It is commonly understood that Chinese Buddhism and its offshoot/development in Japanese Buddhism, which originated in the former，are both essentially `Mahayanistic` in doctrinal principles. However, Japanese `Mahayana` Buddhism is clearly distinguishable from Sinitic `Mahayana` Buddhism in terms of `sila/vinaya`. Generally speaking，Sinitic `Mahayana` adopted a "mixed precepts" system at its formative stage and has retained this system since then with little change. In contrast，Japanese `Mahayana` in the Heian period underwent a radical transformation of the traditional `sila-vinaya` imported from China, thus abandoning the mixed precepts system in favor of the "rounded (perfect) and subitaneous bodhisattva precepts" system initiated by Saicho，founder of Japanese Tendai. In the Kamakura period，the bodhisattva precepts system was further transformed into what may be called "preceptless precepts" (mukai no kai)，Shinran's Shin Buddhism being a conspicuous example.
In Chinese Buddhist circles, we often hear severe criticisms of the preceptless state of Japanese Buddhism，though there are also quite a number of Chinese Buddhists who are eager to find a proper way of modernizing the traditional mixed precepts system. On the other hand，Japanese Buddhist scholars tend to point out the basic contradiction or inconsistency embedded in the `sila/vinaya` system of Sinitic
