The analytical and comparative Studying Buddhist nun's Communities in Ost-asia is the most important part of understanding Ost-asian Buddhism. Great attention has been shown to the question of the previous nuns' life and community in Buddhist lands. T...
The analytical and comparative Studying Buddhist nun's Communities in Ost-asia is the most important part of understanding Ost-asian Buddhism. Great attention has been shown to the question of the previous nuns' life and community in Buddhist lands. There were lots of papers about nun's communities of the Ost-asia in various languages, but the inclusive study on ost-asian nun's community was a work not much studied until these days. And there is no comprehensive papers on this. It is thought that there is short of the whole studying nuns and nun's communities in historical, educational, practical issues. In relation to this problem I tried to study on the all-inclusive nuns and buddhist nun's Community, and characteristic of nuns and communities in Ost-asia.
In addition, this study is related with the transmission of nun's ordination from India to Ost-asia and also the lifestyle of nun's, relation to the monks and country's authority, buddhist nun's practice to enlighten, nun's education, propagation to the people, making temples and buddhist building, endeavor to sustain buddhist nun's community and so on.
This study focuses on the comparative understanding Chinese, Korean and Japanese nuns and communities and their characteristics. Ost-asian nuns and communities have various lifestyles because of weather, political situation, cultural circumstance, religions like Confucianism, Taoism, Shamanism before arriving Buddhism.
In short, I would like to explain this paper divided into six parts.
Chapter Ⅰ introduces the purpose, objectives and methods for this study. Here it is given information about the previous studied books and theses. But this study could not involve whole nuns, nun's communities and their relation to social situation. So that I would restrict this study in the sense of nun's life, education, practice, characteristics and the comparison of nuns and communities.
Chapter Ⅱ refers to the time, background and members of formation and development of Indian Buddhist nun's community. Also it is introduced nun's activity in early Buddhism and Abhidhamma period and Mahāyana-Buddhism.
Chapter Ⅲ deals with the establishment of nun's community in China through the Biography of Buddhist nuns and the following Biography Buddhist nuns. Chinese nun has tried to administrate bnun's community by herself in her land. Although Chinese government tightly controlled Buddhist communities, buddhist nuns have worked hard to protect their community against government's control, Confucianism and Taoism, having done their duty and Buddhist practice according to their belief in Buddha, Dharma and Samgha.
Chinese nuns made a temple, did buddhist activity, also were participated in the social movement and did buddhist practice in order to attain enlightenment in ancient times.
Buddhist nuns have been controlled by Chinese government by degrees. From the Song Dynasty they have taken into consideration more personal practice like meditation or praying to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas than social activity. The result of this, many Son masters and enlightened nuns appeared in the history of Son Buddhism
Nuns after the mordern period have tried to learn Buddhism and make education system establish. Specially, Taiwanese nuns played a great role to propagate Buddhism to the people in the world.
Chapter Ⅳ addresses the formation and role of Korean nun and community. Korean nuns have had a good or bad time to practice Buddha's teaching, make a temple, propagate Buddhism, live as a nun and the leader of the social activity. In a good time they made temples, prayed Buddhist texts and studied Buddhist canons to attain enlightenment. Otherwise, In a bad time, specially in Lee-Dynasty they tried to keep their community with help of queens, princess and other nuns who came from loyal families and also normal women at that time. In spite of trying to destroy Buddhist nun's community and organization, they have worked hard to protect it against the government and politician.
Today, Korean nuns have a great role in the area of education, transmission of Buddhism, buddhist practice and translation of canons. Due to honourable and educated monks and nuns, Son masters, community's excellent leaders and helpful laypeople, Korean nuns have a good chance to develop Korean Buddhism and to help world-wide nun's community.
Chapter Ⅴ attempts to analyses buddhist nun's activity in Japan. Japanese nuns had difficulty to get ordination but they have tried to ordain Buddhist nuns in official form. Although japanese nuns were affected by monk's community, sects and government's control, they did not give up their own activity as a buddhist nun or woman disciple of Buddha. nuns of the Jodong Sect and other nuns in Buddhist sects had other method to live as a nun and they worked hard to sustain woman's community according to their own methods.
Chapter Ⅵ analyses Ost-asian nun's characteristic of activity and practice and Buddhist communities in China, Korea and Japan through looking into ordination, nun's garments, food and residence, also education system and the method of practice and enlightenment etc.
The resemblance and distinction of Ost-asian nuns and communities stand in parallel.
One of the characteristics of the ost-asian nun's community may be the appearance of sectarian nuns and communities.
There are various methods of nun's ordination different form Indian nun's ordination, specially Bodhisattva's rule-ordination like in the case of japanese nun's ordination.
The nun's lifestyle has been changed according to the change of time and place. Also nuns in Ost-asia had the shapes and colours of nun's garment. Begging food has changed into cooking in a temple. In general most of nuns became a vegetarian as one who practices to save living beings. They also have chosen fasting as a buddhist practice. Nun lived alone or together in a mountain temple. Instead of having special retreat time, they did practice everyday and every month. As a result, they gave us strong impression as one who practices and seek for the Buddhahood.
In Conclusion, this paper has attempted to sketch out the nun's lifestyle, practice, education, activity and the main characteristics and comparison of Ost-asian nuns and communities.
Ost-asian nuns and communities have been changed under circumstance of each land. This paper gives us various important information to understand Ost-asian nuns and communities. To know nuns and nun's communities in Ost-asia enables us to develop Korean Buddhism and nun's community.
Results of this study on the Buddhist nun's Community in Ost-asia leave more to be investigated and answered, but they do throw the basic clue to understand inclusive ost-asian nuns and communities.
keyword: nun, nun's community, nun's activity, practice, characteristics, comparison, Ost-asia.