霊芝元照=靈芝元照=Lingzhi Yuanzhao; 蒋之奇=蔣之奇=Jiang Zhiqi; 『芝園遺編』=《芝園遺編》=Zhiyuan yibian; 在家持戒=precepts for laypeople; 戒体=戒體=precept substance; 即心是戒=the mind is precept
Are the Buddhist precepts of any use for society at large? In this paper I offer a response to this question by considering Lingzhi Yuanzhao’s theory of precepts for laypeople, focusing on a lecture he gave to laypeople during the Song dynasty. Though he makes a clear distinction between practices for monks and those for laypeople according to the traditional precepts, he does not limit himself to the framework of “layperson versus monk.” Because Buddhist doctrine asserts that “all people can become a Buddha,” Yuanzhao argues that there are opportunities to achieve enlightenment in all aspects of daily life. In the transcript of the lecture one can also see his criticism of Chan groups who argued that the precepts were no longer necessary after enlightenment; Yuanzhao emphasized the close relationship between practice and enlightenment, seeing them as one and the same. This lecture, given to a secular audience, shows Yuanzhao’s religious conviction as he sought to show Buddhism’s universality and to extend its utility to society at large.
