This article deals mainly with eight aspects of the Buddhist laity in late Ming Dynasty：their geographical distribution，secular achievements and social positions, relationships with the clergy, relationships with the Neo-Confucianists, differences in religious practices, the scriptures they upheld，the political persecutions they suffered，and the books they wrote on Buddhology. It is an analysis, based on statistic material，of the influences of lay Buddhists in that period. It also reflects the contemporary political and social conditions. At that time the idea prevailed that Ch'an，Pure Land，the Esoteric School，and the Vinaya School were one and the same，a trend of thought that has dominated Chinese Buddhism up to this day. The person who exerted the greatest influence on the laity and constituted the main force behind the vigorous development of lay organizations, was Master Chu Heng (祩宏大師). He advocated equal emphasis on Ch'an and Pure Land, prohibited killing，and taught true faith in karmic retribution，all of which had a considerable effect of stabilization on society.
