During the Tang Dynasty, if you wanted to "jump out of the Three Realms and not in the Five Elements" and embark on the road of ordination, it was not as easy as you imagined.
The Tang Dynasty was the cultural heyday in the history of our country, and Buddhism had unprecedented development and prosperity in these two periods, with many temples and monks. But behind the apparent prosperity, there are actually strict and cumbersome rules for those who want to become monks, which is not only a policy regulation at the national level, but also a maintenance of the purity of the sangha within Buddhism.
First of all, in the early days of the Tang Dynasty, a strict degree system was implemented, and anyone who wanted to become a monk must first obtain a degree issued by the government, and only those who held a degree were allowed to be officially ordained as a monk or nun. The number of degrees was strictly controlled by the imperial court, and a fee was usually required, which made ordination a high threshold for behavior. In the Song Dynasty, the degree system became stricter, and even became a ** of the national fiscal revenue for a time. For ordinary people, without sufficient wealth accumulation or prominent social background, it becomes almost impossible to obtain a degree.
Secondly, Buddhism also has strict requirements for ordination. Master Xuanzang, a high-ranking monk in the Tang Dynasty, once said: "Shaving home is not to escape the world, but to practice." "Becoming a monk is not an escape from reality, but a quest for liberation in order to delve into the Dharma and pursue liberation. Therefore, applicants for ordination must have a certain level of Buddhist literacy and pass a series of assessments, including memorizing scriptures and understanding teachings, to prove that they have strong faith and determination to practice. In addition, it is necessary to go through a period of trial training to see if they can endure a life of poverty and loneliness, and whether they have the ability to serve the public and promote Buddhism.
In addition, ordination during the Tang Dynasty also involved social ethics and morality. Because labor is precious in an agrarian society, male ordination is often seen as a loss of family labor, so there is greater resistance from the family before becoming a monk. The situation of women becoming monks is more complicated, in addition to the same need for family support, they also have to face the pressure of society on women to fulfill their obligations as husbands and children.
Therefore, in order to become a real monk during the Tang Dynasty, it was necessary not only to have firm beliefs and profound Buddhist attainments, but also to cross many hurdles such as family ethics, social systems, and one's own spiritual cultivation. Those who have successfully entered the door of Buddhism need to go through a lot of tempering before they can truly step into the door of Buddhism and begin the path of seeking the true meaning of life inward, away from the distractions of the world.