Mapping Buddhist Temples in Ming Dynasty Hangzhou: A Regional Study of the Buddhist Monastic Gazetteer Wulin Fanzhi

Abstract

This dissertation, “Mapping Buddhist Temples in Ming Dynasty Hangzhou: A Regional Study of the Buddhist Monastic Gazetteer Wulin Fanzhi,” adopts a regional approach to investigate Buddhism and the society in Ming dynasty Hangzhou 杭州. Drawing from Buddhist temple records from the Monastic Gazetteer of Hangzhou (Wulin Fanzhi 武林梵志), a marginalized monastic gazetteer detailing all 465 Buddhist temples in Hangzhou, this study contributes to three major academic inquires in East Asian studies: 1) the evolution of a centralized imperial authority that grew from China proper to encompass Greater China, illustrating state-building process; 2) the rise of regional influence, anchored in the gentry society, which spurred extensive intellectual dialogues across Asia; and 3) the emerging literary contributions from previously overlooked grassroots communities, crucial in revitalizing Buddhism. By arguing the significance of the Wulin Fanzhi, I suggest a new approach to study Buddhism and the society via examining textual records of Buddhist temples collectively, challenging the current atomistic study of individual temples. I employ three methodologies to foster this approach: 1) history, analyzing religious, sociopolitical, and intellectual history in Buddhist temple records; 2) regional studies, cross-referencing both descriptive and prescriptive sources in the place of Hangzhou; and 3) digital humanities, using text-mining for the systematic organization of the Wulin Fanzhi and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for imparting a spatial perspective, revealing new micro-historical insights.