Qi-Yuan-jin-gang (1597-1654), as a female Zen master, led the trend of female Zen at the end of Ming Dynasty and beginning of Qing Dynasty. Does the Zen education lead to different characteristics due to genders? This is worth discussion whether there is a difference or not. This paper discusses the Qi-Yuan Zen doctrines into two layers. The first one is Zen education, meaning the Zen education regardless of genders. The other one is gender wisdom, particularly care for women (gender). Female Zen, in a broad sense, refers to all education by female Zen masters; in a narrow sense, it refers only to gender wisdom. To have effective presentation, Qi-Yuan Zen education is positively presented first, followed by two reference methods in light of female gender: the first is the viewpoints of male Zen masters’ on female Zen pupils at that time; the second is the education of Qi-Yuan on both male and female disciples. In the hope to manifest the values of female Zen, gender wisdom and female Zen masters. In Zen education, Qi-Yuan, under plain and strenuous efforts, joins the disciples and reminds them of the seriousness of life and death to have a broad view on where one can settle oneself. She taught with her topic, “appearance before the birth by parents.” She requested her disciples to be engaged in chore and Buddhist practice. She strictly demanded the disciples and examined them and was praised for being severe. In gender wisdom, when facing female disciples, most of the male Zen masters emphasized “regardless of the appearance of man and woman.” Qi-Yuan never emphasized this, because in enlightenment she proved herself regardless of appearance of man and woman in her conducts. In her doctrines, “non-regardless of appearance of man and woman” is a distinguishing characteristic; there is no need to have special focus on regardless of appearance of man and woman. In education, expression to male and female followers is different. For monks and nuns, she gave the equal Zen education, although she did give special care for female disciples in sympathy and warmth—care without condition. This was seen in daily life, practice, illnesses and visit of relatives of disciples. She often retreated from the male laity immersed in literature. She expressed unlimited and undaunted self-confidence in practice of Buddhist rules without binding by words. Therefore, unlike other female Zen masters, Qi-Yuan’s female Zen gender wisdom is self-evidenced, universal and the core.
