处,当时的咨议参军陈永华为之取名曰梦蝶园,该处也住有
僧侣。岁月移至康熙二十三年第一任台湾知府蒋毓英的时代
,该处僧侣以陶瓦易茅草,整修梦蝶园,并塑准提观音供养
,遂易名为准提庵。到了四十七年,凤山知县宋永清将准提
庵加以整修,易名为法华寺,于中堂供奉观音大士,并于两
旁增建僧房。又于中堂前建前殿以祀火神,此殿后左右方则
有钟鼓二楼,在此钟鼓楼之后,则有一茅亭为「息机」,是
宋知县公务之暇养心之处。六十年因地震,法华寺中堂坍塌
,廊庑倾颓,其时住僧伯夫师、心觉师、心慧师等加以修葺
,费时十余年,于乾隆八年,终将前后二堂修竣,并新塑佛
像,扩大其规模,将两廊作为休憩所。二十九年,蒋允焄知
府重修火神庙;三十年利用其原有的地形之便,开浚一南湖
,也叫半月池;且在此湖中,立一半月楼;东西岸有眺台、
八卦亭、福德祠,且有桥梁连之,使此湖能通往来,达蓄泄
功能,并为名胜之区。逢岁时节庆,与部属、民众、浮小艇
,觞咏其中,寄情于山光水色之中,达一时忘我之境。并为
疏解崇文书院斋舍的陜隘,以展拓士子的性灵,于此湖傍构
学舍数座,别建讲堂于法华寺左畔,此南湖书院之规模。但
此书院因建物结构不良,士子身体常出状况,故于嘉庆年间
废止。而此南湖也因泥沙淤积,于同治年间终成放生池、水
田。如此物换星移,沧海桑田,验证佛言︰诸行无常之余,
也说明了该处人口、环境变化的情况。 到了民国 6 年,月
眉山派的善慧、善性、善昌三师相继住锡,故法华寺成为月
眉派的寺宇。此三师且为游学鼓山涌泉寺的僧侣,均承传临
济正宗。
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313 页
Early History of Buddhism in Taiwan
Ven. Hui-Yen
Associate Researcher,?
Chung-hwa Institute of Buddhist Studies
Summary
Those who were born and grew up in Taiwan
should understand the history of the land.This is
already the consensus of most people living in
Taiwan. From this, the author thinks that as a
Taiwanese Buddhist she has the need to understand
the history of Buddhism in Taiwan. Based on this
recognition, the author tries to write "The
History of Buddhism in Taiwan."
First, the author chooses the Buddhism in Ming
and Ch'ing Dynasties as the field of research.This
is an investigation of the Buddhism in Taiwan from
longitudinal side, i.e. the process of time. The
other field of research is the Buddhism in the
area south to Yantze River and Fuchien. This is a
look on the Buddhism in Taiwan on the horizontal
side, i.e. the area. In this way one may understand
the Buddhism in Taiwan which has a history of 400
years.This paper first intruduces the
classification of the period of history by