Venerable Yifa is a nun belonging to the religious order Fo Guang Shan, which was founded by Venerable Master Hsing Yun in Taiwan and seeks to make Buddhist practice relevant to contemporary life. Yifa lives at Hsi Lai temple in Hacienda Heights, California. Venerable Yifa is also a contributor to Benedict's Dharma: Buddhists Reflect on the Rule of St. Benedict.

"Despite the central place of monasticism in the historical development of Chinese Buddhism, studies on the topic, with some prominent exceptions, are not as developed as other aspects of Chinese Buddhist history. Rev. Yifa's excellent book... goes a long way toward rectifying this situation. This book provides a wealth of information on the production of texts about monastic discipline and the institutional history of Chinese Buddhism, as well as a reliable translation of... the oldest comprehensive monastic code produced by the Chan school. As someone with a background in both religious and academic worlds, Yifa... brings to the subject a high level of scholarship and keen sensitivity to the intricacies of monastic life and institutions.... [This work] is an important contribution to Buddhist studies by helping to illuminate the institutional history of Chinese Buddhism up to the Song, thereby reshaping our understanding of the evolution of monasticism in China and the place of the Chan school in that protracted process." - Philosophy East & West"

Venerable Yifa is a nun belonging to the religious order Fo Guang Shan, which was founded by Venerable Master Hsing Yun in Taiwan and seeks to make Buddhist practice relevant to contemporary life. Yifa lives at Hsi Lai temple in Hacienda Heights, California. Venerable Yifa is also a contributor to Benedict's Dharma: Buddhists Reflect on the Rule of St. Benedict.

"Despite the central place of monasticism in the historical development of Chinese Buddhism, studies on the topic, with some prominent exceptions, are not as developed as other aspects of Chinese Buddhist history. Rev. Yifa's excellent book... goes a long way toward rectifying this situation. This book provides a wealth of information on the production of texts about monastic discipline and the institutional history of Chinese Buddhism, as well as a reliable translation of... the oldest comprehensive monastic code produced by the Chan school. As someone with a background in both religious and academic worlds, Yifa... brings to the subject a high level of scholarship and keen sensitivity to the intricacies of monastic life and institutions.... [This work] is an important contribution to Buddhist studies by helping to illuminate the institutional history of Chinese Buddhism up to the Song, thereby reshaping our understanding of the evolution of monasticism in China and the place of the Chan school in that protracted process." - Philosophy East & West"

Venerable Yifa is a nun belonging to the religious order Fo Guang Shan, which was founded by Venerable Master Hsing Yun in Taiwan and seeks to make Buddhist practice relevant to contemporary life. Yifa lives at Hsi Lai temple in Hacienda Heights, California. Venerable Yifa is also a contributor to Benedict's Dharma: Buddhists Reflect on the Rule of St. Benedict.

"Despite the central place of monasticism in the historical development of Chinese Buddhism, studies on the topic, with some prominent exceptions, are not as developed as other aspects of Chinese Buddhist history. Rev. Yifa's excellent book... goes a long way toward rectifying this situation. This book provides a wealth of information on the production of texts about monastic discipline and the institutional history of Chinese Buddhism, as well as a reliable translation of... the oldest comprehensive monastic code produced by the Chan school. As someone with a background in both religious and academic worlds, Yifa... brings to the subject a high level of scholarship and keen sensitivity to the intricacies of monastic life and institutions.... [This work] is an important contribution to Buddhist studies by helping to illuminate the institutional history of Chinese Buddhism up to the Song, thereby reshaping our understanding of the evolution of monasticism in China and the place of the Chan school in that protracted process." - Philosophy East & West"