“Master Chenyuan, you are too heartless. When you were young and traveled throughout Great Xia seeking alms with a counterfeit ordination certificate, you were caught by the authorities and nearly imprisoned for the crime of possessing forged official documents. It was only after I intervened and explained that the authorities didn’t press charges.”3

Great Xia had stringent requirements for the qualifications of monks and Daoists. Monks from the Buddhist Kingdom or disciples of the Hanging Monastery were treated equally. They needed to pass examinations and undergo review—only by holding an ordination certificate could one be recognized by the court as a monk. This approval would permit them to beg for alms and perform rituals. Otherwise, it would be illegal.0

In Master Chenyuan’s youth, he came to Great Xia to propagate Buddhist teachings, and his first task was to obtain the ordination certificate.0

At the mention of this...3