194 ann heirman
attention, to the expense of the vinaya tradition of the participants.^180
As for the later ordinations of the Chinese monks and nuns, the vinayas
do not seem to be mutually exclusive. The south usually preferred the
Sarvstivdavinaya, while in the north the Mahsghikavinaya prevailed,
followed by the Dharmaguptakavinaya.^181 The latter vinaya gradually gained
in importance until, in the north, it became the most in uential one by
the time the northern monk Daoxuan (596–667) wrote his com-
mentaries. The south still mainly followed the Sarvstivdavinaya.
From the seventh century onwards, more and more protest was raised
against the use of different vinayas in China. In his Further Biographies of
Eminent Monks (Xu gaoseng zhuan ), the monk Daoxuan regrets
that even though the rst ordinations [in China] were based on the
Dharmaguptaka school, one followed [in the south] the Sarvstivda
school.^182 Also Yijing argues against the eclectic use of vinaya rules and
stated that for a Buddhist community it is important to strictly observe
only one vinaya.^183 The idea of the exclusive use of one vinaya in the
Chinese monasteries was not only based on Buddhist motives, but politi-
cal reasons also played an important part. When after a long period
of fragmentation of the Chinese territory (317–589), the rst emperor
of the Sui dynasty (r. 589–605) came to power, he was bidding for the
favour of the Buddhist community in his struggle to make the country
one. At the same time, he also wanted to control the community and
its ordinations.^184 The rulers of the early Tang, although less favour-
able towards Buddhism than the Sui rulers, continued this policy of
control.^185 In this context, a uni cation of the ordination procedures
would have been helpful to the court. It is therefore not surprising that
when the very active vinaya master Dao’an (654–717), who seemed
(^180) See Heirman 2001, pp. 293–298.
(^181) See Heirman 2002b, pp. 402–424.
(^182) Daoxuan, T.2060.50.620b6. See also Daoxuan’s Sifen lü shanfan buque xingshi chao
(T.1804.40.2b19–20): one vinaya (Dharmaguptakavinaya) is the basis, but, if needed, other
vinaya 183 s can be consulted.
See note 76.
(^184) The search for uni cation of the Chinese empire and the control of the Chinese
Buddhist monks are closely intermingled (see Wright 1957, pp. 93–104; Weinstein 1973,
p. 283). Monks were required to obtain of cial ordination certi cates, and disciplin-
ary rules were promoted. See also Wright (1959, p. 68): “It was no accident that the
Sui founder chose a Vinaya master as of cial head of the Buddhist communities of
the realm.... [his words] expressed his wish that this specialist in the monastic rules
should take full responsibility for controlling and disciplining the clergy of the whole
realm.”
(^185) Weinstein 1973 and 1987.