Korean Buddhist Nuns and Laywomen: Hidden Histories, Enduring Vitality

3. Male Son Masters’ Views on Female Disciples in Later Koryo

3 Male SÆn Masters’ Views on Female Disciples in Later KoryÆ Young Mi Kim The idea that women can become enlightened follows naturally from the core Buddhist belief that enlightenment can be achieved by all creatures. When we review the history of Buddhism in Korea, however, we find that, due to the patriarchal nature of society and religious establishments, the possibility of enlightenment for women was not always recognized. There is historical evidence that after Buddhism was accepted in Paekche and Silla, bhik∑uˆ¥s (fully ordained Buddhist nuns) came to exist in both these kingdoms. There are records of the formation of associations of both bhik∑us (fully ordained Buddhist monks) and bhik∑uˆ¥s in Paekche and Silla,1 while in Silla there was a nuns’ government position called Toyunarang (scholars’ opinions differ as to the meaning of this title). Nonetheless, when we look at available stelae inscriptions from Silla, there are no records of any nuns’ activities. Because nuns were required to receive ordination from monks as well as from other nuns, their names ought to appear in the lists of students on the stelae of National Preceptors and Royal Preceptors. However, no name of any nun appears on a stela predating the KoryÆ period. To date, the earliest known record of the name of a nun in an inscription is the one on the stela of National Preceptor Chin’gak Hyesim (1178–1234), which lists her as his disciple. On this stela, which was found at the WÆllam-sa site, Chin’gak’s disciples are divided into the categories of TaesÆnsa (Great Zen Master), S„ngt’ong (Governing Monk), SÆnsa (Zen Master), Sujwa (Head Seat), Yangga-s„ngnok (Monk Recorder of the Two Rows), Samjung (Three Repetitions), TaesÆn (Great 45 46 KOREAN BUDDHIST NUNS AND LAYWOMEN Choice), and nuns. This stela was composed by Yi Kyu-bo four years after Hyesim’s death, between the twenty-fifth and twenty-seventh year of King Kojong’s reign (between 1238 and 1241), and was erected and carved in the thirty-seventh year (1250).2 The next stelae that record nuns’ names are the stela of the Indian monk Chigong (1235–1361)3 and the stelae of the KoryÆ monks Naong Hyeg„n (1320–1376)4 and T’aego Pou (1301–1382).5 Nuns are also listed as having been student assistants in the bottom part of the Recorded Sayings of Paegun Ky†nghan (1298–1374) and in the Chikchi simch’e yoj†l.6 Although these bhik∑uˆ¥s are all the students of Ch’an lineage, the names such as Myo___ (last character missing) and Myo___ (last character missing) are also found in the epitaph of the Hua-yen monk, Ch’Ænh„i (1307–1382).7 In the late KoryÆ, considerable numbers of women from the ruling class were ordained. In what follows, I examine the theory of women’s enlightenment put forward by National Preceptor Chin’gak Hyesim, whose stela contains the oldest recording of the names of specific nuns in the history of Korea. To do this, I first examine the social status of nuns in the KoryÆ period and the practice of Hyesim’s nun students, and then compare these nuns to the other nuns of early KoryÆ. The lack of records from Hyesim’s nun disciples’ point of view is a serious handicap in getting a picture of their practice, but we can obtain an indirect idea of what this practice may have been like based on the episodes recorded in his sayings where Hyesim offers guidance to nuns. THE ORDINATION OF WOMEN IN KORYO Û AND THE SOCIAL STATUS OF NUNS In KoryÆ, both men and women needed governmental permission to join a monastery. After obtaining permission from the government, they received a certificate.8 The monk or nun was then entered in the register of his or her home temple, which was inspected once every three years by the S„ngnoksa (Monastics Registry Office) and by the Yebu (Office of Rites). According to the Sabun-yul (C. Ssu-fen lü; Skt. Dharmaguptaka-vinaya; Vinaya of the Four Categories), and, in contrast to monks, women who received governmental permission and officially joined monasteries had to first be ordained by ten nuns in their home temple and then be ordained again by the ten nuns together with ten monks in a monks’ temple. However, there were also women who were ordained “illegally,” without governmental...