27 Seng-kuo, The Unbroken Lineage

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 the Buddhist nun Seng-kuo, who was born in 408 CE in Kuang-ling, detailing her life of exceptional devotion, rigorous asceticism, and meditative practice that led to her body appearing lifeless during deep meditation. A significant portion of the text discusses the challenges and historical precedents for Chinese women seeking full monastic ordination and the establishment of the Assembly of Nuns in China. Seng-kuo questioned the validity of the rituals for Chinese nuns, leading to the arrival of nuns from Sri Lanka who provided the full monastic obligations a second time in 434 CE, fully establishing the official Assembly of Nuns. The biography concludes by describing Seng-kuo’s final death during a period of meditation in 441 CE, where her body was mistaken for being in a profound yogic state.

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