What were the rules of purity in Chinese Buddhist monasteries?

In Chinese Buddhist monasteries, the "rules of purity" (Chinese: qinggui) were strict regulations developed to govern the behavior of residents in all publicly recognized monasteries, beginning during the Song dynasty (960–1279).1

While these rules were often associated with the Zen school, they were not unique to it; rather, they codified traditional Buddhist priestly norms of behavior and were applied to all authorized monasteries, regardless of their specific affiliation. These regulations served to maintain order and discipline within the monastic institution, complementing the broader monastic discipline found in the vinaya texts, which provided the foundational rules for the Buddhist sangha.12

The qinggui helped structure the daily life of monks and nuns, ensuring that practices such as meditation, the study of scriptures, and the performance of rites were conducted in a standardized and disciplined manner. By formalizing these behaviors, the rules of purity provided a framework that balanced the Zen emphasis on sudden awakening with the necessity of a well-regulated monastic environment.13