The state has its laws and the public monastery has its monastic rules. The code comprises 108 articles: for the gravest offenses, burning or branding of the eyebrows and burning of the cinnabar, followed by being escorted away and ordered to return to lay life; for lighter offenses, flogging and expulsion, or expulsion from the monastery or expulsion from the hall (qiandan); for lighter ones still, flogging and expulsion or kneeling for the length of an incense stick, each dealt with according to its gravity. Thirty-three rules are now set out below:
1. Whoever commits adultery, theft, or lewdness, or has been branded on the eyebrows and burned with cinnabar, shall be escorted away and ordered to return to lay life.
2. Whoever gambles shall be flogged and expelled.
3. Whoever spreads rumors to mislead the community shall be flogged and expelled.
4. Whoever seizes an office by force shall be flogged and expelled.
5. Whoever slanders the monastery shall be flogged and expelled.
6. Whoever smokes shall be flogged and expelled.
7. Whoever gathers a crowd to make trouble shall be flogged and expelled.
8. Whoever uses outside arts to lure people into taking refuge shall be flogged and expelled.
9. Whoever talks recklessly about the rise and fall of the state shall be flogged and expelled.
10. Whoever eats meat or drinks wine shall be flogged and expelled.
11. Whoever strikes the wooden signal out of order shall be flogged and expelled.
12. Whoever harms others by stealth, with no regard for the religion—though others may not know, the principle of heaven cannot tolerate it—shall be flogged and expelled.
13. Whoever solicits donations privately and keeps the merit offerings for themselves instead of handing them to the monastery shall be flogged and expelled.
14. Whoever burns incense to swear sworn brotherhood shall be flogged and expelled.
15. Whoever steals the goods of the monastery or the belongings of the community shall be flogged and expelled.
16. Whoever relies on strength to bully the weak shall be flogged and expelled.
17. Whoever falsely poses as a yellow-capped Taoist and brings confusion to the religion shall be flogged and expelled.
18. Whoever sows discord behind others’ backs shall be expelled from the hall.
19. Whoever envies the worthy and the able shall be expelled from the hall.
20. Whoever privately lets visiting fellow Taoists stay overnight shall be expelled from the hall.
21. Whoever goes out privately without asking for leave shall be punished by kneeling for the length of an incense stick.
22. Whoever speaks carelessly so that both parties end up quarreling and cursing shall kneel for the length of an incense stick.
23. Whoever fails to appear when the board of their own office is struck shall kneel for the length of an incense stick.
24. Whoever privately prepares food and drink apart from the community shall kneel for the length of an incense stick.
25. Whoever neglects their own duties and meddles in others’ affairs shall kneel for the length of an incense stick.
26. Whoever fails to attend when the community gathers to go up to the hall at the new moon and full moon (the first and fifteenth days of the month) shall kneel for the length of an incense stick.
27. Whoever does not put out the lamp at the second board signaling stillness shall kneel for the length of an incense stick.
28. Whoever does not rise when stillness ends shall kneel for the length of an incense stick; the old and sick are exempt.
29. Whoever is idle or playful before the gods shall kneel for the length of an incense stick.
30. Whoever makes noise during the period of stillness shall kneel for the length of an incense stick.
31. Whoever fights and refuses to heed those who try to make peace shall kneel for the length of an incense stick.
32. Whoever damages the goods or utensils of the monastery shall pay full compensation.
33. Whoever goes out bare-bodied or improperly dressed shall kneel for the length of an incense stick.
Hereby proclaimed