上天竺講寺位於浙江杭州西湖天竺山，天竺分上、中、下三山，上天竺山位於武林羣山中，為佛教勝地。上天竺講寺肇建於後晉天福四年（九三九），時僧道翊得奇木，刻大士像，僧勳持古佛舍利納之頂間。吳越錢忠懿王即地建「天竺看經院」；宋嘉祐中，改「靈感觀音院」。靖康初，屬金難，僧道元秘聖佛於井，兵退歸像院中；理宗書「廣大靈感觀音教寺」；元至元五年（一二六八）改「天竺教寺」；明成化間重修；清康熙五年（一六六六）因燬重建，三十八年（一六九九）聖祖南巡，書「法雨慈雲」匾額，賜撰「天竺寺碑文」；乾隆十六年（一七五一）御題「法喜寺」匾額，故俗稱為法喜寺。咸豐十一年（一八六一）寺燬於兵；同治三年（一八六四）寺復舊觀。寺志舊有李金庭志，以附會舛訛，甚至僞撰明太祖〈竺隱說〉一篇以炫俗。崇禎年間寺僧照本乃囑釋廣賓為撰新志。廣賓曾撰「西天目祖山志」、「潛陽梵剎考」等書。此志凡五易寒暑始脫稿，彙成十五卷，分門為八：普門示現品，尊宿住持品、道場規製品、器界莊嚴品、帝王檀樾品、宰官外護品、風範隆汚品、詩文紀述品。〈普門示現品〉收功德、靈異、悲仰贊、感應頌、喜雨詠、請牒、祈謝、感應等文。〈尊宿住持品〉收題名、高僧列傳、教觀、清規、示眾等。〈道場規製品〉錄建置、塔墓、碑記。〈器界莊嚴品〉則載形勝、遊記、物產、施田等。〈帝王檀越品〉錄勅命、御製等。〈宰官外護品〉載師友、信施、著作、旌舉等。〈風範隆汚品〉則備書寺僧品行。〈詩文紀述品〉則摘錄歷代文士有關本寺之詩文。是志曾得古菴居士校訂，流通不廣，光緒二十三年（一八九七）錢塘嘉惠堂丁丙覓得舊本，乃為之重刋。兹據丁氏重刋本景印。
Shang Tianzhu Lecture Temple is located at Tianzhu Mountain by West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. Tianzhu consists of three peaks—upper, middle, and lower—and the upper peak lies among the Wulin mountain range, a renowned Buddhist site. The temple was first established in 939 CE (the fourth year of the Later Jin Tianfu era). At that time, the monk Daoyi discovered an extraordinary piece of wood and carved an image of the Great Being (Guanyin), while the monk Xun placed an ancient Buddha relic within its crown. King Qian Zhongyi of Wuyue built the "Tianzhu Sutra-Viewing Monastery" on the site. During the Jiayou era of the Song dynasty (1056–1063), it was renamed the "Linggan Guanyin Monastery." At the beginning of the Jingkang era (1126), amid the Jin invasion, the monk Daoyuan hid the sacred image in a well; after the troops withdrew, it was returned to the monastery. Emperor Lizong inscribed the name "Guangda Linggan Guanyin Teaching Temple." In 1268 (the fifth year of the Yuan Zhiyuan era), it was renamed "Tianzhu Teaching Temple." It was renovated during the Ming Chenghua period (1465–1487). In 1666 (the fifth year of the Qing Kangxi era), it was destroyed and rebuilt; in 1699 (the thirty-eighth year of Kangxi), the emperor toured the south, wrote the plaque "Dharma Rain and Compassionate Clouds," and composed the "Tianzhu Temple Stele Inscription." In 1751 (the sixteenth year of the Qianlong era), the emperor personally inscribed the plaque "Dharma Joy Temple," so it is commonly called Fajia Temple. In 1861 (the eleventh year of the Xianfeng era), the temple was destroyed by war; in 1864 (the third year of the Tongzhi era), it was restored to its former state.
The temple’s gazetteer previously included Li Jinting's work, but it contained forced interpretations and errors, even falsely attributing the "Zhuyin Theory" to Emperor Taizu of the Ming dynasty to impress the public. In the Chongzhen era (1628–1644), the temple monk Zhaoben commissioned the monk Guangbin to compile a new gazetteer. Guangbin had previously written works such as "Annals of West Tianmu Ancestral Mountain" and "Record of Qianyin Buddhist Temples." This gazetteer took five years to complete, comprising fifteen volumes divided into eight sections: the Manifestation of Universal Gate, the Records of Eminent Abbots, the Regulations of the Monastery, the Adornment of the Material World, the Imperial Patrons, the Official Protectors, the Rise and Decline of Virtue, and the Literary and Poetic Records. The Manifestation of Universal Gate section includes texts on merits, miracles, hymns of compassion, responses to prayers, songs of rain, petitions, prayers of gratitude, and responses. The Records of Eminent Abbots section contains name lists, biographies of eminent monks, teachings, monastic rules, and instructions to the community. The Regulations of the Monastery section records construction projects, stupas and tombs, and inscriptions. The Adornment of the Material World section covers scenic wonders, travelogues, products, and land donations. The Imperial Patrons section includes imperial decrees and emperor-authored works. The Official Protectors section contains records of teachers, friends, charitable donations, writings, and commendations. The Rise and Decline of Virtue section details the moral conduct of the temple’s monks. The Literary and Poetic Records section excerpts poems and writings by literati from various dynasties related to the temple.
This gazetteer was once edited by the layman Gu'an and had limited circulation. In 1897 (the twenty-third year of the Guangxu era), Ding Bing of Qiantang Jiahuì Hall found an old copy and reprinted it. This edition is based on Ding’s reprint.