卷三傳十一法音寺淨珪尼

淨珪。本姓周。晉陵人也。寓居建康縣三世矣。珪幼而聰穎一聞多悟。性不狎俗早願出家。父母怜之不違其志。為法淨尼弟子住法音寺。德行純邃經律博通。三業禪祕無不善達。神量淵遠物莫能窺。遺身忘味常自枯槁。其精進總持為世法則。傳授訓誘多能導利當世歸心。與曇簡尼同憩法音寺。後移白山栖託樹下。功化轉弘。

以建武元年二月八日。與曇簡同夜燒身。道俗哀赴莫不哽咽。收其舍利樹封墳剎焉

3.11 (Tsai no.47) Ching-kuei

The nun Ching-kuei (Pure Symbol) (d. 494) of Voice of the Teaching Convent

Ching-kuei's secular surname was Chou. Her family was originally from Chin-ling [to the southeast of the capital, Chien-k'ang], but they had lived in the Chien-k'ang district for three generations by the time she was born.

As a child Ching-kuei was very intelligent and often needed to hear something only once to understand it. By natural inclination she did not associate with worldly people and very early on wished to leave the household life. Her parents, sympathizing with her, did not oppose her resolve, and she took up residence in Voice of the Teaching Convent as a disciple of the nun Fa-ching.

She was pure in conduct, broadly versed in both the scriptures and the monastic rules, and well accomplished in all the meditative secrets of the three types of Buddhist paths. In short, Ching-kuei's spiritual capacity was so vast that no one could fathom it; on the other hand she neglected her body and forgot the taste of food to the point that she was always emaciated. Her vigor and memory were models for the world, and her teaching and guidance greatly benefited everyone of that time who turned to her.

Ching-kuei lived together with the nun T'an-chien in Voice of the Teaching Convent, and she [too] eventually moved to White Mountain, where she dwelt beneath the trees, her meritorious influence spreading far.

In the first year of the chien-wu reign period (494), on the night of the eighth day of the second month [traditionally thought to be the day of the Buddha's complete and final entry into nirvana], Ching-kuei burned her body at the same time as the nun T'an-chien (no. 46). Religious and laity, all grieving and weeping, collected her relics and buried them in a tomb.