On the Practical Philosophy of the Nuns’ Buddhist Academy at Mount Wutai Through “One-Week Intensive Buddha Retreats”
Religions October 3, 2025 Y. Li, Yi Zhang, Jing Wang
The educational philosophy of the Nuns’ Buddhist Academy at Pushou Monastery on Mount Wutai centers on “Hua Yan as the foundation, precepts as the practice, and Pure Land as the destination,” drawing on the Avatamsaka Sūtra and the Amitābha Sūtra. This approach translates scriptural teachings into daily practice, embodying “the non-obstruction of principle and phenomenon” and enabling experiential understanding of spiritual realms. The paper argues that Pure Land practice is living and should be studied comprehensively—through textual analysis, sociological methods, and attention to its spiritual dimension—to reveal its contemporary relevance.