The financial documents of Dunhuang Buddhist temples provide a lot of information about the economic management of these temples. All the monks of these temples had the right to examine or audit the economic records of the community, the finances of which were managed collectively rather than by a particular department. There was one position of acolyte that acted as a sort of financial administrator called zhisui( an official monastery title) that was elected by the community of monks, however. The organization of monastery administration, as well as official resignation and removal from posts, was often subject to the agreement of the monks, and even when the view of the monks differed from that of the dusengtong( the highest-ranking monastery official), the dusentong often chose to submit to the decision of the community. Each monk that was elected to an official position had a short tenure and the posts were held by turns. Finally, in the democratic spirit by which these religious communities were managed, ordinary monks of lower position had the right to appeal to the monk officials in order to maintain their own economic interests. To a large extent, the democratic style of administration in Dunhuang Buddhist temples reflects the economic management of other areas of the country at that time.
