Pure Rules of the Illusory Abode Hermitage (幻住庵清規)

About 幻住庵清規

Yuan · by 明本著

24,534 · about 82 min

The Regulations of the Phantom Dwelling Hermitage is a set of Chan monastic rules composed by the eminent Yuan dynasty master Zhongfeng Mingben. The Yuan dynasty was a significant period for the development of Chan institutional systems. To regulate the communal life of the sangha at the Phantom Dwelling Hermitage, Master Mingben established these regulations. Their main contents meticulously stipulate the daily routines, practice rituals, division of duties, and principles of communal living for the monastics in the hermitage, aiming to safeguard spiritual cultivation through rigorous discipline. As an important text among Chan monastic regulations, it serves not only as a precious historical resource for studying Yuan dynasty Chan monastic institutions but also embodies Master Mingben's practical spirit of integrating Chan practice into every action, from walking and standing to sitting and lying down. It has exerted a profound influence on the management of later Chinese Buddhist monastic communities.