According to monastic disciplinary texts, Buddhist monastic members are prohibited from eating solid food after midday. This rule has given rise to much debate, past and present, particularly between Mahāyāna and Theravāda Buddhist communities. This article explores Chinese Buddhist nuns’ attitudes toward the rule about not eating after noon, and its enforcement in contemporary monastic institutions in Taiwan and Mainland China. It goes on to investigate the external factors that may have influenced the way the rule is observed, and brings to light a diversity of opinions on the applicability of the rule as it has been shaped by socio-cultural contexts, including nuns’ adaptation to the locals’ ethos in today’s Taiwan and Mainland China.
目次
Introduction 57 I. Analysis of the Fieldwork Data 65 II. Chinese Buddhist Nuns’ Attitudes and Practices with Regard to Fasting after Midday 65 III. The Impact of Workload on Fasting-Rule Observance in the Context of Chinese Buddhism 69 IV. Adaptation of Diet and Locals’ Expectations in Chinese Buddhism 74 V. The Influence of Institutional Types, Leaders, and Teachers 78 Conclusion 83 Abbreviations 85 Bibliography 85
