The ''Chanyuan qinggui'' (; ) or ''The Rules of Purity in the Chan Monastery'', is a highly influential set of rules for

Zen Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...

monasteries compiled by the Chinese monk

Changlu Zongze Changlu Zongze ( ) (died c. 1107) was a Chinese Chan Buddhism, Chan Buddhist monk noted for writing the ''Chanyuan Qinggui'', or ''The Rules of Purity in the Chan Monastery''. Written in 1103, it was the earliest comprehensive book of monastic rule ...

in 1103. Although many other monastic codes aimed at the Zen school would follow, ''Chanyuan qinggui'' is the oldest extant work of its kind. Prior to the ''Rules of Purity'', various translations of Indian

Vinaya The Vinaya (Pali & Sanskrit: विनय) is the division of the Buddhist canon ('' Tripitaka'') containing the rules and procedures that govern the Buddhist Sangha (community of like-minded ''sramanas''). Three parallel Vinaya traditions remai ...

texts had existed in China since the fifth century, while Chinese monks beginning with

Daoan Dao'an (; 312–385) was a Buddhist monk, author and bibliographer, during the Eastern Jin dynasty. He was from what is now Hebei. His main importance was that of overseer of translation of Buddhist texts into Chinese, organizer of the Chinese sa ...

has created

sangha Sangha is a Sanskrit word used in many Indian languages, including Pali meaning "association", "assembly", "company" or "community"; Sangha is often used as a surname across these languages. It was historically used in a political context t ...

regulations in the 4th century. However, none was extensive or geared towards any particular sect that existed at that time. Both types of regulations has a direct influence on ''Chanyuan qinggui'', but neither aimed to be nearly as extensive or authoritative. The text regulates nearly all aspects of daily life in a monastery, from the proper protocol for ceremonies to the correct way to visit the toilet. It also includes the ''

Zuochan Yi The ''Zuòchán Yí'' or ''Principles of Zazen'' (), is a short Chan Buddhist meditation manual attributed to a monk named Changlu Zongze (c. 11th century) during the Northern Song dynasty (CE 960 - 1126) which exemplifies the practice of seated m ...

'', the earliest known Chan Buddhist guide to sitting meditation. The text became the standard reference for its topic not only in

Song Dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

China, but also well into the

Yuan Dynasty The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fifth ...

, as well as abroad in Korea and Japan.

References

{{reflist Zen texts 12th-century Chinese books Chinese Buddhist texts Song dynasty literature