试说乡村社会与中国佛教寺院和僧人的互相影响

The Interaction between Chinese Rural Society and Buddhist Temple and Buddhist Monk

中国古代的乡村寺院之社会作用有别于那些在城市或"名山"中的寺院。鉴于在古代中国,农村人口占全国人口的绝大多数,乡村民众的信仰成了宗教在社会存在的基础,所以乡村寺院对佛教的社会作用至关重要。这些乡村寺院和当地社会互相影响,寺院作为地方民众的重要公共场所,促进了农村的文化经济、习俗信仰和慈善事业,地方社会则影响寺院的僧人和信众之素质、宗教形态,甚至寺院建筑。

The social role of rural temple in ancient China is different from that of the temple located in cit- ies or some famous mountains. The rural temple is of great significance to the social function of Buddhism, since in ancient China, the rural population accounted for the vast majority of the whole population and the belief of the rural populace laid the foundation for the presence of religion. Being the important public loca- tion of the local populace, the temple improved the culture, economy, custom and faith, and charity of cou- ntryside. The local society had impact on the quality of monks and believers, also on the religious form and even on the temple buildings.