Fóshuō qīnǚ jīng 佛說七女經

Sūtra of the Seven Women translated by 支謙 (Zhī Qiān, 譯)

About the work

The Fóshuō qīnǚ jīng (T556) is a one-fascicle Mahāyāna sūtra by Zhī Qiān 支謙 (支謙). Seven women — daughters of a king — debate Buddhist doctrine and demonstrate exceptional bodhisattva-realization, in the same genre as the Candrottarā (KR6i0109) and other “wise women” texts.

Prefaces

The text opens with the canonical formula.

Abstract

A short Mahāyāna text in the wise-women genre, demonstrating female bodhisattva-capacity. Translation dated to Zhī Qiān’s Wú productive period (222–252 CE).

Translations and research

  • Paul, Diana Y. Women in Buddhism. Berkeley, 1979.