Life stories – Chinese women ancestors

For general sources click here. For sources about Chinese ancestors, also see the corresponding section under Literature. Where applicable, specific sources are mentioned in the life description of the ancestor.

Jingjian (ca. 292-361)

Zhu Jingjian is regarded as the first Buddhist nun in China. She was born with the name Zhong Lingyi and lived at the eastern end of the Silk Road. Jingjian received education in calligraphy, painting, chess, and playing the lute. She married as a young girl and moved to Luoyang.

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

By around 200 AD, a fairly large Buddhist community had already emerged in Luoyang. It was the seat of the ruling Jin Dynasty, with a population of about 600,000, making it the second largest city in the world at the time (with Rome being the largest). However, when Jingjian was 19 years old – 311 AD -, it was completely destroyed during a war.

Her husband passed away soon after. This left Jingjian in the position of having to support herself, which she did by teaching the skills she had been trained in. Jingjian was deeply interested in Buddhism, and after much searching, she found a monk named Fashi who was willing to teach her. At home, she also studied the sutras he lent her. She gained profound insight into Buddhist teachings, and around the age of 30, she desired to become a nun. However, the Buddhist regulations for nuns were not yet known in China at that time. Therefore, he gave her the ten precepts for monks. She founded her own monastery for women in Luoyang: the Zhulin Monastery – the Bamboo Grove Monastery – thereby creating a path for women to practice. In the absence of an official female teacher, she passed on what she had received to her fellow nuns. It was said that her teachings were even superior to those of venerable monks. 

Zongji (ca. 504-575)

She was likely the daughter of Emperor Wu. Little is known about her, but it is clear that she became a disciple of Bodhidharma, the first patriarch of Zen, at the Shaolin Monastery.

Shaolin klooster (Photo: Gary Todd)

She became one of his four successors, as described in the story where Bodhidharma questions them about their understanding of the Dharma. Upon Zongji’s response, he remarked, “You have my flesh.” The other three received his skin, his bones, and his marrow. Although the Zen lineage continued through Huike, who received “the marrow,” the famous Zen master Dogen (1200-1253) explicitly refers to them as four equivalent successors.

Lingzhao (762-808)

She was the daughter of the renowned lay practitioner P’ang Yun, who wrote a book filled with humorous stories about their family and his conversations with Zen masters. Lingzhao grew up in Hengzhou, present-day Hengyang, in the middle of southeastern China. Her father was a merchant involved in trading silk clothing among other things. Her mother worked in and around the house, as well as on the land. Both parents dedicated themselves to practicing chán – later known as Zen in Japan – in their daily lives. Lingzhao also had an older brother.

Her name means Spirit Shining. She was intelligent and showed an excellent ability to comprehend and articulate spiritual matters. When Lingzhao was 18 years old, her father gave away their house and all their possessions, and the family lived without a fixed abode. He would often be away for extended periods visiting monasteries and Zen masters. At the age of 28, Lingzhao insisted on accompanying him. Thus, they traveled around for years, supporting themselves by making woven household items from bamboo and grass.

Lingzhao, painting Muromachi periode, Japan (Photo: Nara National Museum)

Her father not only debated with many Zen teachers but also with Lingzhao, who always managed to give a very direct and fitting expression of the Dharma. When Lingzhao was 46 years old, she fearlessly chose her death in a remarkable, almost playful Zen dialogue with her father. When he saw that she had passed away, he responded calmly, “My daughter has gone ahead of me once more.”

Ling Xingpo (lived in the 8th century)

Ling Xinpo had a clear insight into the Dharma, as evidenced by the conversations she engaged in. When she was still young and had only just entered the monastery, she visited the Zen teacher Fubei, successor to Mazu. She asked Fubei how he could give instruction when the true word cannot be spoken, no matter how hard one tries. He couldn’t really provide a satisfactory answer to this.
Later, she was praised by the renowned Zen master Zhaozhou with whom she exchanged poems. 

Ling Xingpo is mentioned in ‘The Transmission of the Lamp’ (circa 1004) in the history of Fubei.

Moshan Liaoran (lived in the 9th century)

There is little to nothing known about the life of Moshan Liaoran before she became a nun. She received transmission from Gaoan Dayu, a descendant of Zen master Mazu, and had her own monastery on a mountain. One day, the monk Guanzhi Zhixian visited her monastery. He was on a pilgrimage after studying under Zen master Linji. Guanzhi is full of suspicion about Moshan because she is a female Zen master. However, after their initial meeting, he becomes her disciple and later her Dharma successor. At the end of his life, he says about his teachings: “I received half a ladle from father Linji and half a ladle from mother Moshan,  thus obtaining the full ladle. Ever since – after fully digesting it – I have been very content.”

Moshan Liaoran is the first woman Dharma heir in the official Chan transmission line. In “The Transmission of the Lamp” – Jingde Chuan Denglu, circa 1004 – she has her own chapter, being the only woman to do so.

Dogen Zenji (1200-1253) praises her as he emphasizes that monks should receive instruction from good Zen masters, whether they are male or female. 

Liu Tiemo, “Iron Grinder Liu” (ca. 780-859)

Liu Tiemo was born into a peasant family in the northern part of central China. She was a simple girl with a short, plain stature who helped her father work the land of a wealthy farmer. The family was poor, and there was little to eat. Therefore, Liu left home at a young age and wandered around, often seeking shelter in convents. At some point, she asked to be ordained. She focused on study and meditation and worked diligently. Eventually, she became a disciple of Zen master Guishan, who appointed her as one of his Dharma successors. The great Japanese Zen teacher Hakuin later said of them that they were two masters, completely open.

(Photo: Soo Chul Park)

Liu Tiemo’s nickname was Iron Grinder, the mill that grinds iron instead of wheat or rice. She earned this name because she was a feared Zen teacher, sharp of mind, grinding away every illusion and winning any dharma debate against any monk. She is featured in the koan collection “The Book of Equanimity” (case 60) and in “The Blue Cliff Record” (number 24).

See also her extensive life story.

Miaoxin (840-895)

The name Miaoxin means ‘Wonderful Belief’. Little is known about her. Her nickname was Huaizi, “child of the Huai River”. This is a river over 1000 km long. It is likely that Miaoxin was born somewhere along the banks of this river. She became a disciple of Zen master Yangshan Huiji. Yangshan was the dharma brother of the female Zen master Liu Tiemo ‘Iron Grinder’. This might have encouraged Yangshan to accept women as disciples. He certainly held Miaoxin in high regard and appointed her head of secular affairs for his monastery. Like Liu, Miaoxin was a formidable debater in dharma-combat.

One day, seventeen monks came to the monastery for dharma interview with the master. Miaoxin overheard them beforehand debating the meaning of a story about flags in the wind from the Sixth Patriarch Huineng. With just one remark, she corrected them. This gave the monks such profound insight that they didn’t go to Yangshan but left the monastery instead.

The Japanese Zen master Dogen (13th century) cites her as an example when reprimanding monks for their reluctance to receive teachings from female teachers.

Shiji (lived in the 9th century)

Her name means ‘Absolute Reality.’ Actually, very little is known about her personal life, but it is said that she had a deep insight into Zen. Everywhere she went to teach, she adapted, and she was skilled in giving dharma teachings. She lived during a time when Buddhism was severely persecuted. More than 40,000 temples were destroyed, and hundreds of thousands of monks and nuns fled or left monastic life.

Shiji played an important role in the awakening of Zen master Gutei (Jinhua Juzhi). The event is described in the koan collection “The Blue Cliff Record,” case 19. In the story, Shiji unexpectedly visits Gutei, who had fled to a hermitage in the mountains. She circumambulates the seated Gutei three times as a greeting in conformity with Buddhist etiquette, but doesn’t take off her hat—which was actually quite impolite. Then she tells him to do so only if he can say something here and now. However, Gutei is speechless. Shiji walks around him, stamps her staff on the ground, repeats her question twice more, but Gutei still could not answer the question.

Shiji leaves, and Gutei realizes that despite his status as a sutra master, he lacks true insight and sets out in search of real understanding.

‘Old woman, seen from the back’ by Vincent van Gogh ( Photo: Picryl)

When Shiji is about to leave, Gutei asks the nun to stay. It’s already getting dark, and he offers to arrange shelter for her. “If you can speak one Zen word, I will stay,” she challenges him one last time. But once again, Gutei is speechless. Shiji leaves, and Gutei is left in great uncertainty and shame. His confidence is shattered, and he realizes that despite his status as a sutra master, he does not possess true insight. However, the event has made him very receptive, for just a few days later, the old master Tenryu passes by his hut. Gutei approaches him and begs, “What is the fundamental word of Zen? Tell me!” Tenryu raises one finger, and Gutei cracks open.

Juhan Daojen / Jishou (lived in the 11th century)

There is almost nothing known about her. She was a dharma successor of Yuanwu Keqin (1063–1135), a Zen master who compiled the koan collection ‘The Blue Cliff Record’. For her awakening, he used a koan containing the phrase “It’s not mind, it’s not Buddha, it’s not a thing. What is it?”. Dahui, the dharma brother of Juhan, later exclusively used this phrase with his own female disciple Miaodao .

Daoshen (lived around the year 1000)

Very little is known about Daoshen. She was a dharma successor of Furong Daokai, who lived from 1043-1118. Furong was a Zen master who revived the Soto lineage in China. Daoshen had two male dharma successors.

Huiguang (12th century)

Not much is known about Huiguang’s background. She was a dharma successor of Kumu Facheng. Kumu was a dharma brother of the female Zen master Daoshen. After her transmission, Huiguang became the abbess of Dongjing Miaohui, a large and important monastery in Kaifeng. She was also known as Great Master Jingzhi. In a lecture, she spoke about the koan ‘The Old Woman of Mount Wutei’, in which an old woman shows the way to the renowned Zen master Zhaozhou. By recounting this koan, she expressed her respect for this nameless old woman. The story is included in the koan collections ‘The Gateless Gate’ (case 31) and ‘The Book of Equanimity’ (case 10). Huiguang was known for her eloquence and extensive knowledge. She spoke to mixed groups of nuns and monks and also taught the Emperor of China.

Her lectures are recorded in the Jiatai Pudeng Lu – ‘The Comprehensive Record of the Transmission of the Lamp’, circa 1204.

Huiwen (12th century)

Huiwen was a dharma successor of Foyan Qungyuan. She was appointed to teach at the Jingju Monastery of Wenshou and gave lectures to the public by imperial decree. Her teachings are included in two collections, the Liandeng Huiyao (1183) and the Wudeng Huiyao (13th century).

Fadeng (12th century)

She was a dharma successor of the female Zen master Huiwen, and was also known as Great Master Wuxiang. Like her teacher Huiwen, Fadeng taught at the Jingju Monastery of Wenshou. Her history and teachings are recorded in the Jiatai Pudeng Lu – ‘The Comprehensive Record of the Transmission of the Lamp’, circa 1204.

Les Matriarches du Zen – François Loiseau

Yu Daopo (ca. 1100-1160)

Yu Daopo was married. She had heard Zen Master Langye Yongqi speak about ’the true person without rank,’ which deeply resonated with her. Shortly after, while walking to the local temple with her husband carrying a tray of pastries, she was suddenly awakened by a beggar singing “Happiness in the Land of the Lotus.” She dropped the tray on the ground. Her husband got angry, but she slapped him, saying, “This isn’t your realm!”

Mooncakes

Yu Daopo became the successor of Langye and was his only Dharma heir. However, she refused to be ordained. She simply stayed with her husband and started a pastry shop. When a customer was a monk, she engaged in dharma debates with him and taught in her own very direct way. She was friends with Zen Master Yuanwu Keqin – the one who compiled the famous koan collection,The Blue Cliff Record. She also debated with him without hesitation and to the great delight of both of them.

Miaodao (1090-1163)

Miaodao was born into an influential and politically successful family residing in Northern China. As a child, she often sought solitude to contemplate. Her father did not want her to become a nun, but when she still insisted on it at the age of 20, he agreed. She traveled around, studied with various teachers, but spent most of her time alone. A tumultuous period of war and conflict ensued, leading to the fall of the Northern Song dynasty, and Miaodao received news that her entire family had been killed.

At the age of 44, she heard Zen Master Dahui Zonggao teaching and became his disciple. Up until then, she had primarily practiced ‘silent illumination,’ a form of Zen that emphasized sitting meditation. Dahui belonged to the Rinzai school within Zen. With Miaodao, he introduced hua-t’ou for the first time, using a single phrase from a koan. He chose: “It is not the mind, it is not Buddha, it is not a thing; what is it?”. The teacher of Dahui had used the entire koan with his female disciple Juhan Jishou Daoren. Miaodao is the first person to awaken through the practice of hua-t’ou. Up to the present day, this method is still used.

She was Dahui’s first dharma successor. However, Miaodao is not included in his official lineage. The story and teachings of her are included in the official genealogies of Chan (Chinese Zen), the “Liandeng Huiyao” from 1183, and the “Jiatai Pudeng Lu – The Comprehensive Record of the Transmission of the Lamp,” circa 1204.

In one of her teachings, Miaodao says: “Each person is complete in every way, each thing is perfect.That which is totally complete and perfect covers the earth and reaches to heaves. Eyes are horizontal and noses are vertical.” This last sentence has become well-known through the Japanese Zen master Dogen, but a hundred years before him, Miaodao was already using this expression.

Zhidong / Kongshi Daoren (Weiju) (1050- 1124)

Zhidong was born into a well-educated, literate family and received a good education. She was married to the grandson of the prime minister but couldn’t endure it. Although her husband let her go, her father didn’t allow her to enter the monastery, which was her deepest wish. She took care of her parents, lived simply, and meditated intensively on a Buddhist text. This brought her deep understanding. After her parents passed away, family obligations required her to care for her brother. As a lay practitioner, she studied under various Zen masters and received the name Kongshi Daoren. When she was 61, her brother passed away. Kongshi was free, but by then she had realized that truly awakening is not about wearing robes. She remained a layperson. However, she often visited the Zen teacher Sixin Wuxin, and one day the last obstacle fell away. This was confirmed by Sixin when he gave her transmission..

Kongshi chose not to establish herself as a Zen teacher, didn’t run a monastery, and didn’t take on students, but remained in worldly life. She opened a bathhouse and shared the Dharma in her own way while working, attuned to each individual.

Many people around her didn’t know that the old woman from the bathhouse was a great Zen master. She wrote a book of commentaries called “The Record on Clarifying the Mind,” which was spread throughout China, but unfortunately, it has been lost. At the end of her life – at the age of 74 – she closed the bathhouse. She moved into a monastery and finally received ordination, taking the name Weiju. She was respected by renowned Zen masters, and it’s said that many awakened through her..

See also her extensive life story.

Miaozong (1095-1170)

Miaozong was the granddaughter of prime minister Su Song. As a teenager, she was already captivated by questions like: where do we come from when we are born? And where do we go when we die? At the age of 15, she gained profound insight from contemplating these questions, but she didn’t talk about it because she thought everyone knew this.

Although raised in a privileged environment, Miaozong faced the limitations of her time as a woman. She had to marry a man chosen by her parents. Still, she visited various Zen masters because she found married life to be empty and superficial. It’s likely that her contact with Zen masters was allowed despite her being a woman because of her older sister-in-law Kongshi Daoren, who also practiced Zen.

From the dialogues Miaozong had with various Zen masters, her understanding into Buddha-nature was clearly evident, transcending biases about men and women. In 1137, she met Dahui. She became his disciple, making her the dharma-sister of Miaodao. Dahui gave her the name Wuzhou, meaning ‘Non-Attachment’. A notable event is the dharma conversation she had with the head monk at his own request. He had difficulty accepting the presence of a woman within the monastery walls.

‘Danaë’ by Rembrandt van Rijn ( The Hermitage, St. Petersburg)

Miaozong received him for this dharma interview while she was completely naked. During the conversation, she referred to her vagina as ’the place from which all Buddhas, patriarchs, and great monks originate,’ clearly indicating that the head monk himself was creating the issue based on her being a woman.

In 1138, Miaozong received dharma transmission from Dahui, but like his first successor Miaodao, she was not included in his official lineage. She was a respected Zen master. Dahui regularly sent female students to Miaozong, and both laypeople and monastic disciples sought her guidance. Many years after her transmission, in 1162, she became a nun and abbess of a monastery.

Unfortunately, both the biography written about Miaozong and her lectures have been lost. However, there is still a collection of 43 commentaries written by her on koans from earlier masters. To this day, she is honored in Japan.

Lady Qinguo (lived in the 12th century)

Actually, we know little more about her background than that she was the wife of an important official in Sichuan province. She became one of the six female Dharma successors of Zen master Dahui, alongside Miaodao and Miaozong. Dahui also used the hua-t’ou method with his disciple Lady Qinguo,which involves intense meditation on just one phrase from a koan. He gave her the phrase ‘The dog has no Buddha-nature’. This ultimately led her to a profound awakening

(Photo: Picryl)


Two male Japanese Zen masters from the 17th century, Jifei Ruyi and Tiebi Huiji, used Lady Qinguo as an example to encourage their aristocratic students, stating that being a woman is not an impediment to realization.

Wenzhao (lived around 1200)

Little is known about Wenzhao. She was born in a coastal province south of Shanghai. At the age of 17, she became a nun. She wandered around, practiced under various Zen masters, and received transmission from Ganlu Zhongxuan. Afterwards, she served as abbess of five monasteries, reforming the Vinaya tradition to Chan. She encouraged her students to recognize and practice their Buddha-nature for the benefit of all beings. Among her successors, there was at least one male Dharma heir. Her story and teachings are recorded in the Jiatai Pudeng Lu, The Comprehensive Record of the Transmission of the Lamp, from around 1204.

Miaohui (lived in the 17th century)

She was born in Changzhou, located about 200 km west of Shanghai, and was named Zhang Ruyu. As a young woman, she married, but her husband passed away shortly after their wedding. Her parents wanted her to remarry, but Zhang refused.

After both her father and mother had passed away, she decided to become a nun at the Banto Convent in Changzhou, where she took the name Miaohui. She was a renowned poetess. In one of her poems, she describes how life in the monastery and the loving relationships among its members led her to enlightenment. Miaohui became a Zen teacher with many students. She passed away in her 80s. Unfortunately, almost all of her poems have been lost. (One of her poems can be read in the source below.)

Zhiyuan Xinggang (1597-1654)

Xinggang grew up as an only child in Jiaxing, about 100 km southwest of Shanghai. She was intelligent and had a talent for poetry writing. She had been engaged with Buddhism from a young age. When she was 18 years old, her parents insisted that she marry, although she did not want to.

Her prospective husband passed away before the marriage could take place. However, as was customary at that time, Xinggang had to move in with her in-laws to fulfill her obligations. She continued her Buddhist practice. Over the years, her desire for deepening her practice grew, but so did her despair because she felt so restricted and time was ticking away. Her desperation became so great that she stopped eating and drinking.

(Photo: by Kelly, Pexels)

Both her parents and in-laws agreed to release her from the obligation. However, she could not escape the traditional duty of caring for her own parents. Xinggang could have continued her Buddhist practice at home, but she wanted more. While dedicating her days to caring for her parents, she also sought teachings from various Zen masters.

After both her parents had passed away, she had the freedom to become a nun. Xinggang practiced very intensively, experiencing periods of deep doubt and frustration. Ultimately, she awakened during a Dharma conversation with her Zen master Shiche about nurturing and giving birth to her spiritual embryo. She was 41 years old at the time.

Zhiyuan Xinggang (Foto: terebess.hu)


A few years after her Dharma transmission, she became abbess and became known as a charismatic and articulate Zen master. She taught with warmth and emphasized the joy of awakening. Many of her students – both men and women – were lay practitioners. She had seven female Dharma successors. One of them, Yikui Chaochen, wrote a biography about Xinggang. Her collection of talks and poems has been preserved.

Jizong Xingche (1606-?)

Xingche was born into a wealthy, highly educated family. Her father was a scientist who often traveled for his work and would also visit Buddhist teachers during his trips. Xingche herself showed an interest in Buddhist teachings from a young age.

Her parents provided her with a good general education, after which she was expected to marry. The marriage didn’t last long. After having several children, her husband passed away. Xingche retreated to a piece of family land and devoted herself to meditation. After some time, she studied under various Zen masters. Eventually, she received Dharma transmission from Zen master Wanru Tongwei.

Initially, she wanted to live in seclusion, but Wanru Tongwei asked her to teach. She became the abbess of the Huideng Monastery in Suzhou. In 1656, a substantial collection of her teachings and poems was published. She had many female and male students, both monastic and lay.

Jifu Zukui (lived in the 17th century)

She was born in Huzhou, 150 km west of Shanghai. As she grew up, it quickly became apparent that Zukui was an intelligent girl. However, apart from the fact that she never married, little is known about her background.

Zen master Jiqi Hongchu was the one who gave her transmission. Jiqi had three female Dharma successors: Zukei, Renfeng Jiyin, and Baochi Jizong. Zukui maintained a long friendship with Baochi. Together, they added comments to a collection of koans that the female Zen master Miaozong had collected and annotated five hundred years earlier. This collection of three different female Zen masters is still published to this day.

Zukui became abbess of the Marvelous Clarity Monastery and the Cliffside Flower Monastery. Many of her talks and poems have been preserved and published in two books. In both editions, almost no biographical information is included. Those who wrote the introductions for the books particularly emphasize her excellence as a Zen master. It seems that Zukui attached little importance to her personal background or her qualities as an abbess. Her focus was on the Dharma.

Shenyi (?- 1662)

At her birth, she was named Xia Shuji. She grew up in a family that supported the Ming dynasty. Her father was a high official in the ministry. Shuji received a good education in literature, art, and calligraphy, and had a talent for writing poems. It was the transitional period from the Ming to the Qing dynasty, marked by war, rebellion, looting, and much chaos in the country. Shuji’s father fought in the Ming army but committed suicide after the army suffered major losses. Her 16-year-old brother and her husband also perished in battle. Shuji was left behind with a one-year-old son. Worldly life was over for her, and she retreated to a small hermitage. 

(Photo: Khan Academy)

Over time, several family members followed her example, including two sisters-in-law. She received the name Shenyi (also written as Shengyin) and had many students. There was a collection of her many talks, but unfortunately, it has been lost.