Posthumous Release for Lay Women in Tang China: Two Cases from the Longmen Grottoes

Cave burials at Longmen Grottoes, a renowned Tang-era Buddhist site, offered lay women a socially acceptable means to break familial ties after death. Two cases—Lady Lou and Lady Zhang—reveal distinct motivations: Lady Lou drew parallels with Indian ascetic practices without enacting compassionate offerings, while Lady Zhang was reburied by her sons in a joint tomb with her husband. Analysis of archaeological material and epigraphic evidence suggests that cave burials were not compromises but rather aligned with Buddhist teachings on posthumous release, addressing societal expectations around women's familial roles. The study highlights the persistence of family ties in the afterlife, with married women maintaining spousal and parental relations, while unmarried girls risked becoming seductive spirits due to lack of marital bonds.

Zhu, P. (2023). Posthumous Release for Lay Women in Tang China: Two Cases from the Longmen Grottoes. Religions, 14(3), 365. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14030365