Buddhist Monastery System of the Song Dynasty

Timeline

1. 960–1000Kaifeng and the Chan groves of Liangzhe · HenanAfter unification the early Song court rebuilt the monk register and plaque-bestowal systems, rectifying the disorder of monasteries since the Five Dynasties; the Five Houses and Seven Schools of Chan spread widely in Jiangnan and the Central Plains, and monasteries became important venues for local society and scholar-official interaction.
2. 1021–1030Liangzhe Circuit and Eastern Huainan Circuit · Liangzhe CircuitFrom Tiansheng to Jingyou under Emperor Renzong, the court supported Buddhism through plaque bestowals, construction of great monasteries, and ordination certificate policies; famous Jiangnan monasteries such as Lingyin and Tiantong flourished, and the economic and charitable functions of monasteries increased markedly.
3. 1069–1085Kaifeng · HenanDuring the Xining era the court implemented the Market Exchange Law and adjusted ordination certificate policies to regulate the monastery economy, restricting the landholdings of some monasteries and strengthening state fiscal extraction, provoking disputes among scholar-officials and monks and redefining the relationship between the monastery system and state finance.
4. 1127–1279Lin'an · ZhejiangAfter the Southern Song established its capital at Lin'an, the center of gravity of Buddhism shifted south; Jiangnan Chan groves and Vinaya monasteries maintained their practice and literary-educational traditions amid the warfare, blending monasteries with the culture of scholar-official poet-monks, until they were incorporated into a new management system after the Yuan unification.