宋代福建の社會と寺院

Abstract

Fuchien was a centre of Buddhism under Sung along with Chechiang and Chiangsu. It was called a "Buddhist country." There the temples possessed one-forth of the cultivated land, and in Changchou the Six-seventh of the land was in their possession, while the number of the temples amounted to 0.5 per cent of the total number of households in that province. A larger part of the temple land was utilized for the cause of public welfare; extraordinary provincial expenditures depended upon the revenue from the temple possessions and the public constructions such as schools, bridges, dams and so on were also paid from it, while the priests were in charge of constructing and maintaining the public works. The temple-owned land played an important economic and financial role in Fuchien under Sung. The Government, the clergy and the people made efforts to make use of the temple properties, but they lost sight of the true cause of the Buddhist religion. Consequently, in the passage of time the temples and even Buddhism itself declined.