University of Virginia Library

General Subjects

• Animals: concourse with indicating
  holiness, 22-23, 24-45, 32, 44,
  55, 72;

  • freeing, 102;

  • and Taoism,
    125 n. 91

• Apologetics, Buddhist, 4

• Assemblies, four Buddhist: established in
  China for the first time, 25

• Assembly of Nuns, 19;

  • and Assembly of
    Monks, 1, 6;

  • and obstacles to entry, 1;

  • ranking of, 99;

  • requirements for admission,
    37;

  • and state, 5, 13. See also
    Monastic life; Monastic rules; Precepts;
    Prohibitions

• Begging: for alms, 18, 32, 79;

  • for medicine,
    48

• Begging bowl and staff: as symbol of
  monastic life, 35, 127 n. 114

• Biographical writing: and prototypes for
  the Lives of the Nuns, 110;

  • purposes
    of, 109;

  • tradition in China, 109

• Buddha's name: repeating (nien fo),
  49

• Buddhism: and apologetics, 4;

  • and Confucianism,
    4;

  • and entry into China, 2;

  • and meaning for Chinese, 12-13;

  • positive evidence for, 2;

  • proof of truth
    of promises, 12, 32;

  • reasons for acceptance
    of, 3-4;

  • and social class, 3;

  • and
    state, 5, 13;

  • and Taoism, 2, 3-5, 10,
    11, 13, 29-30

• Buddhist path: and first fruit (srotāpanna-phala),
  53, 132 n. 86;

  • and nirvana, 21,
    

    ---

    185

    
    
    85;

  • and third fruit (anāgāmin), 96,
    147 n. 52

• Burial, 70, 76, 97, 100, 102, 104, 105

• Chanting of scriptures. See Scriptures,
  chanting

• Chastity: maintaining, 16, 22, 24, 74

• Ch'u san-tsang chi chi (Collected notes on
  the translation of the Buddhist scriptures
  into Chinese), 107

• Collected Notes on the Translation of the
  Buddhist Scriptures into Chinese (Ch'u
  san-tsang chi chi), 107

• Commentaries to texts written by nun, 74

• Complete Collection of Books and
  Records Ancient and Modern (Ku chin
  t'u shu chi ch'eng), 108-109

• Compositions written by nuns, 33, 91, 95

• Condensed T'ang k'ai-yüan reign period
  catalogue of Buddhist Writings (K'ai-yüan
  shih chiao lu), 107

• Confession, 25, 42, 44, 46, 51, 55, 63,
  71, 89, 97, 104

• Confucianism: and Buddhism, 4;

  • education
    in classics of, 23, 40;

  • and filial
    piety, 20, 23, 26, 41, 45, 47, 48;

  • and
    five classics, 84, 142 n. 72;

  • and mourning,
    62, 71;

  • and philosophical foundation
    of country, 3;

  • and quotation from
    Confucius, 56, 148 n. 65;

  • and quotation
    from Classic of History, 76

• Convents: and connection to Assembly of
  Monks, 6;

  • and effects of location, 6;

  • first, 5-6;

  • importance of, 8;

  • and interference
    from state, nobility, and aristocracy,
    6;

  • social usefulness of, 6;

  • and
    status of independence, 6

• Cult practices, 9

• Death: manner of, 11;

  • chopping up body
    after, 43;

  • and revival, 45, 71, 131 n. 63;

  • Taoist, 12, 19, 31, 126 n. 96, 130 n. 41

• Dharmaguptaka Monastic Rules in Four
  Divisions, 46

• Diet of nuns: arrowroot and taro in, 62;

  • cereals in, 10;

  • and forgotten taste of
    food, 80;

  • fragrant oils in, 10, 65;

  • hemp
    and sesame in, 135 n. 113;

  • incense in,
    10;

  • no flesh or strong-flavored vegetables
    in, 43, 59, 61, 87, 103, 104;

  • no
    fine food in, 51;

  • no food at all in, 10,
    80;

  • no sweet or fat food in, 51;

  • one dish
    of vegetables a day in, 76;

  • parts of pine
    tree in, 10, 51;

  • plain vegetables and
    coarse rice in, 71;

  • sesame and mountain
    thistles in, 56;

  • Taoist influence in, 10,
    135 n. 113, 136 n. 118;

  • water only in,
    98. See also Feasts and fasts, vegetarian;

  • Vegetarianism

• Discourse on Abhidharma, 99

• Discourse on the Completion of Reality,
  99, 103

• Divination, 30-31

• Divine figures, gods, and their abodes:
  Amita Buddha, 9, 33, 38-39, 48,
  129 n. 16;

  • Bodhisattva Kuan-shih-yin,
    9, 27, 32, 39, 42, 50;

  • Bodhisattva P'u-hsien
    (Samantabhadra), 41;

  • Bodhisattva
    Ta-shih-chih, 39;

  • Buddha, 2, 4,
    49;

  • Maitreya (Buddha-to-be), 9-10,
    40, 42, 51;

  • Pindola (Holy Monk), 910,
    75, 89, 90, 139 n. 38;

  • Sāgara
    Dragon King Brothers, 90;

  • spirits of,
    68, 71, 88;

  • and Tushita Heaven (of
    Maitreya), 9-10, 42, 51, 88, 90, 91,
    130 n. 40;

  • and Western Paradise or Pure
    Land (of Amita Buddha), 9-10, 33,
    38-39, 48, 67, 125 n. 95

• Dreams, 32, 39, 46, 59, 88, 90, 91

• Dress. See Robes and dress

• Duty, woman's: traditional conception of,
  119 n. 22

• Education and literacy among nuns, 7

• Enlightenment and Buddhahood for
  women, 1

• Faith, Buddhist: brings response and
  proof of Buddhist claims, 9;

  • established
    during a former life, 53;

  • man of devout,
    28; pure, 26, 31;

  • in religion and practice,
    44, shallow, 18;

  • spreads kindness,
    

    ---

    186

    
    
    103;

  • upon first hearing Buddhist teaching,
    17

• Fa yüan chu lin (Forest of pearls in the
  garden of the law), 107, 108, 109

• Feasts and fasts, vegetarian, 20, 22, 23,
  31, 39, 42, 75, 83, 90. See also Diet;

  • Vegetarianism

• Field of merit, 9, 57

• Flowers and holiness, 30

• Foreknowledge, 96;

  • of death, 75

• Forest of Pearls in the Garden of the Law
  (Fa yüan chu lin), 107, 108, 109

• Forged books, 4-5

• Former life, 20, 42, 53, 68, 82

• Immortality, 12

• Incorrupt body, 12, 44

• Inexhaustible treasury, 95, 145 n. 43

• K'ai-yüan shih chiao lu (T'ang k'ai-yüan
  reign period collection of Buddhist
  writings), 107

• K'ai-yüan shih chiao lu lüeh ch'u (Condensed
  T'ang k'ai-yüan reign period
  catalogue of Buddhist writings), 107

• Kao seng chuan (Lives of eminent
  monks), 6, 107;

  • compared to the Lives
    of the Nuns, 12

• Ku chin t'u shu chi ch'eng (Complete
  collection of books and records ancient
  and modern), 108-109

• Lantern Festival: origins of, 136 n. 132.
  See also Moon, phases of

• Lieh nü chuan (Lives of illustrious
  women), 110

• Li tai san pao chi (Records of the Three
  Treasures through the ages), 107

• Lives of Eminent Monks (Kao seng
  chuan), 6, 107

• Lives of Famous Monks (Ming seng
  chuan), 107

• Lives of Illustrious Women (Lieh nü
  chuan), 110

• Lives of the Nuns: and biographies as
  proof of the Buddhist way, 111;

  • Buddhist
    texts as models for, 111;

  • compared
    to Lieh nü chuan (Lives of illustrious
    women), 110-111;

  • date of, 108;

  • importance of, 107;

  • organization and
    content of, 1;

  • and secular influence,
    111;

  • sources of, 108-109

• Lo-yang ch'ieh-lan chi (Record of monasteries
  and convents in Lo-yang), 6

• Magic, 20, 30;

  • in Buddhism and Taoism,
    4

• Mahāprajāpatī Scripture: and model for
  women, 111

• Mahīshāsaka-vinaya (Wu fen lü), 112

• Marriage: rejection of, 7, 20, 26, 28, 49,
  84, 92, 105

• Meditation: competence in, 16;

  • five ways
    or five gates of, 97, 147 n. 54;

  • as heart
    of monastic life, 11;

  • and Taoism, 11,
    134 n. 96;

  • and trance in activity, 104;

  • and trance of immobility, 11, 53, 55,
    57, 59;

  • of visualizing the Buddha in
    one's presence, 81, 141 n. 62

• Ming seng chuan (Lives of famous
  monks), 107

• Misogyny in Buddhism, 1

• Monastic life: and beginnings for men in
  China, 5;

  • and beginnings for women in
    China, 1;

  • four essentials of, 82, 92, 98,
    141 n. 66;

  • and investigation by state, 5;

  • and translation of monastic rules, 5.
    See also Begging;

  • Begging bowl and
    staff; Burial;

  • Burning; Cult practice;

  • Diet;

  • Meditation;

  • Monastic rules;

  • Robe
    and begging bowl;

  • Robes and dress;

  • Scriptures, chanting; Suicide;

  • Teaching;

  • Tonsure; Vegetarianism;

  • Visions; Vow

• Monastic rules (vinaya): and authenticity
  of lineage, 9;

  • bestowing full obligation
    for rules upon nuns, 18;

  • and five sectarian
    divisions, 100, 148 n. 70;

  • lack of,
    hindering formation of Assembly of
    Nuns, 2;

  • number of, for nuns, 18,
    116 n. 6;

  • purpose of, 9;

  • transmission
    of, 9, 18, 19, 37-38, 54, 62-63, 70,
    86, 89

---

187




• Monasticism: and success as an institution,
  12

• Moon, phases of, as auspicious dates:
  eighth day, fourth month (Buddha's
  birthday), 51, 76, 40, 52;

  • eighth day,
    second month (Buddha's final nirvana),
    19, 67, 79-80, 80-81;

  • fifteenth day,
    first month (Lantern Festival), 65, 67;

  • fifteenth day, ninth month, 67;

  • fifteenth
    day, second month (Buddha's
    final nirvana), 85;

  • and suicide, 12

• Mother of Monasticism Scripture: teaching
  of, 103

• Murder, 30, 99

• Nuns: famous vs. ordinary, 8;

  • lives as
    proof of truth of Buddhist scriptures,
    12;

  • Mahāprajāpatī as first nun in the
    world, 15, 37;

  • as models, 15-16

• Offices: director of conventual affairs in
  the capital, 64;

  • rector of assembly, 62,
    63

• Omens: character for Buddha as, 76;

  • evil,
    30;

  • good (as signs of spiritual accomplishment),
    19, 22-23, 25, 39, 40, 41,
    51, 55, 68, 88, 89

• Philosophers, Hundred schools of nonBuddhist,
  95

• Pine tree: eating parts of, 10;

  • and immortality,
    10

• Poem composed by nun, 83

• Precepts: eight, 31, 69, 125 n. 83;

  • five,
    24, 41, 87, 122 n. 52, 143 n. 5;

  • ten, of a
    bodhisattva, 139 n. 35;

  • ten, of a novice,
    18, 45, 46, 100, 116 n. 7

• Prohibitions: eight special, for women,
  54, 133 n. 92; six, 129 n. 26

• Pure Talk, 29, 124 n. 74

• Record of Monasteries and Convents in
  Lo-yang (Lo-yang ch'ieh-lan chi), 6

• Records of the Three Treasures through
  the Ages (Li tai san pao chi), 107

• Refuges, three: called upon for help, 32;

  • ceremony of taking, 58;

  • to drive away
    nightmares, 97;

  • keep mind fixed on,
    24;

  • offering body to, 65, 80;

  • offer
    obeisance to, 15;

  • spiritual power of,
    31, 42

• Relics. See Sharīra

• Revelation: of doctrine, 34-35, 93,
  144 n. 32;

  • of texts, 67, 127 n. 112

• Rituals for Entering Monastic Life, 46

• Robe and begging bowl: as symbols of
  monastic life, 31, 74, 75

• Robes and dress: to conceal body only,
  77;

  • dyed robes with mud, 90;

  • expensive
    vestments, 21;

  • fine clothing, 36, 52,
    62, 87;

  • finely embroidered outer robes,
    22;

  • hempen clothing, 89;

  • rough and
    ragged monastic robes, 27, 35, 104;

  • same clothing in heat and cold, 76;

  • straw sandals and hempen robes, 43;

  • traditional color for robes in China,
    144 n. 17;

  • traditionally made from
    rags, 120 n. 27;

  • worn-out clothing, 59

• Samādhi, 79;

• thoughts in, 93

• Saving living beings, 49, 72, 79, 104

• Schools of Buddhism: Disciples' Vehicle
  (Hīnayāna, Small Vehicle), 1, 39,
  113 n. 4, 121 n. 50;

  • Great Vehicle
    (Mahāyāna), 1, 24, 39, 58, 77, 78, 93,
    113 n. 4;

  • 121 n. 50, 129 n. 29,

  • Mahāsānghika
    Sect, 19;

  • Sarvāstivada Sect,
    103;

  • Theravāda School, 113 n. 4,
    122 n. 50

• Scriptures, chanting: 10, 11, 22, 24, 29,
  41, 42, 49, 50, 101, 103, 104;

  • speed
    of, 11, 22, 34, 45, 50, 91, 95;

  • during
    suicide, 60, 65;

  • superior skill in, 68

• Scriptures, chanting from memory, 21,
  29, 34, 45, 50, 74;

  • number of, 55;

  • and
    sanctity, 11

• Scriptures, popular: Bodhisattva Kuanshih-yin
  Scripture, 24, 50, 111;

  • Flower
    Garland Scripture, 99;

  • Flower of the
    True Law Scripture, 1, 22, 27, 29, 34,
    41, 42, 49, 50, 91, 97, 98, 101, 103,
    105, 111;

  • Flower of the True Law
    

    ---

    188

    
    
    Scripture (chapter on the medicine
    king), 65;

  • Flower of the True Law
    Scripture (Universal Gate chapter), 31;

  • Great Final Nirvāna Scripture, 50, 74,
    87, 95, 99, 103;

  • Infinite Life Scripture,
    104;

  • Larger Perfection of Wisdom
    Scripture, 45, 47;

  • Sarvāstivāda Monastic
    Rules in Ten Recitations, 63, 88,
    101, 106;

  • Shrīmālā-devī-simhanādasūtra,
    73, 101, 104;

  • Shūrangamasamādhi-Scripture,
    39;

  • Smaller Perfection
    of Wisdom Scripture, 29, 34, 48;

  • Vimalakīrti-nirdesha-Scripture, 1, 29,
    34, 73, 78, 101, 124 n. 73

• Scythians, 19

• Sexes: relations between, 22

• Sharīra (relics), 66, 81, 137 n. 133;

  • and
    bones, 65;

  • and Buddha's housing,
    145 n. 37

• Social and political conditions, 64, 7374,
  102;

  • and barbarians, 3, 56, 70, 76,
    117 n. 12;

  • and Buddhism at time of
    entry into China, 2;

  • and plague, 32;

  • and political division of China, 3

• Social class and Buddhism, 3

• Social origins of monks and nuns, 7-8

• Sources for the Lives of the Nuns: Chin
  nan-ching ssu chi (Notes on the convents
  and monasteries of the southern
  capital of the Chin dynasty), 109;

  • Fa
    yüan chu lin (Forest of pearls in the
    garden of the law), 107-109;

  • Kuang
    hung ming chi (Extended collection
    making known the illustrious), 109;

  • Ming hsiang chi (Records of mysterious
    omens), 108-109

• Suicide by fire, 60, 80, 111, 146 n. 47;

  • ambivalence about, 11-12;

  • as ascetic
    ideal, 16, 52, 80-81;

  • as offering to the
    Buddha, 11;

  • and Taoism, 11

• Taoism, 29-30, 113 n. 9;

  • and animals,
    125 n. 91;

  • and Buddhism, 3-4, 4-5,
    29-30;

  • and death, 12, 19, 31, 126 n.
    96, 130 n. 41;

  • and diet, 10, 51;

  • and
    practice of swallowing the breath, 29;

  • trance in, 134 n. 96;

  • and Way of Yellow
    Emperor and Lao-tzu, 22, 29, 71

• Tathāgatha, 39, 129 n. 16

• Teaching: effectiveness of nuns', 8;

  • first
    nun who specialized in expounding the
    meaning of scripture, 29;

  • Flower of the
    Law Scripture, 97, 98, 103;

  • Great Final
    Nirvāna Scripture, 103;

  • important, 16;

  • influence of, 19;

  • master, 26;

  • Mother of
    Monasticism Scripture, 103;

  • of nun
    honored as spiritual teacher, 25;

  • saving
    people by, 23;

  • Shrīmālā Scripture, 73;

  • Smaller Perfection of Wisdom Scripture,
    29, 34;

  • Ten Stages Scripture, 103;

  • Vimalakīrti Scripture, 34, 73, 78

• Ten Stages Scripture, 103

• Tonsure, 18, 68

• Trance. See Meditation

• Vegetarianism: in China, 10;

  • in early
    Buddhism, 10;

  • and first precept of nonharm,
    10;

  • and Taoism, 10. See also
    Diet;

  • Feasts and fasts, vegetarian

• Vestments. See Robes and dress

• Vinaya. See Monastic rules

• Visions, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 60, 75, 88,
  90, 105;

  • of near-death, 45

• Vow: to burn body as worship offering,
  65;

  • to die rather than marry, 92;

  • fulfilled,
    41;

  • to leave household life, 49;

  • not to marry, 84, 105;

  • proof of, 39-40;

  • to be reborn in Tushita Heaven, 42;

  • to
    spread Buddhist religion, 104

• Vows: of bodhisattva, 38, 75

• Way of Yellow Emperor and Lao-tzu, 22,
  29, 71

• Wu fen lü (Mahīshāsaka-vinaya), 112

• Yellow Emperor and Lao-tzu, 22, 29, 71