釋氏要覽 1.244

1.244

此牒。自尚書省祠部司出。故稱祠部。按僧史略云。唐會要曰。則天延載元年五月十五日。勅天下僧尼。隷祠部。此為始也。義取其善禳惡福解災也○續會要云。天寶六年五月。制所度僧尼。仍令祠部。給牒。此為始也。

This certificate is issued by the Bureau of Sacrifices (Cibu) of the Department of State Affairs, hence it is called a Cibu certificate. According to the Sengshi lüe: 'The Tang huiyao says: "On the fifteenth day of the fifth month in the first year of the Yanzai era of Empress Wu (694 CE), an imperial edict subordinated monks and nuns throughout the realm to the Bureau of Sacrifices." This was the beginning of it. The intention was taken from their ability to bring good fortune, avert calamity, and resolve disasters.' / The Xu huiyao says: 'In the fifth month of the sixth year of the Tianbao era (747 CE), it was decreed that for ordained monks and nuns, the Bureau of Sacrifices should still issue certificates. This was the beginning of it.'