Overview

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 a wealth of detail on all aspects of life in public Buddhist monasteries during the Sung (960–1279). 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 Lü 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.

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9780824834258

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Reviews

Despite the central place of monasticism in the historical development of Chinese Buddhism, studies on the topic, with some prominent exceptions, are not as developed as other aspects of Chinese Buddhist history. Rev. Yifa's excellent book... goes a long way toward rectifying this situation. This book provides a wealth of information on the production of texts about monastic discipline and the institutional history of Chinese Buddhism, as well as a reliable translation of... the oldest comprehensive monastic code produced by the Chan school. As someone with a background in both religious and academic worlds, Yifa... brings to the subject a high level of scholarship and keen sensitivity to the intricacies of monastic life and institutions.... [This work] is an important contribution to Buddhist studies by helping to illuminate the institutional history of Chinese Buddhism up to the Song, thereby reshaping our understanding of the evolution of monasticism in China and the place of the Chan school in that protracted process. - Philosophy East & West

Author Information

Venerable Yifa is a nun belonging to the religious order Fo Guang Shan, which was founded by Venerable Master Hsing Yun in Taiwan and seeks to make Buddhist practice relevant to contemporary life. Yifa lives at Hsi Lai temple in Hacienda Heights, California. Venerable Yifa is also a contributor to Benedict's Dharma: Buddhists Reflect on the Rule of St. Benedict.

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