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34. Pao-hsien

[OMITTED]

The nun Pao-hsien (Precious Virtue) (401-477) of Universal
Wisdom Convent

Pao-hsien's secular surname was Ch'en, and her family was originally
from Ch'en Commandery [in the Huai River valley, some distance to
the northwest of the Sung capital].[117]

At age 16 Pao-hsien went into mourning for her mother who had
died. For three years she did not eat any cereals but sustained herself
instead on arrowroot and taro; neither did she wear decorated silks
nor use a bed or sitting mat during the mourning period.[118]

Leaving the household life at age 19, Pao-hsien took up residence in
Establishing Peace Convent. With pure conduct and vigorous application
she thoroughly mastered both meditation and the monastic
observance.

Emperor Wen of the Sung dynasty (407-424-453) treated her with
reverend courtesy, presenting her with gifts of clothing and food.[119]
Emperor Hsiao-wu (430-454-464) also treated her with great respect,
giving her ten thousand in cash every month.[120] When Emperor
Ming (439-465-472) ascended the throne he gave her the honor of
receiving her, treating her with exceeding respect.[121] In the first year of
the t'ai-shih reign period (465), he named her by imperial appointment
to serve as the abbess of Universal Wisdom Convent. In the second
year (466), he issued another decree making her the rector of the
assembly in the capital.[122] In this capacity she was imposing and
majestic, making decisions with divine insight. She was good at discussing
the principles of things and was able to set errors aright. She
was morally upright in character; nothing could deflect her from the
proper course.

Previously, during the sheng-p'ing reign period (357-361) of the
Eastern Chin dynasty, the nun Ching-chien (no. 1) was the first Chinese
Buddhist nun. That first reception, by women, of the monastic
obligation, was from the Assembly of Monks only. Later the nuns
Hui-kuo (no. 14), Ching-yin and others of Luminous Blessings Convent
consulted [the central Asian missionary monk] Gunavarman
about the situation.[123]

He said, "China did not have both the Assembly of Monks and the

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Later, the nun Hui-kuo and the other nuns met the foreign nun Tessara
and her companions when they arrived in China.[124] In the eleventh
year of the yüan-chia reign period (434) [of the Sung dynasty],
the [Chinese nuns] once again received the full monastic obligation
from the Indian missionary monk Sanghavarman on the ceremonial
platform at Southern Grove Monastery, and this time both the Assembly
of Monks and the Assembly of Nuns [comprising the women from
Sri Lanka] were present.[125] [Thus the lineage and tradition of the
monastic obligation for women from the time of the Buddha's stepmother
had finally been properly transmitted to China.] [Gunavarman]
had not said that the first transmission to China, from the
Assembly of Monks only, was invalid. He had said, rather, that the
second transmission [that included the Assembly of Nuns] was augmenting
the good value of the obligation that had already been
received.

[After this second transmission of the monastic rules, however]
those who were fond of unorthodox practices handed them on widely
and repeatedly, causing the orthodox norms gradually to disappear. In
the second year of the yüan-hui reign period (474), an expert in the
study of the monastic rules, the Master of Monastic Rules Fa-ying
(416-482),[126] delivered a lecture on The Sarvāstivāda Monastic Rules
in Ten Recitations at Prospering of Chin Monastery.[127] On the day of
the lecture there were ten-some nuns who, after the lecture, wished to
receive again the obligation to observe the monastic rules. Pao-hsien
then sent someone from the office of rector of assembly to present her
orders to the lecture hall. The envoy sounded the gavel and issued the
order to all the nuns that they were not at that time to receive the obligations
again. If on examination it was found that any nun was not of
sufficient age, the instructors had first to bring together the Assembly
of Nuns, and after public confession of this fact they were to report to
the office of the assembly. If the office approved, it would request
someone to investigate to see whether the nuns were suitable candidates,
and only then could they receive the obligation a second time.
Anyone who opposed this plan would be subject to expulsion. On
account of Pao-hsien's decisive action in this matter, quarrels came to
an end, and the rest of her tenure in the office of rector was without
untoward incident.

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With great skill Pao-hsien brought matters into conformity with the
spirit of the monastic life; she pacified all elements in the assembly.
Detached from wordly affairs and having few desires, she was
increasingly esteemed by the world. She was seventy-seven when she
died in the first year of the sheng-ming reign period (477).

[118]

Mourning period. The woman was carrying out the Chinese mourning

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ritual, but her observance was extreme and included some unusual elements,
such as giving up cereals and eating only arrowroot and taro, a
practice that indicates Taoist influence. See Thompson, Chinese Religion,
pp. 51-52, quoting the I Li (Ceremonial and ritual), and Lun yü (Analects).