Monastic Discipline and the Life of Buddhist Monks and Nuns in Medieval China

Description

戒律是僧尼生活和行動的規範，乃因應印度環境而制定，而印中兩地在文化氣候等方面，顯著有別。因此，印度律制在東傳後不少難以執行，中土僧尼也會按實際情況，斟酌調整；或於佛典的眾多說法中，選擇合適者跟從。由是，律典所記的絕非僧尼生活的真實呈現。本計劃擬通覽佛書史傳金石等材料，揭示漢至晚唐期間僧尼在日常生活、法會遊化、慈善事務、經濟活動等方面的表現，並比對其跟律制規定有何出入，以及箇中緣由，期對佛教中國化的歷程及其跟中國社會的互動，有全面的了解。For a long time, the social life of Buddhist monks and nuns has been studied and described only using relevant records from the Buddhist Canon. In fact, such descriptions are somewhat idealized. This project will make use of various kinds of historical data to do a thorough study of the actual situation of Buddhist monks and nuns in China, particularly during the period from Wei-Chin to the late Tang dynasty.