Ute Hüsken and Petra Kieffer-Pülz
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199812295
- eISBN:
- 9780199919390
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199812295.003.0013
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Currently the Chinese Dharmaguptaka tradition is the only living Buddhist tradition in which women can undergo full ordination. Yet, within the two other two surviving monastic Buddhist traditions ...
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Currently the Chinese Dharmaguptaka tradition is the only living Buddhist tradition in which women can undergo full ordination. Yet, within the two other two surviving monastic Buddhist traditions (Theravāda for South‐East Asia and Mūlasarvastivāda for Tibet) attempts are being made to (re‐)establish a nuns’ order. This chapter deals with the actual process in the Tibetan tradition. After several years of discussions between traditional Tibetan monks, the Buddhist women’s association “Sakyadhita”, proponents of the recent movement called “Engaged Buddhism”, and others, in July 2008 not only Buddhist practitioners but also scholars of diverse Buddhist traditions were invited to a conference in Hamburg, to formulate and publicly express their perspectives on the question of whether, and if so how, a tradition of Tibetan Buddhist nuns can be established. While the main question to be negotiated was the actual procedure of the ordination ceremonies, “behind the screen” there were many more issues at stake. The chapter describes and analyzes the process of public negotiations and negotiations behind the screen between the diverse individuals and interest groups, all with their own agenda, with respect to the roles attributed to “authority” and “authenticity”, and to ritual practice. One main focus of the chapter is the question of how interpreting Buddhist monastic rules either as “ritual” or as “law” affects the scope of interpretation of the procedures.Less
Currently the Chinese Dharmaguptaka tradition is the only living Buddhist tradition in which women can undergo full ordination. Yet, within the two other two surviving monastic Buddhist traditions (Theravāda for South‐East Asia and Mūlasarvastivāda for Tibet) attempts are being made to (re‐)establish a nuns’ order. This chapter deals with the actual process in the Tibetan tradition. After several years of discussions between traditional Tibetan monks, the Buddhist women’s association “Sakyadhita”, proponents of the recent movement called “Engaged Buddhism”, and others, in July 2008 not only Buddhist practitioners but also scholars of diverse Buddhist traditions were invited to a conference in Hamburg, to formulate and publicly express their perspectives on the question of whether, and if so how, a tradition of Tibetan Buddhist nuns can be established. While the main question to be negotiated was the actual procedure of the ordination ceremonies, “behind the screen” there were many more issues at stake. The chapter describes and analyzes the process of public negotiations and negotiations behind the screen between the diverse individuals and interest groups, all with their own agenda, with respect to the roles attributed to “authority” and “authenticity”, and to ritual practice. One main focus of the chapter is the question of how interpreting Buddhist monastic rules either as “ritual” or as “law” affects the scope of interpretation of the procedures.
Shayne Clarke
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824836474
- eISBN:
- 9780824870966
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824836474.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This book studies Buddhist monks and nuns and their continued familial relationships by drawing on monastic law codes, or vinaya. As an introduction, this chapter discusses the family as it relates ...
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This book studies Buddhist monks and nuns and their continued familial relationships by drawing on monastic law codes, or vinaya. As an introduction, this chapter discusses the family as it relates to the study of Indian Buddhist monasticisms. It first considers what we know about the Buddha's family before turning to an important example from some of the earliest known strata of Buddhist literature: the Rhinoceros Horn Sūtra. It then examines V. Fausböll's claim that there are two Buddhisms: a pure or original form of Buddhism as exemplified by the Rhinoceros Horn ideal, and a later, presumably degenerate, monastic form. It also explores conflicting vsions of the ideal monk, Indian monastic law codes and concludes by providing a preview of the chapters contained in the book and explaining the scope of the study.Less
This book studies Buddhist monks and nuns and their continued familial relationships by drawing on monastic law codes, or vinaya. As an introduction, this chapter discusses the family as it relates to the study of Indian Buddhist monasticisms. It first considers what we know about the Buddha's family before turning to an important example from some of the earliest known strata of Buddhist literature: the Rhinoceros Horn Sūtra. It then examines V. Fausböll's claim that there are two Buddhisms: a pure or original form of Buddhism as exemplified by the Rhinoceros Horn ideal, and a later, presumably degenerate, monastic form. It also explores conflicting vsions of the ideal monk, Indian monastic law codes and concludes by providing a preview of the chapters contained in the book and explaining the scope of the study.
Chün-Fang Yü
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824836580
- eISBN:
- 9780824871086
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824836580.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This book examines the spiritual lives of Buddhist nuns at the Incense Light community in contemporary Taiwan. Taiwanese nuns today are highly educated and greatly outnumber monks, characteristics ...
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This book examines the spiritual lives of Buddhist nuns at the Incense Light community in contemporary Taiwan. Taiwanese nuns today are highly educated and greatly outnumber monks, characteristics unprecedented in the history of Chinese Buddhism. This book explores how and why a young woman becomes attracted to Buddhism and decides to become a nun; what kind of training she receives at a seminary once she joins the sangha; what kind of work she does upon graduation; and what sorts of problems and setbacks she experiences. By answering these questions, we can get a sense of the bigger picture of Buddhism in Taiwanese society. This introduction discusses the history of Buddhist nuns in China; the text The Lives of Nuns (Biqiuni zhuan), written by the monk Baochang, and its profiles of nuns; updates to The Lives of Nuns; and accounts of nuns in literature.Less
This book examines the spiritual lives of Buddhist nuns at the Incense Light community in contemporary Taiwan. Taiwanese nuns today are highly educated and greatly outnumber monks, characteristics unprecedented in the history of Chinese Buddhism. This book explores how and why a young woman becomes attracted to Buddhism and decides to become a nun; what kind of training she receives at a seminary once she joins the sangha; what kind of work she does upon graduation; and what sorts of problems and setbacks she experiences. By answering these questions, we can get a sense of the bigger picture of Buddhism in Taiwanese society. This introduction discusses the history of Buddhist nuns in China; the text The Lives of Nuns (Biqiuni zhuan), written by the monk Baochang, and its profiles of nuns; updates to The Lives of Nuns; and accounts of nuns in literature.
Chün-fang Yü
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824836580
- eISBN:
- 9780824871086
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824836580.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
The term “revival” has been used to describe the resurgent vitality of Buddhism in Taiwan. Particularly impressive is the quality and size of the nun's order: Taiwanese nuns today are highly educated ...
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The term “revival” has been used to describe the resurgent vitality of Buddhism in Taiwan. Particularly impressive is the quality and size of the nun's order: Taiwanese nuns today are highly educated and greatly outnumber monks. Both characteristics are unprecedented in the history of Chinese Buddhism and are evident in the Incense Light community (Xiangguang). This book is the first in-depth case study of the community, which was founded in 1974 and remains a small but influential order of highly educated nuns who dedicate themselves to teaching Buddhism to lay adults. It begins with a historical survey of Buddhist nuns in China, followed by discussions on the early history of the Incense Light community; the life of Wuyin, one of its most prominent leaders; and the crucial role played by Buddhist studies societies on college campuses, where many nuns were first introduced to Incense Light. Later chapters look at the curriculum and innovative teaching methods at the Incense Light Buddhist Seminary and the nuns' efforts to teach Buddhism to adults. The book ends with portraits of individual nuns, providing details on their backgrounds, motivations for becoming nuns, and the problems or setbacks they have encountered both within and without the Incense Light community.Less
The term “revival” has been used to describe the resurgent vitality of Buddhism in Taiwan. Particularly impressive is the quality and size of the nun's order: Taiwanese nuns today are highly educated and greatly outnumber monks. Both characteristics are unprecedented in the history of Chinese Buddhism and are evident in the Incense Light community (Xiangguang). This book is the first in-depth case study of the community, which was founded in 1974 and remains a small but influential order of highly educated nuns who dedicate themselves to teaching Buddhism to lay adults. It begins with a historical survey of Buddhist nuns in China, followed by discussions on the early history of the Incense Light community; the life of Wuyin, one of its most prominent leaders; and the crucial role played by Buddhist studies societies on college campuses, where many nuns were first introduced to Incense Light. Later chapters look at the curriculum and innovative teaching methods at the Incense Light Buddhist Seminary and the nuns' efforts to teach Buddhism to adults. The book ends with portraits of individual nuns, providing details on their backgrounds, motivations for becoming nuns, and the problems or setbacks they have encountered both within and without the Incense Light community.
Shayne Clarke
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824836474
- eISBN:
- 9780824870966
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824836474.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This chapter describes a number of early Indian inscriptions which mention Buddhist monks, nuns, and laymen in terms of familial relationships. These inscriptions could be explained away as records ...
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This chapter describes a number of early Indian inscriptions which mention Buddhist monks, nuns, and laymen in terms of familial relationships. These inscriptions could be explained away as records of children who were abandoned and forsaken by their parents when the latter “left home for the religious life.” Extant Buddhist monastic law codes, however, preserve stories about men “leaving home” to become monks with their young children, and children who, after joining the monastery, still call their monk-fathers “Daddy.” There are also narratives of mothers and daughters who leave home for the religious life together. Such narratives raise questions of interpretation with regard to the phrase “to go forth from home into homelessness,” which lies at the very heart of our understanding of the nature of Buddhist renunciation. This chapter argues that the phrase is best understood figuratively rather than literally.Less
This chapter describes a number of early Indian inscriptions which mention Buddhist monks, nuns, and laymen in terms of familial relationships. These inscriptions could be explained away as records of children who were abandoned and forsaken by their parents when the latter “left home for the religious life.” Extant Buddhist monastic law codes, however, preserve stories about men “leaving home” to become monks with their young children, and children who, after joining the monastery, still call their monk-fathers “Daddy.” There are also narratives of mothers and daughters who leave home for the religious life together. Such narratives raise questions of interpretation with regard to the phrase “to go forth from home into homelessness,” which lies at the very heart of our understanding of the nature of Buddhist renunciation. This chapter argues that the phrase is best understood figuratively rather than literally.
Shayne Clarke
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824836474
- eISBN:
- 9780824870966
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824836474.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This chapter examines the status of Buddhist monks' “former” lay wives by drawing on Buddhist narratives. In some stories, monks' former wives are presented as hostile to their husbands; in others ...
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This chapter examines the status of Buddhist monks' “former” lay wives by drawing on Buddhist narratives. In some stories, monks' former wives are presented as hostile to their husbands; in others they are depicted as still very much attached to them. There are also accounts of Buddhist monks and nuns acting as go-betweens in arranging marriages for their own children. This chapter begins by considering monastic education concerning sex with one's wife and goes on to discuss the status of married men and women upon entering Buddhist monastic orders, along with that of married monastics beyond India. It also explores marital dissolution and divorce in the Indian context and shows that monks could continue to visit and interact with their “former” wives in full compliance not only with the letter but also with the spirit of the vinaya texts. Finally, it tells the story of Mahākāśyapa, who embodies ascetic values in Indian Buddhist monasticisms.Less
This chapter examines the status of Buddhist monks' “former” lay wives by drawing on Buddhist narratives. In some stories, monks' former wives are presented as hostile to their husbands; in others they are depicted as still very much attached to them. There are also accounts of Buddhist monks and nuns acting as go-betweens in arranging marriages for their own children. This chapter begins by considering monastic education concerning sex with one's wife and goes on to discuss the status of married men and women upon entering Buddhist monastic orders, along with that of married monastics beyond India. It also explores marital dissolution and divorce in the Indian context and shows that monks could continue to visit and interact with their “former” wives in full compliance not only with the letter but also with the spirit of the vinaya texts. Finally, it tells the story of Mahākāśyapa, who embodies ascetic values in Indian Buddhist monasticisms.
Shayne Clarke
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824836474
- eISBN:
- 9780824870966
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824836474.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This book has explored the familial and marital relationships of Buddhist monks and nuns in India, thus highlighting a scholarly misperception in the study of Indian Buddhism: that world renunciation ...
More
This book has explored the familial and marital relationships of Buddhist monks and nuns in India, thus highlighting a scholarly misperception in the study of Indian Buddhism: that world renunciation means severing all ties with kith and kin. Drawing on early epigraphical evidence, it has shown that Indian Buddhist monks and nuns who had left home for the religious life continued to be identified with their family members; monks also continued to interact and associate with their former wives. Finally, the book has shown that the authors/redactors of the vinayas seem to have negotiated a place within their religious institutions for monastic mothers. This concluding chapter examines issues surrounding family matters both presupposed and legislated by the authors/redactors of the extant monastic law codes and argues that family-friendly forms of monasticism may have been more common in India than previously assumed. It also discusses the ramifications of the book's findings for how we study Buddhist monastic life in comparative light, along with the utility of vinaya texts for the study of Indian Buddhist monasticisms.Less
This book has explored the familial and marital relationships of Buddhist monks and nuns in India, thus highlighting a scholarly misperception in the study of Indian Buddhism: that world renunciation means severing all ties with kith and kin. Drawing on early epigraphical evidence, it has shown that Indian Buddhist monks and nuns who had left home for the religious life continued to be identified with their family members; monks also continued to interact and associate with their former wives. Finally, the book has shown that the authors/redactors of the vinayas seem to have negotiated a place within their religious institutions for monastic mothers. This concluding chapter examines issues surrounding family matters both presupposed and legislated by the authors/redactors of the extant monastic law codes and argues that family-friendly forms of monasticism may have been more common in India than previously assumed. It also discusses the ramifications of the book's findings for how we study Buddhist monastic life in comparative light, along with the utility of vinaya texts for the study of Indian Buddhist monasticisms.
Chün-Fang Yü
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824836580
- eISBN:
- 9780824871086
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824836580.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This chapter focuses on the entrance exam and curriculum of the Incense Light Buddhist Seminary. In less than two months after Wuyin was installed as the abbess of Incense Light Temple on January 5, ...
More
This chapter focuses on the entrance exam and curriculum of the Incense Light Buddhist Seminary. In less than two months after Wuyin was installed as the abbess of Incense Light Temple on January 5, 1980, the Incense Light Buddhist Seminary admitted its first class. All nuns must attend five years of seminary, whether they have prior knowledge of Buddhism or not. Although the Buddhist nuns engage in various activities, their chief mission is education. This chapter first considers the challenges facing the monastic order in the Republican period before discussing the early history of modern Buddhist seminaries in Taiwan. It also assesses the challenges to success at the seminary by focusing on the experieces of two contemporary monks, Shengyan and Zhenhua. Finally, it compares the curriculum of Incense Light with that of other seminaries and offers a more detailed description of its courses under four categories: understanding, practice, daily living, and Dharma propagation.Less
This chapter focuses on the entrance exam and curriculum of the Incense Light Buddhist Seminary. In less than two months after Wuyin was installed as the abbess of Incense Light Temple on January 5, 1980, the Incense Light Buddhist Seminary admitted its first class. All nuns must attend five years of seminary, whether they have prior knowledge of Buddhism or not. Although the Buddhist nuns engage in various activities, their chief mission is education. This chapter first considers the challenges facing the monastic order in the Republican period before discussing the early history of modern Buddhist seminaries in Taiwan. It also assesses the challenges to success at the seminary by focusing on the experieces of two contemporary monks, Shengyan and Zhenhua. Finally, it compares the curriculum of Incense Light with that of other seminaries and offers a more detailed description of its courses under four categories: understanding, practice, daily living, and Dharma propagation.
Chün-Fang Yü
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824836580
- eISBN:
- 9780824871086
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824836580.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This chapter provides profiles of several Buddhist nuns of the Incense Light community, focusing on their family backgrounds, their motives for joining the sangha, their accomplishments and setbacks, ...
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This chapter provides profiles of several Buddhist nuns of the Incense Light community, focusing on their family backgrounds, their motives for joining the sangha, their accomplishments and setbacks, hopes and frustrations. They include Xinzhi, Wuyin, and Mingjia as well as nuns who contributed to the formation and development of Incense Light as a distinctive female monastic community. One of the nuns did not have any specific religious upbringing and did not know the difference between popular religion and Buddhism. Looking back on the changes the community had undergone since 1985, she felt the introduction of the Institute of Cultural Affairs teaching method, termed “conscious conversation,” was probably the most important. This was because it was used in both the seminary and the Buddhist adult classes.Less
This chapter provides profiles of several Buddhist nuns of the Incense Light community, focusing on their family backgrounds, their motives for joining the sangha, their accomplishments and setbacks, hopes and frustrations. They include Xinzhi, Wuyin, and Mingjia as well as nuns who contributed to the formation and development of Incense Light as a distinctive female monastic community. One of the nuns did not have any specific religious upbringing and did not know the difference between popular religion and Buddhism. Looking back on the changes the community had undergone since 1985, she felt the introduction of the Institute of Cultural Affairs teaching method, termed “conscious conversation,” was probably the most important. This was because it was used in both the seminary and the Buddhist adult classes.
Kim Iryŏp
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824838782
- eISBN:
- 9780824871468
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824838782.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This book presents Kim Iryŏp's Reflections of a Zen Buddhist Nun, titled in Korean Ŏnŭ sudoin ŭi hoesang (Memoir of a practitioner, published in 1960) in English. Iryŏp was a writer, new woman, and ...
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This book presents Kim Iryŏp's Reflections of a Zen Buddhist Nun, titled in Korean Ŏnŭ sudoin ŭi hoesang (Memoir of a practitioner, published in 1960) in English. Iryŏp was a writer, new woman, and Zen Buddhist nun whose life offers a glimpse of modern Korean society. Her life also reflects the encounter of two major religions: Christianity and Buddhism. This introduction provides a background on Iryŏp's life and thought. It first considers Iryŏp's role in the formation of the identity of the new women as a group in Korea before discussing her writings on women's issues, autobiographical essays, and religious essays. It then examines how Buddhism became one of the major themes of Iryŏp's writings. It also gives an overview of the chapters contained in Reflections of a Zen Buddhist Nun.Less
This book presents Kim Iryŏp's Reflections of a Zen Buddhist Nun, titled in Korean Ŏnŭ sudoin ŭi hoesang (Memoir of a practitioner, published in 1960) in English. Iryŏp was a writer, new woman, and Zen Buddhist nun whose life offers a glimpse of modern Korean society. Her life also reflects the encounter of two major religions: Christianity and Buddhism. This introduction provides a background on Iryŏp's life and thought. It first considers Iryŏp's role in the formation of the identity of the new women as a group in Korea before discussing her writings on women's issues, autobiographical essays, and religious essays. It then examines how Buddhism became one of the major themes of Iryŏp's writings. It also gives an overview of the chapters contained in Reflections of a Zen Buddhist Nun.
Ward Keeler
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780824865948
- eISBN:
- 9780824876944
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824865948.003.0010
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
Men’s superior status within Burmese society places women, nuns, and trans women in positions of subordinate status. Debate about women’s “relatively high standing” in Burmese society is best ...
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Men’s superior status within Burmese society places women, nuns, and trans women in positions of subordinate status. Debate about women’s “relatively high standing” in Burmese society is best resolved by considering the hierarchical understandings that make subordination appropriate rather than oppressive in the views of many Burmese women. Women’s subordination stems from and allows for their greater readiness to forge attachments. Nuns arouse ambivalent reactions because as religious their choosing autonomy makes sense but as women it does not. Trans women are disdained because they give up the greater prestige and autonomy their biological sex makes readily available to them. But they are tolerated because they respect gender categories and behave in accordance with their feminine, thus subordinate, status.Less
Men’s superior status within Burmese society places women, nuns, and trans women in positions of subordinate status. Debate about women’s “relatively high standing” in Burmese society is best resolved by considering the hierarchical understandings that make subordination appropriate rather than oppressive in the views of many Burmese women. Women’s subordination stems from and allows for their greater readiness to forge attachments. Nuns arouse ambivalent reactions because as religious their choosing autonomy makes sense but as women it does not. Trans women are disdained because they give up the greater prestige and autonomy their biological sex makes readily available to them. But they are tolerated because they respect gender categories and behave in accordance with their feminine, thus subordinate, status.
Chün-Fang Yü
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824836580
- eISBN:
- 9780824871086
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824836580.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This chapter focuses on the establishment of the Incense Light community under Wuyin. Incense Light Temple was originally a local temple with no Buddhist history. In colonial Taiwan, nuns were ...
More
This chapter focuses on the establishment of the Incense Light community under Wuyin. Incense Light Temple was originally a local temple with no Buddhist history. In colonial Taiwan, nuns were derisively called zhaigu (vegetarian hall auntie) or caigu (vegetarian auntie) by the common people. Today, Buddhist nuns in Taiwan consider these names unacceptable and insist on being called biqiuni. The origin of the former appellations has to do with the situation in Taiwan prior to 1949 when the Nationalist government arrived with a large exodus of monks from the mainland. Aside from Buddhism, Daoism, and popular religion, sectarian religions were also practiced in Taiwan during the period of Japanese occupation. This chapter first looks at Wuyin's formative experiences before discussing how she was introduced to Buddhism, her years at Yuantong Academy, her brief time in Hawai'i, and how she was installed as the abbess of Incense Light Temple.Less
This chapter focuses on the establishment of the Incense Light community under Wuyin. Incense Light Temple was originally a local temple with no Buddhist history. In colonial Taiwan, nuns were derisively called zhaigu (vegetarian hall auntie) or caigu (vegetarian auntie) by the common people. Today, Buddhist nuns in Taiwan consider these names unacceptable and insist on being called biqiuni. The origin of the former appellations has to do with the situation in Taiwan prior to 1949 when the Nationalist government arrived with a large exodus of monks from the mainland. Aside from Buddhism, Daoism, and popular religion, sectarian religions were also practiced in Taiwan during the period of Japanese occupation. This chapter first looks at Wuyin's formative experiences before discussing how she was introduced to Buddhism, her years at Yuantong Academy, her brief time in Hawai'i, and how she was installed as the abbess of Incense Light Temple.
Shayne Clarke
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824836474
- eISBN:
- 9780824870966
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824836474.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
Scholarly and popular consensus has painted a picture of Indian Buddhist monasticism in which monks and nuns severed all ties with their families when they left home for the religious life. They ...
More
Scholarly and popular consensus has painted a picture of Indian Buddhist monasticism in which monks and nuns severed all ties with their families when they left home for the religious life. They remained celibate, and those who faltered in their “vows” of monastic celibacy were immediately and irrevocably expelled from the Buddhist Order. This image is based largely on the ascetic rhetoric of texts such as the Rhinoceros Horn Sutra. Through a study of Indian Buddhist law codes (vinaya), this book dehorns the rhinoceros, revealing that in their own legal narratives, Indian Buddhist writers take for granted the fact that monks and nuns would remain in contact with their family members. This challenges some of the most basic scholarly notions of what it meant to be a Buddhist monk or nun in India around the turn of the Common Era. Not only do we see depictions of monks and nuns continuing to interact and associate with their families, but some are described as leaving home for the religious life with their children, and some as married monastic couples. The book argues that renunciation with or as a family is tightly woven into the very fabric of Indian Buddhist renunciation and monasticisms. Whereas scholars have often assumed that monastic Buddhism must be anti-familial, the book demonstrates that these assumptions were clearly not shared by the authors/redactors of Indian Buddhist monastic law codes.Less
Scholarly and popular consensus has painted a picture of Indian Buddhist monasticism in which monks and nuns severed all ties with their families when they left home for the religious life. They remained celibate, and those who faltered in their “vows” of monastic celibacy were immediately and irrevocably expelled from the Buddhist Order. This image is based largely on the ascetic rhetoric of texts such as the Rhinoceros Horn Sutra. Through a study of Indian Buddhist law codes (vinaya), this book dehorns the rhinoceros, revealing that in their own legal narratives, Indian Buddhist writers take for granted the fact that monks and nuns would remain in contact with their family members. This challenges some of the most basic scholarly notions of what it meant to be a Buddhist monk or nun in India around the turn of the Common Era. Not only do we see depictions of monks and nuns continuing to interact and associate with their families, but some are described as leaving home for the religious life with their children, and some as married monastic couples. The book argues that renunciation with or as a family is tightly woven into the very fabric of Indian Buddhist renunciation and monasticisms. Whereas scholars have often assumed that monastic Buddhism must be anti-familial, the book demonstrates that these assumptions were clearly not shared by the authors/redactors of Indian Buddhist monastic law codes.
Beata Grant
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824832025
- eISBN:
- 9780824871758
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824832025.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This chapter examines the descriptions and images of nuns found in the writings of seventeenth-century male monastics and Buddhist laymen. These representations reveal that nuns were far from ...
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This chapter examines the descriptions and images of nuns found in the writings of seventeenth-century male monastics and Buddhist laymen. These representations reveal that nuns were far from constituting an invisible presence in Chan Buddhist circles during this period; rather, they traveled and studied with some of the most eminent of the male Chan masters of the time, received Dharma transmission, and often left collections of their recorded discourses as well as their poetry, letters, and other writings. However, even if they were able to escape the restrictions of traditional feminine rules and regulations, they were still not freed of the responsibility to serve as exemplary women. Indeed, some male Buddhist monks lamented the public nature of many of these women’s activities.Less
This chapter examines the descriptions and images of nuns found in the writings of seventeenth-century male monastics and Buddhist laymen. These representations reveal that nuns were far from constituting an invisible presence in Chan Buddhist circles during this period; rather, they traveled and studied with some of the most eminent of the male Chan masters of the time, received Dharma transmission, and often left collections of their recorded discourses as well as their poetry, letters, and other writings. However, even if they were able to escape the restrictions of traditional feminine rules and regulations, they were still not freed of the responsibility to serve as exemplary women. Indeed, some male Buddhist monks lamented the public nature of many of these women’s activities.
Chün-Fang Yü
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824836580
- eISBN:
- 9780824871086
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824836580.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This chapter discusses the history of the Incense Light community and its headquarters, the Incense Light Temple (Xiangguang Si). Located in the village of Neipu in Zhuji County, Chiayi District, in ...
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This chapter discusses the history of the Incense Light community and its headquarters, the Incense Light Temple (Xiangguang Si). Located in the village of Neipu in Zhuji County, Chiayi District, in central Taiwan, Incense Light Temple literally emerged from a location where the local cult of Guanyin had existed for more than a hundred years. The architectural proximity of its headquarters and the local temple represents the conjuncture of two different religious traditions and orientations. The coexistence of the local cult and the Incense Light Temple has presented the Buddhist nuns with both a welcome opportunity and a perpetual challenge. This chapter describes the physical setting of Incense Light Temple and the key figures involved in its founding, including Xinzhi, Wuyin, and Mingjia.Less
This chapter discusses the history of the Incense Light community and its headquarters, the Incense Light Temple (Xiangguang Si). Located in the village of Neipu in Zhuji County, Chiayi District, in central Taiwan, Incense Light Temple literally emerged from a location where the local cult of Guanyin had existed for more than a hundred years. The architectural proximity of its headquarters and the local temple represents the conjuncture of two different religious traditions and orientations. The coexistence of the local cult and the Incense Light Temple has presented the Buddhist nuns with both a welcome opportunity and a perpetual challenge. This chapter describes the physical setting of Incense Light Temple and the key figures involved in its founding, including Xinzhi, Wuyin, and Mingjia.
Kim Iryŏp
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824838782
- eISBN:
- 9780824871468
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824838782.003.0014
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This chapter contains a letter of appreciation written by Yi Wŏlsong for Kim Iryŏp. Wŏlsong joined the monastery and became a disciple of Iryŏp. She remembers listening to Iryŏp's profound dharma ...
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This chapter contains a letter of appreciation written by Yi Wŏlsong for Kim Iryŏp. Wŏlsong joined the monastery and became a disciple of Iryŏp. She remembers listening to Iryŏp's profound dharma talks as she tried to teach her and make her realize the vanity of girlish sentimentality, including the tears that fall on the robe of a nun who has practiced Buddhism for more than a decade. Each dharma talk delivered by Master Iryŏp was the very words of the Buddha. Wŏlsong helped Iryŏp prepare a clean copy of her master's manuscript of Reflections of a Zen Buddhist Nun for publication.Less
This chapter contains a letter of appreciation written by Yi Wŏlsong for Kim Iryŏp. Wŏlsong joined the monastery and became a disciple of Iryŏp. She remembers listening to Iryŏp's profound dharma talks as she tried to teach her and make her realize the vanity of girlish sentimentality, including the tears that fall on the robe of a nun who has practiced Buddhism for more than a decade. Each dharma talk delivered by Master Iryŏp was the very words of the Buddha. Wŏlsong helped Iryŏp prepare a clean copy of her master's manuscript of Reflections of a Zen Buddhist Nun for publication.
G. G. Rowley
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231158541
- eISBN:
- 9780231530873
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231158541.003.0008
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
This chapter focuses on Nakanoin Nakako’s life as a Buddhist nun in the Hōji'in Imperial Convent during the seventeenth century. It begins by providing a few details about Nakako’s elder brother ...
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This chapter focuses on Nakanoin Nakako’s life as a Buddhist nun in the Hōji'in Imperial Convent during the seventeenth century. It begins by providing a few details about Nakako’s elder brother Nakanoin Michimura, who served as military liaison officer for the shogunate. It then considers Nakako’s decision to enter the Hōji'in, where she took vows and became a nun, adopting the religious name Rankei Shūhō, meaning “valley of orchids, all-pervading fragrance.” It also describes Nakako’s routine at the Hōji'in and concludes with an overview of the Hōji'in today.Less
This chapter focuses on Nakanoin Nakako’s life as a Buddhist nun in the Hōji'in Imperial Convent during the seventeenth century. It begins by providing a few details about Nakako’s elder brother Nakanoin Michimura, who served as military liaison officer for the shogunate. It then considers Nakako’s decision to enter the Hōji'in, where she took vows and became a nun, adopting the religious name Rankei Shūhō, meaning “valley of orchids, all-pervading fragrance.” It also describes Nakako’s routine at the Hōji'in and concludes with an overview of the Hōji'in today.
Chün-Fang Yü
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824836580
- eISBN:
- 9780824871086
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824836580.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This concluding chapter assesses the Incense Light community's present situation and offers projections about its future direction. Incense Light, like Taiwanese Buddhism in general, is undergoing ...
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This concluding chapter assesses the Incense Light community's present situation and offers projections about its future direction. Incense Light, like Taiwanese Buddhism in general, is undergoing constant changes. The community's rapid growth in the 1980s and early 1990s has slowed considerably in recent decades, as many more activities and clubs now compete for the attention of today's college students. Buddhist studies societies, which played such an important role in introducing college students to Buddhism, are having a much harder time attracting members. Incense Light's Buddhist nuns have not particularly focused on either the history or the unique characteristics of Chinese Buddhism, but have become open to learning from other Buddhist traditions, as evidenced by their interest in non-Chinese forms of meditation.Less
This concluding chapter assesses the Incense Light community's present situation and offers projections about its future direction. Incense Light, like Taiwanese Buddhism in general, is undergoing constant changes. The community's rapid growth in the 1980s and early 1990s has slowed considerably in recent decades, as many more activities and clubs now compete for the attention of today's college students. Buddhist studies societies, which played such an important role in introducing college students to Buddhism, are having a much harder time attracting members. Incense Light's Buddhist nuns have not particularly focused on either the history or the unique characteristics of Chinese Buddhism, but have become open to learning from other Buddhist traditions, as evidenced by their interest in non-Chinese forms of meditation.
Beata Grant
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824832025
- eISBN:
- 9780824871758
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824832025.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
The seventeenth century is generally acknowledged as one of the most politically tumultuous but culturally creative periods of late imperial Chinese history. Only recently beginning to be explored ...
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The seventeenth century is generally acknowledged as one of the most politically tumultuous but culturally creative periods of late imperial Chinese history. Only recently beginning to be explored are such seventeenth-century religious phenomena as “the reinvention” of Chan Buddhism—a concerted effort to revive what were believed to be the traditional teachings, texts, and practices of “classical” Chan. And, until now, the role played by women in these religious developments has hardly been noted at all. This book brings together several of these important seventeenth-century trends. Although Buddhist nuns have been a continuous presence in Chinese culture since early medieval times and the subject of numerous scholarly studies, this book is one of the first to provide a detailed view of their activities, and to be based largely on the writings and self-representations of Buddhist nuns themselves. This perspective is made possible by the preservation of collections of “discourse records” (yulu) of seven officially designated female Chan masters in a seventeenth-century printing of the Chinese Buddhist Canon rarely used in English-language scholarship. The book is able to place the seven women, all of whom were active in Jiangnan, in their historical, religious, and cultural contexts, while allowing them, through her skillful translations, to speak in their own voices. Together these women offer an important, but until now virtually unexplored, perspective on seventeenth-century China, the history of female monasticism in China, and the contribution of Buddhist nuns to the history of Chinese women’s writing.Less
The seventeenth century is generally acknowledged as one of the most politically tumultuous but culturally creative periods of late imperial Chinese history. Only recently beginning to be explored are such seventeenth-century religious phenomena as “the reinvention” of Chan Buddhism—a concerted effort to revive what were believed to be the traditional teachings, texts, and practices of “classical” Chan. And, until now, the role played by women in these religious developments has hardly been noted at all. This book brings together several of these important seventeenth-century trends. Although Buddhist nuns have been a continuous presence in Chinese culture since early medieval times and the subject of numerous scholarly studies, this book is one of the first to provide a detailed view of their activities, and to be based largely on the writings and self-representations of Buddhist nuns themselves. This perspective is made possible by the preservation of collections of “discourse records” (yulu) of seven officially designated female Chan masters in a seventeenth-century printing of the Chinese Buddhist Canon rarely used in English-language scholarship. The book is able to place the seven women, all of whom were active in Jiangnan, in their historical, religious, and cultural contexts, while allowing them, through her skillful translations, to speak in their own voices. Together these women offer an important, but until now virtually unexplored, perspective on seventeenth-century China, the history of female monasticism in China, and the contribution of Buddhist nuns to the history of Chinese women’s writing.
Alice Collett
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- April 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780199459070
- eISBN:
- 9780199086375
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199459070.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
Alice Collett’s book is the most comprehensive study of women in Pāli Buddhism since the publication of I. B. Horner’s seminal Women under Primitive Buddhism in 1930. Collett’s focus is different to ...
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Alice Collett’s book is the most comprehensive study of women in Pāli Buddhism since the publication of I. B. Horner’s seminal Women under Primitive Buddhism in 1930. Collett’s focus is different to Horner’s, in that she uses biographies as a foundation for discussion and exploration of the lives of Buddhist women. An innovation in Collett’s work is that she attempts to discuss differences between Pāli canonical and commentarial literature. Both prior to and following the publication of Horner’s work, it has been standard practice to use the commentaries to augment understanding of the canon, but Collett seeks to emphasize the differing social worlds, and historical and geographical milieu out of which each of these genres of literature were born. Focusing on these differences, and assessing each genre on its own terms, Collett concludes that the Pāli canon, contrary to how it has been presented previously, is more favourable to women. In this volume, biographies of six of the best-known Buddhist nuns of the early tradition are presented in Part I, along with an introduction to this literature. In Part II, the author investigates themes from the biographies—female teachers, notions of beauty and adornment, family, class, and marriage, and so on—and explores both the struggles and hardships, and the inspirational aspects of the lives of early Buddhist nuns seen though these biographical accounts.Less
Alice Collett’s book is the most comprehensive study of women in Pāli Buddhism since the publication of I. B. Horner’s seminal Women under Primitive Buddhism in 1930. Collett’s focus is different to Horner’s, in that she uses biographies as a foundation for discussion and exploration of the lives of Buddhist women. An innovation in Collett’s work is that she attempts to discuss differences between Pāli canonical and commentarial literature. Both prior to and following the publication of Horner’s work, it has been standard practice to use the commentaries to augment understanding of the canon, but Collett seeks to emphasize the differing social worlds, and historical and geographical milieu out of which each of these genres of literature were born. Focusing on these differences, and assessing each genre on its own terms, Collett concludes that the Pāli canon, contrary to how it has been presented previously, is more favourable to women. In this volume, biographies of six of the best-known Buddhist nuns of the early tradition are presented in Part I, along with an introduction to this literature. In Part II, the author investigates themes from the biographies—female teachers, notions of beauty and adornment, family, class, and marriage, and so on—and explores both the struggles and hardships, and the inspirational aspects of the lives of early Buddhist nuns seen though these biographical accounts.
