Many scholars believe that Buddhism in Taiwan manifested in a form of householder practice called the vegetarian sect, or zhaijiao, prior to the mid-20th century. It is often assumed that the advent of a Chinese monastic sangha brought changes to the expression of Buddhist religiosity in Taiwan. Fingers are usually pointed to mainland Chinese monks who migrated to Taiwan after 1949 for “erasing” zhaijiao practice and establishing the Chinese monastic order in Taiwan. What is seldom noticed is the role played by Buddhist women themselves who, in existing scholarly discourse, are generally perceived as passive recipients of changes and whose voices are almost never heard in scholarly works. This paper will bring attention to these Buddhist woman themselves. Through the method of in-depth interviews, this paper will focus on one Buddhist woman who is the abbess of a formerly zhaijiao temple that is now a bhikkhunī temple. Through her life story, we may glimpse how Buddhist women can be agents of change of their own religiosity.
Bhikkhunī Pu Hui, the subject of discussion in this paper, was among the recipients of the Outstanding Women in Buddhism Award in 2016. This testifies to her achievements as a prominent Buddhist woman and her contributions to social work. I will first introduce her life story, especially her relationship with her tonsure master, the late Bhikkhunī De Xi. Bhikkhunī De Xi was ordained as a member of zhaijiao, as a zhaigu or “vegetarian woman,” but later led other female members of her temple to receive bhikkhunī ordination. Through Bhikkhunī Pu Hui’s retelling of her tonsure master’s decision to receive bhikkhunī ordination, I wish to learn about the motivation behind this religious transformation. Next, I will discuss the social work that Bhikkhunī Pu Hui undertook. The website of the Outstanding Women in Buddhism Award 2016 describes her as having “invested all of her life in social work, community service, and propagation of Buddha-Dharma.” What motivates her to engage in social work? How is Buddhism related to her social work? By discussing these questions, I wish to better understand the work of Bhikkhunī Pu Hui and answer questions about whether she is a passive actor or an active agent in Buddhist practice.
Bhikkhunī Pu Hui is the abbess of Shen Zhai Tang, a temple established in the 18th century that is, according to some, the oldest zhaijiao temple in the Taichung area. This paper is therefore not only about the life story of one Buddhist woman, but also about the history of an important formerly zhaijiao temple. Above all, I wish to fill the void that exists in the absence of Buddhist women’s voices in the study of zhaijiao and the transformation of Buddhist practice in Taiwan.
目次
Bhikkhunî Dexi 222 Bhikkhunî Pu Hui 223 Buddhist Achievements 224 Final Note 225
