The Miraculous Narratives in The Biographies of Eminent Nuns and The Further Biographies of Eminent Nuns
Abstract
:1. Introduction and Literature Review
2. Methodology
3. Different Kinds of Miraculous Narratives in the BQNZ
- Psychic power (iddhividhā). The Visuddhimagga (pp. 373–405) further explains iddhividhā as multiplying oneself; going unhindered through walls, enclosures, and mountains; diving out of and into the river; traveling while seated cross-legged; touching the moon and the sun; transformation; and making a mind-made body.
- Knowledge of the divine ear (dibbasotadhātu). This represents the ability to hear sounds that are divine and human, and distant as well as close (Dīgha Nikāya I, p. 79).
- Knowledge of penetration of minds (cetopariyañāna).
- Knowledge of recollection of past lives (pubbenivāsānussati).
- Knowledge of the death and rebirth of beings (dibba-cakkhu-cutūpapātañāṇa). This is the ability to know the degeneration and ascent of beings according to their karma as low existence, excellent existence, good conditions, bad conditions, good destinies, and bad destinies (Dīgha Nikāya I, pp. 82–83).
- Knowledge of final liberation (āsavakkhayañāṇa)2.
3.1. Intentionally Performed Miracles
- (1)
- Iddhividhā
- (2)
- Dibba-cakkhu-cutūpapātañāṇa
- (3)
- Advanced Stages of Meditation
- (4)
- The Ability to Make Predictions
3.2. Miraculous Responses
- (1)
- Related to death
- (2)
- Miraculous help
- (3)
- Taming animals
- (4)
- Magic cure and other omens related to going forth
- (5)
- Sympathetic resonance (ganying) in meditation
- (6)
- Auspicious phenomena
3.3. Discussion
- (1)
- Agriculture. His prowess as a rainmaker ensured the stability of a predominantly agricultural state.
- (2)
- Warfare. He advised on successful war plans based on his supramundane capability of prediction.
- (3)
- Healing. He acted as a savior for the depopulated and epidemic-ridden country.
- (4)
- Politics. With his abilities of prediction and mind reading, he helped the ruler maintain a balance of political power.
4. Miraculous Narratives in the XBQNZ in Comparison with Those in the BQNZ
4.1. Intentionally Performed Miracles
- (1)
- Iddhividhā
- (2)
- Dibba-cakkhu-cutūpapātañāṇa
- (3)
- Advanced stages of meditation
- (4)
- The ability to predict
- (5)
- Pubbenivāsānussati
4.2. Miraculous Responses
- (1)
- Miracles related to death
- In the Tang Dynasty: Facheng and Huiyuan (Ibid. pp. 10–13).
- In the Song Dynasty: Nengfeng and Liaozheng (Ibid. pp. 19–21, 124).
- In the Ming Dynasty: Chengjing (Ibid. pp. 56–57).
- In the Qing Dynasty: Xinggang, Chaoyin, Xingxuan, Foyin, Chaochen, Benyin, Suiqin, Lvzong, Foqi, Miaocheng, Daogan, Daowu, Mingheng, and Lingyi (Ibid. pp. 60–62, 68, 72–73, 77–78, 96–102, 106, 111).
- In the Republic era: Lianzhen, Yingen, and Yinxin (Ibid. pp. 116–17, 122–23, 129–30).
- (2)
- Sympathetic resonance in meditation
- (3)
- Receiving miraculous help or instruction
- (4)
- Taming animals and protection by deities
- (5)
- Magical cures and other omens related to going forth
- (6)
- Other auspicious phenomena and unexpected miraculous experiences
4.3. Discussion
5. Ideal Eminent Nuns through the Eyes of Male Monastics
6. Concluding Remarks
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Glossary
Aunt Kong | 空姑 |
Baoxian | 寶賢 |
Bendao | 本道 |
Benlian | 本蓮 |
Benyin | 本印 |
Changjing | 常淨 |
Changzhou | 常州 |
Chaochen | 超琛 |
Chaoyin | 潮音 |
Chengci | 成慈 |
Chengjing | 成静 |
Chifa | 持法 |
Ciqing | 慈慶 |
Daogan | 道干 |
Daohui | 道辉 |
Daoji | 道跡 |
Daoshou | 道壽 |
Daoqiong | 道瓊 |
Daorong | 道容 |
Daowu | 道悟 |
Daozong | 道綜 |
Daizong | 代宗 |
Dawu | 大悟 |
Decheng | 德成 |
Dele | 德樂 |
Dengling | 等龄 |
Demi | 德密 |
Dumu jingang | 獨目金剛 |
Emperor Jianwen | 簡文帝 |
Emperor Xiaowu | 孝武帝 |
Emperor Ming of the Jin Dynasty | 晉明帝 |
Fabian | 法辯 |
Facheng | 法澄 |
Fahui | 法惠 |
Fajing | 法淨 |
Fakong | 法空 |
Farun | 法润 |
Fasheng | 法盛 |
Faxuan | 法宣 |
Faxiang | 法相 |
Faxin | 法信 |
Fayuan | 法緣 |
Foqi | 佛琦 |
Fotucheng | 佛圖澄 |
Foyin | 佛音 |
gantong | 感通 |
ganying | 感應 |
Gaofeng | 杲峯 |
Gongdeshan | 功德山 |
Guangjing | 光靜 |
Guoren | 果仁 |
Hongyuan | 宏源 |
Huangxin | 黄心 |
Huanwen | 桓溫 |
Hui’an | 慧安 |
Huimu | 慧木 |
Huiqiong | 慧瓊 |
Huiren | 慧忍 |
Huisheng | 惠勝 |
Huixiu | 慧秀 |
Huiyao | 慧耀 |
Huiyu | 慧玉 |
Huiyuan | 惠源 |
Jinggui | 淨珪 |
Jingcheng | 靜稱 |
Jingjian | 淨检 |
Jingxiu | 淨秀 |
Jingzhen | 淨真 |
Jingzhou | 荆州 |
Jixing | 寂性 |
Langran | 朗然 |
Lianzhen | 蓮贞 |
Liaozheng | 了证 |
Lingyi | 灵一 |
Lingzong | 令宗 |
Lvzong | 律宗 |
MahāprajñāpāramitāŚāstra | 《大智度論》 |
Miaocheng | 妙成 |
Miaokong | 妙空 |
Miaoyin | 妙音 |
Minggan | 明感 |
Mingheng | 明恒 |
Mount Wutai | 五臺山 |
Nengfeng | 能奉 |
Nengkai | 能開 |
nun Hunshan | 混山尼 |
nun Dong | 董尼 |
nun Feng | 馮尼 |
Pugui | 普贵 |
Puzhao | 普照 |
Qingyue | 清月 |
Rujue | 如覺 |
Ruzhan | 如湛 |
Ruzhi | 如智 |
Saṅghavarman | 僧伽跋摩 |
Sengduan | 僧端 |
Sengfa | 僧法 |
Sengguo | 僧果 |
Sengjing | 僧敬 |
Shanmiao | 善妙 |
Shegong | 涉公 |
sheli | 舍利 |
Shengdao | 聖道 |
Shengping period | 昇平 |
shenyi | 神異 |
Shi Baochang | 释寶唱 |
Shi Zhenhua | 釋震華 |
Suiqin | 遂钦 |
Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra | 《阿彌陀經》 |
Suwen | 素文 |
Taiji hall | 太極殿 |
Tanhui | 曇暉 |
Tanjian | 曇簡 |
Tanlan | 曇覽 |
Tanyong | 曇勇 |
The Chen Dynasty | 陳朝 |
The Chinese Buddhist Canon | 中華大藏經 |
The East Jin Dynasty | 東晉 |
The Lanruo nunnery | 蘭若庵 |
The Liang Dynasty | 梁 |
The Liu Song Dynasty | 劉宋 |
The Ming Dynasty | 明朝 |
The Northern Wei Dynasty | 北魏 |
The Qi Dynasty | 齊 |
The Qing Dynasty | 清朝 |
The Republican times | 民國 |
The Rebellion of An and Shi | 安史之亂 |
The Tang Dynasty | 唐朝 |
The Song Dynasty | 宋朝 |
The Sui Dynasty | 隋朝 |
The Yuan Dynasty | 元朝 |
Tianjian period | 天监 |
Tianxing | 天興 |
Tongdao | 通道 |
Wendi of the Sui Dynasty | 隋文帝 |
Wuwei | 無為 |
Wuxing | 悟性 |
Xinggang | 行刚 |
Xingxuan | 行玄 |
Xinxiang | 信相 |
Xinzhong | 心忠 |
Xuanzang | 玄奘 |
Xuanzao | 玄藻 |
Yogācāra-bhūmi | 《瑜伽師地論》 |
Yingen | 印根 |
Yinxin | 印心 |
Yixing | 一行 |
Yuanji | 元機 |
Zhaoji | 照寂 |
Zhenru | 真如 |
zhiguai xiaoshuo | 志怪小說 |
Zhisheng | 智勝 |
Zhixian | 智賢 (of the Jin Dynasty) |
Zhixian | 智仙 (of the Sui Dynasty) |
Zhiyue | 直月 |
Zhizang | 智藏 |
1 | CBETA 2023.Q1, B35, no. 194, p. 762. |
2 | 「謂六神通:一者神足通證,二者天耳通證,三者知他心通證,四者宿命通證,五者天眼通證,六者漏盡通證。」(CBETA 2022.Q4, T01, no. 1, pp. 58a24–26) 「如意足智通,天耳智通,他心智通,宿命智通,生死智通,漏盡智通」) (CBETA 2022.Q4, T01, no. 26, pp. 553b04–554b12). |
3 | Georgieva (1996, pp. 59–60) categorized the miracles into three categories. I combined her first category of “miraculous response which happens in in answer to a prayer for help and serves to save or protect them” and second category of “unexpected events resulting from faith and practice of the main character” or “solicited miracles” into “miraculous responses” as I think that these “unexpected events” are also miraculous responses evoked by the faithful from nature. |
4 | CBETA 2022.Q4, T50, no. 2063, p. 936. |
5 | Ibid. p. 935. |
6 | Ibid. p. 941. |
7 | Ibid. pp. 943–44. |
8 | Ibid. p. 945. |
9 | Ibid. pp. 939–40. |
10 | Ibid. p. 940. |
11 | Ibid. pp. 940–41. |
12 | Ibid. p. 939. There are three more nuns who performed self-immolation in the BQNZ, namely, Tanjian, Jinggui, and Tanyong (Ibid. pp. 943–44). I do not include these narratives in the discussion because their self-immolation is just briefly mentioned without a description of a supernormal experience indicating their superb meditation skills. |
13 | Ibid. p. 946. |
14 | Ibid. p. 935. |
15 | Ibid. p. 936. |
16 | Ibid. p. 937. |
17 | Ibid. p. 939. |
18 | Ibid. p. 938. |
19 | Ibid. p. 943. |
20 | Ibid. p. 945. |
21 | Ibid. p. 935. |
22 | Ibid. p. 939. |
23 | Ibid. p. 935. |
24 | Ibid. p. 936. |
25 | Ibid. p. 939. |
26 | Ibid. p. 935. |
27 | Ibid. p. 940. |
28 | Ibid. p. 938. |
29 | Ibid. p. 942. |
30 | Ibid. p. 948. |
31 | Ibid. p. 946. |
32 | Ibid. p.935. Karma in Sanskrit, kamma in Pāli, or 羯摩 in Chinese, in a broad sense, refers to ceremonies and etiquette. Normally, it refers to the etiquette for receiving precepts, repentance, barriers, etc. |
33 | Ibid. p. 940. |
34 | Ibid. p. 938. |
35 | Ibid. pp. 939, 941. |
36 | CBETA 2023.Q1, T50, no. 2059, p. 342. |
37 | “我悲常寂” (Shi 1983, pp. 125–26). |
38 | White birds (白雀) were viewed as an auspicious omen by the ancient Chinese. |
39 | CBETA 2023.Q1, T50, no. 2059, pp. 385, 389. |
40 | “以後晉顯尚佛道容之力也。” CBETA 2022.Q4, T50, no. 2063, p. 936. |
41 | “志業未集乎方冊。每懷慨歎。” CBETA 2023.Q1, T50, no. 2063, p. 934. |
42 | “男女何须辨假真,观音出现果何人。皮囊脱尽挥无用,试问男身是女身。” (Shi 1983, p. 54). |
43 | The full inscription is found in Noriko Katsuura (勝浦令子). 1993. “法華滅罪之寺と洛陽安国寺法華道場: 尼と尼寺の日唐比較研究の課題”《史論》46: 1–18. |
44 | Maybe it should be Puji普寂, a famous Chan master in Tang. |
45 | See Fayuan zhulin 《法苑珠林》CBETA 2022.Q4, T53, no. 2122, pp. 545a22–29. |
46 | See “the Biography of Fanye”, volume 69, the Book of Song 《宋書.範曄傳》. |
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BQNZ | XBQNZ | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Six Dynasties | Sui | Tang and Five Dynasties | Song | Yuan | Ming | Qing | The Republic | Total | ||
Number of all entries | 65 | 5 | 1 | 30 | 29 | 8 | 14 | 86 | 27 | 200 |
Entries containing miraculous narratives | 31 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 28 | 16 | 85 |
Entries containing intentionally performed miracles (“IP” for short) | 14 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 12 |
Percentage of IP among all entries | 22% | 20% | 100% | 17% | 3% | 0 | 14% | 2% | 0% | 6% |
Percentage of IP among entries with miracles | 45% | 33% | 100% | 33% | 8% | 0 | 22% | 7% | 0% | 14% |
BQNZ | XBQNZ | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Six Dynasties | Sui | Tang and Five Dynasties | Song | Yuan | Ming | Qing | The Republic | Total | ||
Number of all entries | 65 | 5 | 1 | 30 | 29 | 8 | 14 | 86 | 27 | 200 |
Entries containing miraculous narratives | 31 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 28 | 16 | 85 |
Entries containing miracles involving death (“D” for short) | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 25 | 15 | 65 |
Entries containing miracles with elements other than death (“M” for short) | 26 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 32 |
Percentage of D among all entries | 12% | 20% | 0 | 23% | 31% | 13% | 50% | 29% | 56% | 33% |
Percentage of M among all entries | 40% | 60% | 100% | 33% | 17% | 0 | 36% | 7% | 11% | 16% |
Percentage of D among entries containing miracles | 26% | 33% | 0 | 47% | 75% | 100% | 78% | 89% | 94% | 77% |
Percentage of M among entries containing miracles | 84% | 100% | 100% | 67% | 42% | 0 | 56% | 21% | 19% | 38% |
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Zhong, H. The Miraculous Narratives in The Biographies of Eminent Nuns and The Further Biographies of Eminent Nuns. Religions 2023, 14, 565. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14050565
Zhong H. The Miraculous Narratives in The Biographies of Eminent Nuns and The Further Biographies of Eminent Nuns. Religions. 2023; 14(5):565. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14050565
Chicago/Turabian StyleZhong, Haoqin. 2023. "The Miraculous Narratives in The Biographies of Eminent Nuns and The Further Biographies of Eminent Nuns" Religions 14, no. 5: 565. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14050565
APA StyleZhong, H. (2023). The Miraculous Narratives in The Biographies of Eminent Nuns and The Further Biographies of Eminent Nuns. Religions, 14(5), 565. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14050565