傳承
─從中華佛學研究所到法鼓佛教學院

法鼓佛教學院校長
惠敏法師





當代佛教界辦學的軌跡

  我國之現代化大學教育是從滿清政府所設立的「京師大學堂」(1912年,民國成立改名為北京大學)於1910年招收第一批大學本科生開始。在1920年以前,中國的大學教育大都以民辦大學(例如︰東吳大學、齊魯大學、聖約翰大學等)為主。根據統計,當時80%以上的大學生就讀於基督教會大學。

  1920年以後,公立大學(例如︰東南大學、交通大學、廣東大學、清華大學等)陸續設立,其影響力也逐漸增加。1929年,政府頒布大學組織法與大學規程,要求民辦大學納入管轄,私立大學設立的條件受到規範。所以,當時佛教界辦大學的因緣很難具備。

  1949年,政府遷到台灣後,對於過去所發生的「學潮」有慘痛經驗,政策上更加管制私立大學之設立。1974年,政府制定私立學校法,規定所有私立大學均須登記為財團法人。70年代的台灣經過石油危機的考驗,產業界對於高級技術人才需求迫切,長達13年之久的停止私人興學申請的教育政策,自1985年起再度開放,但只限工學院、醫學院或技術學院。

  於是,佛教界設立了「華梵工學院」(1990年招生;1997年改名為「華梵大學」)、「慈濟醫學院」(1994年招生;2000年改名為「慈濟大學」)。之後,政府再開放設立私立「人文社會學院」,於是有「南華管理學院」(1996年招生;1999年改名為「南華大學」)、「玄奘人文社會學院」(1997年招生;2004年改名為「玄奘大學」)之開辦,與1998年之「法鼓人文社會學院」核准籌設,以及「佛光人文社會學院」(2000年招生;2006年改名為「佛光大學」)之成立。佛教興辦大學的風氣蓬勃發展。


宗教研修學院

  近數十年來,臺灣約有一百三十多所由內政部許可立案招生的佛學院、神學院、基督書院、一貫道書院等宗教教育機構,但未能納入教育部體系之規範,學歷也未能獲教育部認可。此外,如教育部立案的「中華佛學研究所」也無法授予研究生教育部認可之學位。如此,對我國的宗教教育之發展,造成諸多障礙。


從創辦人、榮譽所長的手中接下校長印信。
The First Principe of DDBC.



  所幸,於2000年底,教育部召開宗教教育相關事宜會議,考慮有條件將神佛學院等宗教研修機構納入高等教育體系。於2004年3月,立法院三讀通過修正「私立學校法」第九條,有別於以多元宗教學術研究為目的之宗教學院或系所,例如︰目前已有的九所相關宗教系所:輔仁大學(1988)、真理大學(1996)、玄奘大學(1997)、政治大學(1999)、南華大學(2000)、慈濟大學(2000)、中原大學(2000)、東海大學(2001)、佛光大學(2001),允許私立大學或宗教法人設立單一宗教的「宗教研修學院」,授予宗教學位,以培養神職人員及宗教人才,並且開放學生參加宗教儀式,以作為開設「修行」學分科目的依據。於是,臺灣之單一宗教的宗教教育有了嶄新的可能性,可以將學術「研究」與實踐「修行」結合。


法鼓佛教研修學院、
法鼓佛教學院


  於2006年,中華佛學研究所以25年辦學經驗為基礎,結盟國外15所知名院校之國際化績效,培養十多位畢業生在國際名校取得博士學位的成果,全國第一所向教育部申請成立獨立的單一宗教研修學院,名為「法鼓佛教研修學院」。之後,依據教育部於民國96年(2008年)三月召開研訂「宗教研修學院設立辦法草案」會議決議:宗教研修學院及其系、所、學位學程,均應冠以該學院所屬宗教慣用之名稱,不硬性規定冠以「研修」之文字。因此,本校為便於國際交流與簡明校名,報請教育部自97學年度起(8月1 日)核可,更名為「法鼓佛教學院」。

  在學術研究方面,以過去已具備之「印度佛學組」、「中國佛學組」、「西藏佛學組」師資陣容,融合漢傳、南傳,與藏傳佛教之精華,開創佛教研修之新紀元。並且將原有的佛學資訊學程擴大為「佛學資訊組」,以培養佛學數位典藏與知識管理系統人才。同時重視梵、巴、藏之佛典語文的訓練,及加強英、日語之學習,建立「佛典翻譯學程」。

  在實踐修行方面,可融合法鼓山僧伽大學佛學院與僧團之朝暮課誦、禪坐或定期共修為平常定課,以養成修行習慣。同時,結合法鼓山世界佛教教育園區之教學資源,進行禪修、儀軌、弘化等各類行門的理論探討與歷史演變之考察,以及實踐修行指標之建立,醞釀研究與修行並重的學風,傳統與創新相融的發展。

  未來,「法鼓佛教學院」也可與籌設中的「法鼓人文社會學院」搭配,建構佛法與世學兼備的教學環境,讓學生們可互相作跨校選擇輔修學系與雙主修學系,以培養具有科際整合能力之佛教研修人才,造就具有宗教情懷之社會服務人才。

(本文依曾刊登於2007年2月《人生》雜誌No. 282之拙文〈從「中華佛學研究所」到「法鼓佛教研修學院」〉而修訂)







From the CHIBS to DDBC

Venerable Huimin

Development of Contemporary
Buddhist Academic Education



Modern college education in our country originated from the Jing Shi Da Xue Tang (Imperial Capital Academy) established in the Qing dynasty (renamed as Peking University in 1912, when the Republic of China formed), which started to recruit students in 1910. Before the year 1920, college education in China was mostly conducted by private individuals or organizations, such as Soochow University, Cheeloo University, and St. John’s University. The statistics showed that more than 80% of the college students of the time went to universities run by Christian missionaries.

Since 1920, public universities, such as Southeast University, Chiao-Tung University, Guangdong University, Ching-Hwa University, were established one after another and became increasingly influential to society. In 1929, the government stipulated the University Acts, putting privately run universities under government supervision. Due to the rules and regulations governing the establishment of private universities, it was rather hard for Buddhist groups to organize university education.

When the Nationalist government moved to Taiwan in 1949, it decided to tighten its policy governing the establishment of private universities due to its unpleasant experience in dealing with student movements in the past. In 1974, the government promulgated the Private School Acts, stipulating that all private universities be registered as non-profit foundations. In the 1970s, Taiwan experienced the oil crisis and industries were in desperate need of skilled professionals. In 1985, the educational policy which had lasted for 13 years preventing the establishment of private universities was finally lifted, but it was only limited for colleges of engineering, medical schools, and polytechnical institutes.

With that, the Buddhist groups established the Huafan College of Engineering, which started recruiting students in 1990 and was re-instituted as the Huafan University in 1997, as well as the Tzuchi Medical School, which started recruiting students in 1994 and was re-instituted as the Tzuchi University in 2000. After that, the government gave further permission for the establishment of private colleges of humanities and social science. This made possible the establishment of the Nanhua College of Management, which started recruiting students in 1996 and was re-instituted as Nanhua University in 1999; and the establishment of Hsuan Chuang College of Humanities and Social Science, which started recruiting students in 1997 and was re-instituted as Hsuan Chuang University. The Dharma Drum College of Humanities and Social Science was also founded in 1998, as well as the establishment of Foguang College of Humanities and Social Science, which started recruiting students in 2000 and was re-instituted as Foguang University in 2006. It was then that it became increasingly common for Buddhist groups to conduct and organize college education.


詼諧、平易近人的校長。
Ven. Huimin and Loden Lama.



Religious Colleges

For the last few decades in Taiwan, there have been more than 130 Buddhist seminaries, theological seminaries, Christian colleges, and Yiguandao seminaries registered at the Ministry of Interior as religious-education institutes, which, however, were never incorporated under the Ministry of Education (MOE). Moreover, the Ministry did not formally recognize the academic degrees issued by these institutes, including those issued by the Chung-Hwa Institute of Buddhist Studies, despite its registration with the MOE. This hindered the development of religious education in our country.

Fortunately, toward the end of 2000, the MOE held meetings regarding religious education, and decided to consider incorporating religious institutes into higher education system on conditional terms. In March 2004, the Legislative Yuan passed the amendment to Article 9 of the Private School Acts, to differentiate general colleges and departments of religious studies from private universities and religious corporate bodies that seek to establish mono-religious colleges to provide religious degrees to nurture future clerics and religious talent. Students would be able to attend religious rituals and receive course credits for programs designed to cultivate one’s practice. Thus, mono-religious education in Taiwan was given an opportunity to combine academic research with the cultivation of practice. Currently, there are nine such graduate institutes and academic departments of religious studies, established respectively by Fu Jen Catholic University (in 1988), Aletheia University (in 1996), Hsuan Chuang University (in 1997), National Chengchi University (in 1999), Nanhua University (2000), Tzuchi University (in 2000), Chung Yuan Christian University (in 2000), Tunghai University (in 2001), and Foguang University (in 2001).


2008 年電子佛典協會十週年會議。
CHIBS - EKAI - CBETA Conference 2008.



From Dharma Drum College of Buddhist Studies to Dharma Drum Buddhist College

CHIBS enjoys an outstanding reputation based on its 25 years of experience in academic education, affiliation with 15 renowned foreign universities, and its dozen graduates who have been awarded doctoral degrees from international graduate schools. In 2006, CHIBS became the first institute in Taiwan to receive permission from MOE to establish a mono-religious college, which was then named Dharma Drum College of Buddhist Studies. Later, according to a resolution by the MOE in March 2008, which outlined procedures for religious colleges, it was decided that they may adopt traditional religious names without adding “studies” as part of the title. Therefore, in order to facilitate international exchange and shorten the school name, the Institute applied to the MOE to be renamed Dharma Drum Buddhist College. The application was approved on August 1, 2008.

With respect to academic research, the College has, with its existing faculty from programs in Indian, Chinese, and Tibetan Buddhism, integrated the essence of those traditions into its curriculum to create a new era for Buddhist study and practice. The College emphasizes the study of canonical Buddhist languages as well as English and Japanese, to facilitate the translation of Buddhist scriptures In addition, it has expanded the scale of its existing Buddhist information program, in order to foster talent in Buddhist digital archives and knowledge management systems..

With respect to cultivation and practice, the College establishes regular practice sessions. In order to develop the habit for practice, it offers morning and evening chantings, sitting meditation, and regular group practices traditionally adopted by Dharma Drum Sangha University and by the monastics of Dharma Drum Mountain. Moreover, the College can raise theoretical queries and conduct historical studies in Chan practice, Buddhist ceremonies and rituals, Dharma propagation, and can establish guidelines for spiritual cultivation and practice to help to create a learning climate that values both research and practice. This will foster a parallel development of tradition and innovation.

In the future, Dharma Drum Buddhist College will collaborate with the Dharma Drum College of Humanities and Social Science (now under development) to create an educational environment that facilitates the study Buddhist teachings and humanistic studies. Students at DDBC will be able to take courses at DDC, thereby nurturing Buddhist talent capable of academic research with religious motivation, to serve the needs of society.

(This article was adapted from my article in the Humanity Magazine, No. 282, issued in February 2007)





領略聖嚴師父的當頭棒喝。
Learning Wisdom through Tapping.