"Transmitting the Precepts in Conformity with the Dharma”: Restoration, Adaptation, and Standardization of Ordination Procedures

In the PRC, “triple platform ordination” (santan dajie 三坛大戒) and, in the case of nuns, “dual ordination” (erbuseng jie 二部僧戒) procedures were selected as the normative models to be followed in all Buddhist ordinations. Established after a long ban in the Maoist era in order to revive the monastic community according to what were perceived as elevated and ‘proper’ criteria (rufa chuanjie 如法传戒, “transmitting the precepts according to the Dharma”), the restoration and adaptation of ancient rituals and rules have further involved a process of standardization and unification. The objective of the present study is to provide an evaluation of this phenomenon, taking into account the positions and perspectives of the various actors involved, as well as external factors such as the role of governmental authorities and of international interlocutors.