During the Japanese Occupation, Buddhism in Taiwan innovated under the effect of world trend, Japan and Chinese Buddhism and formed four denominations and their Bodhimandas. One of them is Master Jueli (1881-1933) of Fayun Temple, Dahu of Miaoli County. He came from Yongquan Temple, Gushan of Fuzhou; propagated Buddhist teachings in Taiwan all his life; established Fayun Temple; and devoted himself to promoting Buddhist education, especially Buddhist women’s education, and training sanghas. Due to his foresight and effort, Buddhism in Taiwan didn’t stay away from the modernization of gender equality in that period. He proposed and contributed to Buddhist women’s lectures; drew up regulations for Buddhist women’s academies in Taiwan; built up several Buddhist women’s Bodhimandas which attached importance to sound scholarship; and therefore cultivated many excellent Buddhist women. The first vow of his Six Vows to organize the above academies is to “enable all women to get true enlightenment as well” that set up the foundation of equality. Based on the clarity of strict Buddhism’s monastic rules and on initiating novices, the more important thing was that he trained Buddhist women magnanimously while facing ridicule and defamation. Therefore these Buddhist women all flew high to enlighten themselves and others willingly; to establish Bodhimandas for Buddhist education; to practice the Bodhisattva’s way of liberating all lives and the world; and to sow a better chance for Buddhist women in Taiwan.
