14 Hui-kuo, A Leader

high-definition creative commons posters based on Kathryn Ann Tsai’s translation of Pi-chiu-ni chuan entitled, Lives of the Nuns.

A biographical account of Hui-kuo, a Buddhist nun active during the Sung Dynasty (420–479), detailing her ascetic and disciplined life and her founding of the Luminous Blessings Convent. The text describes her family origins and the generous gifts she received, which helped establish her monastic residence. A significant portion of the document focuses on a dialogue between Hui-kuo and the Central Asian missionary monk Guṇavarman concerning the validity of the status of Buddhist nuns and the proper training and obligation rules for women entering the monastic life in China. The source concludes by noting Hui-kuo's death at age seventy-seven in 433 and mentioning the strict observance of monastic rules by her disciples.

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