Zhixian (fourth century)
Zhixian (originally surnamed Zhao, ca. 300 – 370) was a Chinese Buddhist nun known for her resistance to anti-Buddhist pressures in the Jin period.
Life
According to the sixth-century Biographies of Buddhist Nuns by Baochang, Zhixian was from Changshan, the daughter of Zhen, a magistrate of Fuliu County. She entered the Western Nunnery in Sizhou.[1]
Baochang tells that the Taoist governor of the area, Du Ba, aimed to reduce the number of Buddhist monks and nuns in his jurisdiction by putting them through a strict test. Zhixian was the only able-bodied nun who remained to undergo the test rather than fleeing, and was found to be well above the standard. She survived a knife attack from Du Ba when she refused his sexual advances.[1]
Subsequently, Baochang relates, Zhixian continued to practice as a nun, gathering over a hundred followers. She received a precious gift of a brocade robe from the emperor Fu Jian. She survived into her seventies in the Tai-he period.[1]
Zhixian’s story has been noted for her courage in the face of Taoist competition and governmental threats against Buddhism.[2][3][4]
References
- ^ a b c Baochang (2002). "Biographies of Buddhist Nuns" (PDF). Lives of Great Monks and Nuns: 75–6 – via Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research.
- ^ Schireson, Grace (2009-10-27). Zen Women: Beyond Tea Ladies, Iron Maidens, and Macho Masters. Simon and Schuster. pp. 53–4. ISBN 978-0-86171-475-9.
- ^ Zürcher, Erik (2013-11-28). Buddhism in China: Collected Papers of Erik Zürcher. BRILL. p. 84. ISBN 978-90-04-26329-1.
- ^ Reading, Michael; Long, Jeffery D.; Miller, Christopher Patrick (2019-12-02). Beacons of Dharma: Spiritual Exemplars for the Modern Age. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. pp. 260–2. ISBN 978-1-9787-5496-6.