Abstract:
The abbot in temples in the Song and Yuan Dynasties was the practitioner of promoting Buddhism, carrying out Buddhist missions and carrying forward Buddhist traditions, and the token of Buddhist doctrine, which made him the heaven eye in the world. The abbots were made executive leader of Buddhist temples because of their symbolic meaning of Buddhist doctrine. Thus it follows that, for the abbot as the highest administrator of the temple, the change of his place and the increase of his power was associated with his initial symbolic meaning. Meanwhile, the Fangzhang, a special resident room the abbot enjoyed just by himself, was included in the temple and became the abbot’s special resident place, which also went through a process of evolution.
