印度社會有歧視女性的嚴重風氣，古婆羅門教制定的《摩奴法典》認為女性是情欲與性愛的表徵，強調女性的不淨與污穢。同樣發源於印度的佛教亦受到影響，綜觀原始《阿含經》到大乘佛經中，不乏貶抑女性的內容，然而在這些經典中，又不時出現盛讚女性即身證悟，蒙佛授記成佛的記載，如本論文即將探討的《大寶積經》卷第一百《無垢施菩薩應辯會》十二歲女無垢施便是。本論文將探討無垢施女問難八聲聞眾與八菩薩眾的內容。在即將入舍衛城乞食的途中，此八大聲聞弟子入定中的發願與八大菩薩的作念，是否符合各自所長？彼此之間可有次第先後？若有依何而定？並與維摩詰居士對十大聲聞與三十二位菩薩眾的問難做比較，以瞭解兩組問難之間的同異？

Indian society has been gravely discriminatory against women. The Manusmrti, decreed by the ancient Brahman religion, regards the female as symbol of passion and carnal love, emphasizing the uncleanliness and filth of women. Buddhism, similarly rooted in India, has been thus influenced. From the original Nikaya to the Mahayana scripture, there seems no lack of deprecatory contents regarding the fair sex. However, in the same scripture, highly favorable records about women getting enlightened in their lifetime, or becoming buddhas after being prophesized by Buddha, also appear occasionally. A good example is the 12-year-old girl Vimaladattā in Chapter 100 “A Discourse on Ready Eloquence of the Maharatnakutasutra,” which is the subject of the present study. This study shall examine the contents of the queries of Vimaladattā as directed at the eight sravakas and eight major bodhisattvas. On the way into the city of Sravasti to beg for food, did these eight major sravaka disciples make vows while in meditative concentration? It is to be examined whether such vows manifest their respective strength as compared with the wishes of the eight major bodhisattvas, whether there exists any priority among such vows, and whether there are any criteria for setting such priority. A comparison is made with the queries of Vimalakirti as directed at the ten sravakas and 32 bodhisattva, so as to appreciate the similarity and difference between the two sets of queries.