草堂寺的由来、方位与禅派考

A Investigation on the Origin,Direction and Zen Sect of Caotang Temple

草堂寺的前身为竺法护翻译佛经的长安白马寺,是当时长安地区最大的寺庙,也是中国大规模翻译佛经的第一个寺庙。长安白马寺因地位特殊,北朝时期被称为大寺,位于长安青门即东门内。逍遥园位于长安城北,逍遥园与大寺并不在一处。户县的草堂寺应为鸠摩罗什后人在唐代早期建立。从五代到明末,于草堂寺弘法的居进禅派属于曹洞宗,而非通常认为的临济宗。

The predecessor of the Caotang Temple was Chang’an Baima Temple,where Zhu Fahu translated Buddhist Sutras.It was the largest temple in Chang’an and the first temple to translate Buddhist Sutras on a large scale in China.Because of its special status,Baima Temple in Chang’an was called Big Temple in the Northern Dynasties.It was located in the east gate of Chang’an.The Xiaoyao Park was located in the north of Chang’an,and was not at the same place with the Big Temple.Caotang Temple in Huxian County should be built in early Tang Dynasty by descendants of Kumarajiva.The zen group of Jujin,lived in Caotang Temple from the Five Dynasties to the end of the Ming Dynasty,belongs to Caodong sect,not Linji sect as commonly believed.