A Study of the Faith in the Lotus Sutra in Biography of Bhikshunis

Abstract

The Lotus Sutra is a highly significant Mahayana Buddhist scripture that has been compiled and established since the first century. Then it spread to China with the propagation of Buddhism and underwent numerous translations by eminent monks. Particularly, the translation of Kumarajiva had solidified the Lotus Sutras prominent position among Buddhist scriptures. During the Eastern Jin and Northern&Southern Dynasties, the Lotus Sutra attained widespread attention and reverence. It was extensively chanted and adhered in the monastic community and secular society. Until Northern&Southern Dynasties, the number of eminent monks who studied and chanted the Lotus Sutra surged dramatically. And there were as many as 44 monks closely associated with the Lotus Sutra during the early Northern&Southern Dynasties in the Biography of Eminent Monks written by Huijiao. The practice of the Lotus Sutra was also prevalent among Bhikshunis at that time, which was clearly revealed in the Biography of Bhikshunis. The biography shows that the Bhikshunis during Six Dynasties period actively put into practice the teachings in the Lotus Sutra, such as chanting and offering of their bodies as a form of devotion. This paper, based on the Biography of Bhikshunis, investigates the relationship between Bhikshunis and the Lotus Sutra during the Six Dynasties period.