The original text of the `Mahasanghikavinaya` (hereafter referred to as MHSGKV) was obtained from Central India by the famous pilgrim Fa-hsien (法顯, died before 432)，and then brought back by him to China about 412. In 415，Fa-hsien worked with the Indian monk Buddhabhadra (359-429) to organise a translation centre in Nanking for the translation of this Vinaya and of some other Buddhist scriptures. The Chinese version of this Vinaya was came out in 418 and its Chinese title Mo-ho `Shen-chih Lu` (摩訶 僧袛律) was given.
Even though MHSGKV was translated in the `Yangtzu` River Valley，it was not popularly accepted by the Monastic Order of this Valley. Only the clerics in the upper reaches of the Yellow River ，i.e. the Ch'ang-an (長安) area, welcomed this set of monastic rules and practised them in their daily life. After Hung-tsun (洪遵,530-608) and Chih shou (智首,567-635)preached on the Dharmaguptavinaya(四分 律，[vinaya in Four Parts]) in this area, the MHSGKV was doomed there. In comparing with the Sarvastiva- davinaya (十誦律，[the Recitable Vinaya in Ten Parts]) and the Dharmaguptavinaya, the dominant Buddhist disciplines in China, the MHSGKV was but a poor third.
Even so，the MHSGKV had already casted its latent influences on the Chinese Monastic Order. Long before the translation of the body of MHSGKV, its `Sila`，the `Seng`-chih Chieh-hsin (僧袛戒心), had already rendered into Chinese by the Indian monk `Dharmakala` (n.d.)around 215，some 161 years before the translation of the first Vinaya, the Dharmaguptavinaya, in 412. Even though every `Sila` of the different other Vinayas contains the rule of touching no money of any sort with hands, the `Sila` of MHSGKV is an exemption. As the Chinese clerics in the embryonic period knew only the rules of MHSGKV, They began to handle or even to manage money they received from lay donations. Gradually，keeping personal wealth becomes a long lasting tradition among the Chinese clerics. In the past and at present，they bring with them the pocket money.
As the `Mahisasakavinaya` (五分律，Vinaya in Five Parts) was also introduced into China by Fa-hsien, this paper describes the promulgation of this Vinaya too.
