Title:The Management and Changes of the Du-die(度牒， Buddhist and Taoist Certificates) by the Ming Dynasty

Author:Zhao Yifeng, Professor, Faculty for the Study of Asian Civilizations, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China 130024

Abstract:Continued the practice of the previous dynasties, the Ming Dynasty established a system of Buddhist and Taoist certificates, by which the government held the authority of issuing official certificates to the Buddhist monks and Taoist priests. This system made the Ming government possible to keep the members of religious orders under certain degree of control and to maintain the domination of a secular culture. The basic goals of this system include controlling of the population who were involved with the religious orders, making clear lines between the religious clerks and the common people, and assuring the professionalism of the religious clerks. Since the period of Emperor Zhengtong, however, the number limitation of the clerks had been broken through. In Chenghua period, this system had basically lost its function because of the increase of the clerks. Taken the limited effects of the Hongzhi restoration, this system continued to collapse later. By the mid of the Jiajing period, selling became the main method to give out the certificates and the spirit of the early Ming policy had substantially changed. In the mid Ming period, the Buddhist and Taoist certificates holders would not be less than 700000, while the number of monks and Taoist priests who practiced without official certificates was far larger than that of the certificate holders. The change of this system was closely connected to the religious believes of the Royal house and its material interests. The controversy about this matter had been mainly developed among the governmental officials as one party and the Emperors, their spouses, and religious powers as another, which reflected the contradiction of the Confucianism with the other believes. The transformation of this system from a social control means to a financial one, was a part of the decline process of the Ming Dynasty and it was also caused by the financial pressure facing the Ming government including the needs of social relieves.

Key words:Ming Dynasty; Buddhist Monks; Taoist Priests; Du-die system; social Changes