大宋僧史略 2.24

2.24

When the Yao Qin established the Rectifier, although there was no title of Deputy Rectifier, there was the intention of a secondary assistant. Therefore, Huiyuan was used as pleaser of the assembly (karmadāna), and the two masters Qin and Bin managed the registers. This was a division of grades and bureaux to jointly accomplish monastic affairs, without explicitly stating the two characters 'Deputy Rectifier'. When the Wei changed the name to Controller of the Saṃgha to make it the principal post, it appointed the Chief of Śramaṇas to serve as the secondary support, which is the karmadāna (duweina). Thus Emperor Xiaowen's edict stated: 'Secondary protocols and assistant affairs are shared by both black-robed and white-clad. Recently, because Controller Yao managed affairs single-handedly, this office was consequently abolished (thus we know that before Tanyao, a deputy post had been established). Now, wishing to assist virtue and encourage goodness, we certainly require such a person. Dharma Master Sengyi of the Imperial Uncle Temple is reverent in conduct and clear in spirit, gentle, intelligent, cautious, and upright; his practice is flourishing and his Way superior, suitable to take up the secondary support. He may fill the post of karmadāna to bring lustre to the worthy assembly.' Thus we know that the Wei used the pleaser of the assembly as deputy, and by analogy we know that in the Yao Qin era Huiyuan was the deputy. If so, the Later Wei also adopted the Qin system, yet the Biographies of Eminent Monks does not point this out, probably because they were not clearly versed in the meaning of the terms. Furthermore, at that time individual temples separately established the three officers; would the karmadāna of a temple not be confused with this? The answer is: there are two reasons they were not confused. First, the imperial appointment made him deputy to the Zhaoxuan Controller of the Saṃgha; second, he himself held the title of karmadāna under the Zhaoxuan Office. How could he be the same as a temple's pleaser of the assembly? Emperor Xiaowu of the Southern Song Dynasty respected Huiqu. Qu once led chants before the emperor, and during a vegetarian feast was donated ten thousand [coins] and decreed Metropolitan Karmadāna. Here, the two characters 'Metropolitan' distinguish it. In Jiangzuo (the south), Rectifiers were established, and some appointed deputies while others did not. When the Sui unified [the empire], it returned to following the Northern dynasties in using Controller as principal and Chief as deputy. When it came to the Yuanhe and Changqing eras of the Tang, they first established Buddhist Registrars to record the monks of the Left and Right Streets, also without secondary offices. Next there was the Leader of the Three Teachings. In the Qianning era of Zhaozong (894–898 CE), the Leader was changed to Deputy Buddhist Registrar, obtaining Juehui. The Deputy Registrar began with Master Hui. Under the Liang of Zhu [Wen], the Later Tang, Jin, Han, and Zhou, it was sometimes established and sometimes eliminated, appearing and disappearing irregularly. Now in the sixth year of Taiping Xingguo of the Great Song (981 CE), an imperial edict established the Deputy Buddhist Registrar of the Right Street to oversee the affairs of the teaching of the Right Street.