Shandao’s Xingfu 興福 (Buddhist Welfare): On the Relationship with Jiangjing 講経 (Lecture on Scriptures)

Abstract

Shandao engaged in many works to promote social welfare. This mainly involved building temples, creating Buddha statues and paintings, and copying scriptures. How did he raise the money?

In China the Amituo jing is called the “Four sheets of scripture”, and therefore it would have required 400,000 pieces of paper to produce 100,000 copies of the scripture. In addition, it seems that Pure Land Paintings (maṇḍala) were produced by top-class painters from Central Asia. Building and repairing temples must also have required enormous funds.

Where did Shandao raise funds to conduct Buddhist welfare? We can understand the answer by knowing the situation of Buddhism in Chang’an at that time. In short, Shandao performed many rituals such as lecturing on scriptures, preaching, offering servies of requiem and worship, and it seems that he practiced many social welfare activities by using the money received by these rituals.