大宋僧史略 3.12

3.12

The rise of titles of worthiness has a distant origin. In the Wei and Jin periods, in the translations of the vinaya texts and karmavācanā liturgies, they were all called 'Bhadanta monks' (dade seng). Sūtras say, 'Born for the sake of the devas of great virtue (bhadanta)'; treatises say, 'All bhadantas endowed with spiritual penetrations...'; and various biographies privately referred to the virtuous and eminent among the monastic assembly mostly as 'Bhadanta'. These were not official appointments by the state dynasty. Coming to Emperor Daizong of the Tang, the inner palace issued a box of incense sent into the hands of the late Sthavira, Bhadanta Daoxuan of Ximing Monastery; this is where it first appears in historical records. Furthermore, in the second year of the Dali era of Emperor Daizong, Vinaya Bhadanta Chengru of Anguo Monastery submitted a memorial regarding the estate of a deceased monk, requesting that light and heavy penalties be judged in accordance with the vinaya; an imperial decree ordered that it be granted. Looking at this text, it resembles an imperial appointment. Yet sometimes imperial edicts say 'Elder monk So-and-so'—how could that be an official appointment? It was merely a temporary deferential embellishment. 'Bhadanta Daoxuan' and 'Vinaya Bhadanta Chengru' were likewise of this sort. On the fifth day of the fourth month in the sixth year of the Dali era, an imperial edict decreed that among the monks and nuns of the capital, ten Bhadantas of the Ordination Platform each be established as a permanent regulation, filling vacancies whenever they arose. This combined 'Ordination Platform' with the two characters 'Bhadanta', and was the beginning of state appointments to the title of Bhadanta. During the reign of Emperor Xianzong, Duanfu served as the Carriage-Leading Bhadanta, which combined 'Carriage-Leading' as its title. On the imperial birthday in the sixth month of the fourth year of the Dazhong era of Emperor Xuanzong, Bian and Zhao were the two Chan Bhadantas of the Inner Palace, which took their title by combining Chan studies. Furthermore, during the Dazhong era, by imperial decree the Platform Bhadanta of Shengshou Monastery, bestowed purple, Huiling, was appointed Sthavira of Zongchi Monastery; the Lecture and Debate Bhadanta of Chongfu Monastery, bestowed purple, Ruichuan, served as Vihārasvāmin; and the Platform Bhadanta of Fushou Monastery, bestowed purple, Xuanchang, served as Chief Karmadāna. In the tenth year of the Dazhong era, Xuanchang was promoted to Sthavira Bhadanta, Xuanze became Vihārasvāmin Bhadanta, and Jianxin became Joy-Maker (karmadāna); all followed imperial appointment. Imperially appointed titles thereby became increasingly distinct. In the sixth year of the Xiantong era of Emperor Yizong, Monk Faxin of Xiliang Prefecture received orders from Zhang Yichao, the Military Commissioner of his circuit, who dispatched him to present the commentary and subcommentary on the *Treatise on the Hundred Dharmas* composed by Dharma Master Chengen. The Two Streets assessed that it was fit for promulgation, and an imperial decree approved it. That monk Faxin was granted a purple robe and appointed Bhadanta of his circuit. Furthermore, in the first year of the Wende era of Emperor Zhaozong, on the imperial birthday named the Jiahui Festival, an imperial edict summoned monks and Daoists of the Two Streets to lecture and debate until dusk; each was bestowed shares of goods and silver vessels. Among the monks and Daoists granted master's titles, there were two from the Right Street; four each were granted purple robes, and ten each were granted titles of Bhadanta. Under the Zhu Liang, Later Tang, Jin, Han, and Zhou, this was sometimes practiced and sometimes not. Now, the court of our Great Song rarely confers titles of Bhadanta. During the Kaibao era, the Buddhist Registrars of the Left and Right Streets, according to old edicts, were permitted to evaluate and appoint the names and titles of monks in the miscellaneous subjects of the three disciplines, such as 'Chan Bhadanta', or in subjects such as lecturing on the sūtras, vinaya, and treatises, chanting invocations, hymning, and medical arts, which were fit to be granted the two characters 'Bhadanta'. Recently, Buddhist Registrar Daoshen did not follow the subject categories, but errantly fabricated grand and laudatory words for titles, even up to four or six characters, conferring them only after receiving bribes. In the regions of Jiangnan and the two Zhe circuits, there are even monasteries where, out of ten cloisters, none have ordinary monks fit to perform monastic corvée duties.