfare charity, cultural and educational activities including the awarding of scholarships without any distinction of race or religion. He created history in Kuala Lumpur by holding the "Great Compassion Liberation Rite of Water and Land," the magnificent Buddhist ritual. Apart from that, he founded the first temple-based public Chinese library and started the "Buddha Magazine." While spreading Chinese Buddhism, the Reverend Jin An also simultaneously endeavored for the localization of the religion. This paper focuses on Reverend Jin An's inheritance of this version of Chinese-generally referred to as Chinese Buddhism, not to a specific sect, emphasizing on the spirit of localization. This study will employ a variety of sources, including official records, publications, epigraphical materials, newspapers and interviews. The different sources will help in piecing together the life of Reverend Jin An, and his devotees, providing a view of the development of Buddhism as well as the Chinese society of Malaysia.
