大宋僧史略 2.30

2.30

When a monastery is established, the three directors are instituted. It is like the great head-rope of a net: if one lifts it, all is aligned; hence they are so named. In Sanskrit they are mamate, sthitina, and karmanātha; in the language of China, they are the vihārasvāmin (director of the monastery), sthavira (seat elder), and karmadāna (rejoicer of the assembly). Examining this carefully, the vihārasvāmin originated with the White Horse Monastery in the Eastern Han. Once a monastery was established, someone had to manage it. Although at that time there was no title of vihārasvāmin, there was someone who managed its affairs. From the Eastern Jin onward, this office began to flourish; thus Hou Jing said that he would make the old fellow Xiao Yan the vihārasvāmin of Taiping Monastery. In the Northern Zhou, there was the vihārasvāmin of Zhihu Monastery, who was personally appointed by imperial edict. In the Sui, there was the vihārasvāmin of Daxingshan Monastery. In the Tang, Princess Taiping petitioned to appoint the barbarian monk Huifan as vihārasvāmin of Shengshan Monastery, even conferring upon him the third rank and enfeoffing him with a dukedom. Zetian appointed Xue Huaiyi as vihārasvāmin of the White Horse Monastery. These were all appointed by imperial edict; elsewhere in the various circuits, incumbents were replaced once every three years. Now, regarding the sthavira, there are three types. The Saṅgītiparyāya-abhidharma states: first, age by birth, being an elder; second, worldly wealth, reputation, and noble lineage (such as Military Commissioner Liu Rui, who upon renouncing household life was granted material gifts and monastic years); third, having received ordination earlier and having attained the fruits [of the path] earlier (this is called the most supreme). In establishing this position through ancient and modern times, one has always selected those of mature years and virtue with administrative capability to fill it. The Gaoseng zhuan frequently states: "imperially appointed as the sthavira of a certain monastery"; this is what it means. Daoxuan was imperially appointed as the sthavira of Ximing Monastery, ranking above the vihārasvāmin and the karmadāna; in the Chart of the Five Movements, those appointed by imperial edict followed continuously. As for the chief karmadāna (duweina), the Record of the Inner Law Sent Home states that it combines Chinese and Sanskrit: wei means head-rope, which is Chinese; na is an abbreviation of the Sanskrit, omitting the three syllables karma-dha. When Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei appointed Dharma Master Sengyi of the Huangjiu Monastery as the Chief Karmadāna of the Capital, this was an imperial appointment; this was the Chief Karmadāna of the Zhaoxuan Office. Those established in monasteries today—such as Xuanchang being imperially appointed as the karmadāna of Zongchi Monastery—are of this sort. Next, the seat controller (dianzuo) means the one who oversees and manages the bed-seats. In all matters, taking up the seats serves as one category to encompass them; thus he generally oversees miscellaneous affairs. Alternatively, one may establish an annual duty officer who serves for one full year, or a monthly duty officer, a half-month duty officer, or a daily duty officer; these are all karmadānas. They are instituted according to the locality. Collectively they are called the three directors; they hold miscellaneous responsibilities as monastic directors. During the early reigns of the Tang dynasty, monastic chiefs were not established; each monastery simply instituted these three officers. In the Yuanhe and Changqing eras, the Registrars of the Left and Right Streets were instituted to oversee all monks and nuns. If there was any business, it was reported first to the Registry and then to the civil authorities. The Later Liang, Later Tang, Jin, Han, Zhou, and now our Great Song have all followed this past system. Furthermore, during the Song and Qi dynasties, one Dharma Master (fazhu) was once established; thus Daoyou was imperially appointed as the Garrison Monastery Dharma Master of Xin'an Monastery, and Fayuan as the Dharma Master of Xianggong Monastery. Toward the end of the Tang, many were established: one master upon whom one relies (āśraya-ācārya) was instituted and also titled Dharma Master. In our present dynasty, among the officials who uphold the Vinaya, the one holding the highest post is titled School Master (zongzhu), which is similar. As for the relying ācāryas who were sometimes appointed by imperial edict, whenever there were disputes between clergy and laity whose rights and wrongs could not be distinguished, they would petition him to arbitrate and cause them to cease disputing; hence the designation. During the Zhou and Sui, there was Fadao, who specialized purely in the vinaya standards. Since the ruler of the Northern Qi revered the Dharma, the five assemblies flourished; whenever someone violated the vinaya, he ordered him to handle it, imperially appointing him as the Case-Adjudicating Śramaṇa. At that time, there were monastic lawsuits in Qingzhou and Qizhou; an imperial edict ordered him to adjudicate them, and the rampant disputes subsided on their own. Coming to the Sui, an edict ordered him to reside at Daxingshan Monastery; the title of "case adjudicator" began with Controller Zun (who was later promoted to Controller). Shi Yancong of Riyan Monastery under the Sui composed the Treatise on Monastic Officials; he must have explained monastic posts extensively, but in seeking the original text, I have not yet obtained it.