唐代尼僧与世俗家庭的关系

The Relations between Buddhist Nuns and Their Families of T'ang China

按佛典规定 ,尼僧一旦出家就应断绝尘缘 ,与世俗家庭的关系自然也不复存在。但实际情况似乎并非如此。本文收集整理的唐代碑石和其他文献中的相关资料可以证明 ,唐代女子出家后依然被视为世俗家庭的成员 ,并与家庭、家族互为依存。唐代尼僧可以住家并参与家庭事务管理 ,死后亦可按俗法葬于家族墓地 ,至有“生归于佛 ,殁归于乡”、在迁化后葬归世俗家庭的现象发生。这生动地说明了中古中国佛教的中国化和世俗化倾向。

Buddhism sees its glorious time during T'ang China. It attracts attention of a great number of women to be pious disciples. Despite the fact that the Buddhist nuns are requested to break off relations with the secular world, we find those of T'ang Dynasty are still treated as members of their natal families; Some of them even choose to remain home, and help to manage the ordinary affairs. The secularization of Buddhism during this period is also strongly indicated in the Buddhist nuns' burial rituals. Many of them choose to be buried in the way of non-Buddhists. Not a few even prefer to being buried in their families' tomb groups. These kinds of facts convey us the information of the degree of the interaction between the two main traditions of Buddhism and Confucianism.This thesis, as the title indicates, tries to reveal the complexity of the context in which Buddhist nuns maintain close relations with their families, as well as their secular activities that are quite beyond the religious practice.