Understanding jielü 戒律: The Resurgence and Reconfiguration of Vinaya-Related Concepts in Modern China

Within the so-called two Buddhist “revivals” in modern and contemporary China, several resurgences of monastic discipline have also taken place. While the use of the concept of “revival” (fuxing 復興) to describe the dynamics within modern and contemporary Chinese Buddhism has recently been questioned, mainly due to the narrative of decline it implies, in the case of vinaya a concrete (re-)introduction of forgotten rituals and rules did occur. Relying on the well-established idea that vinaya was the foundation of the Buddhist dharma, these processes of vinaya revival served the purpose of regenerating Buddhism on “legitimate” basis during a time of decadence. But to what conceptions of jielü/vinaya did these modern and contemporary vinaya revivals refer? The understanding of jielü and other vinaya-related terms, which has undergone constant modifications throughout the history of Chinese Buddhism, has been reassessed again in modern times. This paper will consider both the re-elaboration of the concept in the field of Buddhist studies, as well as the understanding of the same concept within Chinese Buddhism, in order to understand how these different perspectives have affected each other. More precisely, the following questions will be addressed: To what extent has the modern understanding of Buddhism as a world religion influenced the conception of jielü/vinaya? What did jielü mean to modern Chinese Buddhist actors? What idea of monastic discipline is to be found in modern scholarship on Chinese Buddhism?