The Formation of Transmission Ritual of Taoist Scriptures and the Development of Concepts of Master

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The purpose of this research is to elucidate various concepts of master, which were developed in relation with the formation of transmission ritual of Taoist scriptures in the medieval China. The transmission of scared scriptures in Taoism was critical issue of the ordination ritual of high-rank Taoist adepts through 5thto 7thcenturies, which is paralleled with Buddhist ordination ritual of receiving the precepts. This research traces the origins and development of new concepts of Taoist masters, including ‘master of mysterious realm (xunshi)’, ‘master of scriptures (jingshi)’, and the two kinds of ‘three masters (sanshi)’, so as to make clear what is the characteristicsof the transmission ritual of Taoist scriptures, as well as the way of using and integrating the Buddhist elements.