A close reading of the inscriptions on the memorial tablets of Tang tombs reveals that many Tang Dynasty women were believers in Buddhism. Most of them practiced Buddhism at home, and a large part of them were widows. The Buddhist scriptures they read or copied were chiefly Vajracchedikā sūtra, lotus sūtra, nirvana sutra, etc. The reasons for this widespread belief in Buddhism were various, and widows, ladies in the imperial court, women without children or fertility sought spiritual comfort from Buddhism. This cult of Tang women for Buddhism had profound influence on social customs, ideas on life and death, and burying ceremonies.
