Introducing (Zen) Buddhist Philosophy with Abbess Mugai Nyodai

Abstract

This essay explores the enlightenment story of Abbess Mugai Nyodai (無外如大, 1223–1298), one of the most famous and influential Zen Masters of her time, as a recommendation for a piece to use for introducing students to (Zen) Buddhist philosophy. Because this is a story that features women, as both students and teachers, a story that was intended for pedagogical purposes with a wide-ranging lay audience, and because it is densely packed with rich philosophical material yet at the same time short and easily readable, I argue that it ought to be considered for use in Introduction to Philosophy or Introduction to Asian Philosophy courses, providing a variety of examples of how one might work through the text with students.