唱導=Changdao (Chanting-teaching Monks),轉讀=Zhuandu (Sutra-chanting),都講=Dujiang (Assistant Lecturers),豎義=Shuyi (the Ritual of Putting forward an Argument); 轉讀=Zhuandu (Sutra-chanting); 都講=Dujiang (Assistant Lecturers); 豎義=Shuyi (the Ritual of Putting forward an Argument)
This paper sorts out the system of Buddhist preaching ritual in Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, based on the records in Biographies of Eminent Monks, the Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks, Hong Ming Ji(Collection to Promote Buddhism and Expound Its Teaching), and Guang Hong Ming Ji(The Enlarged Collection of Spreading the Dharma and Enlightening the people). The author points out that the Buddhist Preaching Ritual in Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties can be divided into three categories: those given by monks, those given by nuns and those offered to the laities. This paper analyzes the major procedure of the preaching ritual, and discusses its influences on the social history of Buddhism and the history of Buddhist thoughts.
