The Origins of Buddhist Monastic Codes in China

The Origins of Buddhist Monastic Codes in China contains the first complete translation of China's earliest and most influential monastic code. The twelfth-century text Chanyuan qinggui (Rules of Purity for the Chan Monastery) provides us with a wealth of fascinating detail on all aspects of life in public Buddhist monasteries during the Sung (960-1279), including specific guidelines for itinerant monks, protocol for attending retreats, and details for requesting an abbot's instruction. A significant portion of the text is devoted to the administrative hierarchy within the monastery and the interaction of monks of various rank at a range of functions such as tea ceremonies, chanting rituals, and monastic auctions.
Part One consists of Yifa's overview of the development of monastic regulations in Chinese Buddhist history, a biography of the text's author, and an analysis of the social and cultural context of premodern Chinese Buddhist monasticism. Of particular importance are the interconnections made between Chan traditions and the dual heritages of Chinese culture and Indian Buddhist Vinaya. Although much of the text's source material is traced directly to the Vinayas and the works of the Vinaya advocate Daoan (312-385) and the Lu master Daoxuan (596-667), the Chanyuan qinggui includes elements foreign to the original Vinaya texts --- elements incorporated from Chinese governmental policies and traditional Chinese etiquette. Following the translator's overview is a complete translation of the text, extensively annotated. Scholars of East Asian Buddhism and those seeking information on Buddhist institutional norms, as well as Buddhist practitioners, will find this work an essential source.