N/A / Unlike what most people believe, Buddhist monasteries rely not only on laymen’s financial support but also on the supports of families and relatives of monks and nuns. In addition, Buddhist renunciation does not always cut off the relationship of a monk or nun with their families. On the contrary, most of monks and nuns in my research remain close contacts with their families and relatives. It is believed that once a person joins the Order, he or she can rely fully on the monasteries’ financial, emotional and medical supports. However, this is not true in all Buddhist monasteries in Taiwan. Mutual dependency between monks or nuns and their families and relatives is the main focus of this research. With lack of supports of different aspects from the monasteries, monks and nuns will have to turn to their families and relatives for helps when needed. Therefore, keeping close and positive relationship with families and relatives is important to some monks and nuns. This research aims at: 1. finding out the kin relationships of monks and nuns; 2. looking at the mutual dependency between monks and nuns and their families or relatives; 3. comparing the ideology and reality of monastic life and Buddhist institution (monasteries). In order to achieve the above goals, I will look at possible causes that might affect the relationship between monks and nuns with their families and relatives. Moreover, although not intended, the reasons of renunciation will be discussed in this paper. Different from Buddhist monasteries in other countries and traditions, Taiwanese monasteries can be privately owned by monks, nuns, or laymen. Because of this fact, and because it determines whether monks and nuns will get necessary supports from the monasteries or not, so types of Buddhist monasteries in Taiwan will be discussed, too.

2001年3月31日於財團法人弘誓基金會所主辦的「第二屆印順導師思想之理論與實踐學術研討會」上，弘誓基金會的創辦人─釋昭慧法師率領八位法師居士代表上台，公開朗讀「廢除八敬法宣言」，並一一撕毀「八敬法」條文，將廢除八敬法運動推至高潮，導致教界與社會強大的迴響，並引起各界熱烈的討論，為台灣佛教史寫下了新的一頁。「八敬法」是佛陀創立僧團初期允許女性出家所制訂的戒律，縱觀佛教發展傳佈至今歷時二千五百多年，台灣佛教界竟然產生了「公然」廢除八敬法的運動，而且由一位比丘尼倡導，為什麼因緣會成熟在此時此地?其代表義意為何? 本論文試圖將「廢除八敬法運動」置於台灣比丘尼女權發展的脈絡下來加以探討，在佛教與女權論述方面，先探討西方佛教與女權相關理論的研究，進而從中歸納出的適用於檢視佛教女權發展的項度，將之應用於台灣佛教比丘尼女權發展的論析上，建構台灣比丘尼佛教女權發展的論述。本研究範圍，在對象上，以台灣比丘尼為論述中心，在時間上，從清末佛教傳入台灣後至2001年「廢除八敬法運動」，其間以台灣光復(1945年)及解除戒嚴(1987年)為區隔大致分為三個時期加以論述，輔以「資源分配」、「組織分工」、「意識形態」三個主要面向，來檢視佛教與女權的關係，藉由探討台灣佛教發展各時期佛教出家女性所處的情境，來說明台灣佛教比丘尼女權的發展脈絡，並將「廢除八敬法運動」置於此一背景下進一步闡述「廢除八敬法」的意義與影響。