（What does a (Buddhist) Guru look like? What exactly do they do? Is it different from an ordinary believer?

The so-called Guru Buddhism or 'Buddhism in white clothes', as opposed to Sangha Buddhism, refers to Buddhism as influenced or embodied by Buddhist lay followers, groups of followers and their leaders. Actually, this reference is not very strict. As we all know, Buddhists are composed of two major parts, the monastic faithful and the household faithful. In our country, the home followers are usually called Gurus, that is, the so-called home monks. In those days, after Shakyamuni became a monk, he accepted both male and female monks and laymen as disciples, and according to the actual situation at that time and the needs of the development of Buddhism, he made corresponding regulations on the status and duties of the sangha and the monks. To summarize, the Sangha is one of the Three Jewels and has the responsibility of upholding Buddhism, accepting and educating the monks, while the monks have the responsibility of paying respect to and making offerings to the Three Jewels and upholding Buddhism. This natural orientation and division of labor is, on the whole, in line with both the actual development of Buddhism and the general laws of religious development. Generally speaking, monks are both the objects of the sangha's indoctrination and guidance, and the source of the sangha's sangha and the pillar of its survival and development. The complementary and positive interaction between the sangha and the monks promotes the comprehensive development of Buddhism, thus constituting the overall image of Buddhism. In ancient times, the Buddhist order consisted of monks and nuns and men and women at home, and there was no distinction between Sangha Buddhism and Guru Buddhism.

Article 1: No needle or thread shall be taken from the temple

Article 2: No fruit shall be plucked from the temple hill

Entering the Buddha Hall, one shall enter barefoot; wearing ordinary shoes into the hall shall pollute the hall

Article 4: Entering the Buddhist temple shall not be done by the middle door, but through the side door

Article 5: Entering the Buddhist temple shall not be done by looking at the Buddha's face, but by bowing the head and making obeisance. One must not look up at the Buddha, bow one's head in worship, or walk around in an ornamental manner or look around

Article 6: One must not talk or shout, lie down, lie down, or run or jump in a Buddhist temple

Article 7: One must not spit or blow one's nose in a Buddhist temple

Article 8: Five kinds of blessings can be obtained by worshipping and circumambulating the Buddha in a Buddhist temple

Article 9: Donations are required to be made to pay for the food consumed in the temple

Article 10: A donation is not required if a person does not pay for the food consumed in the Buddhist temple

These donations are not required for the food.

Rule 10: If you lean on the wall with a staff, you will lose all your certificates

Rule 11: In the center of a Buddhist temple, you may not stand or worship

Rule 12: When you enter a Buddhist temple, you should dress neatly and plainly

Rule 13: Don't allow children to run around in the temple

Rule 14: When you enter a Buddhist temple, you must not Speak loudly

The so-called Guru Buddhism or 'White Clothes Buddhism', as opposed to Sangha Buddhism, refers to Buddhism as influenced or embodied by its followers at home, groups of followers and their leaders. Actually, this reference is not very strict. As we all know, Buddhists are composed of two major parts, the monastic faithful and the household faithful. In our country, the home followers are usually called Gurus, that is, the so-called home monks. In those days, after Shakyamuni became a monk, he accepted both male and female monks and laymen as disciples, and according to the actual situation at that time and the needs of the development of Buddhism, he made corresponding regulations on the status and duties of the sangha and the monks. To summarize, the Sangha is one of the Three Jewels and has the responsibility of upholding Buddhism, accepting and educating the monks, while the monks have the responsibility of paying respect to and making offerings to the Three Jewels and upholding Buddhism. This natural orientation and division of labor is, on the whole, in line with both the actual development of Buddhism and the general laws of religious development. Generally speaking, monks are both the objects of the sangha's indoctrination and guidance, and the source of the sangha's sangha and the pillar of its survival and development. The complementary and positive interaction between the sangha and the monks promotes the comprehensive development of Buddhism, thus constituting the overall image of Buddhism. In ancient times, the Buddhist order consisted of monks and nuns and men and women at home, and there was no difference between Sangha Buddhism and Dharma Buddhism.

However, with the wide spread of Buddhism and the development and evolution of society, the role and influence of the monks have become more and more important, and the Buddhist community's understanding of and attitude towards the status of the monks and their roles have also produced many subtle changes. To summarize, the main performance in the following aspects:

1) Since ancient times, the monk that is, accounted for the vast majority of Buddhists. Especially in countries and regions where the Buddhist faith is prevalent, there are Gurus in all levels of society, including many powerful, wealthy, educated, and capable figures, such as emperors and generals, wealthy merchants and magnates, learned scholars, skilled craftsmen, and so on. Although they do not generally occupy leadership positions in the Buddhist community, they are often more influential than the monks.

(2) In the process of spreading and development of Buddhism, facing all kinds of heterogeneous cultures and evolving social civilization, Buddhism itself has undergone great changes, which are prominently manifested in the formation of the three phases of Buddhism, namely, Sectarian Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, and Tantric Buddhism, and consequently, the relationship between the monks and the priests has also undergone corresponding changes. In Sectarian Buddhism, it is not difficult to see from the Ahan Sutra and the relevant legal codes many examples of elderly monks practicing good deeds and virtues, cultivating and attaining fruition, which also reflect the tendency of the Buddhist community to adapt to the times and society, and to enter into the world to help the living and show that the role and influence of the monk has increased; and in Mahayana Buddhism, which has developed out of the mass sector, there are even more contents reflecting the practice of the Bodhisattva Way in the body of the monk and his attainment of sainthood and saintliness, such as the Vimalakirti Sutra, the The Vimalakirti Sutra, the Sheng Garland Sutra, the Avatamsaka Sutra, the Dharma Flower Sutra, and other sutras in which Vimalakirti, Lady Sheng Garland, the Good Fortune Child, and the Dragon Woman are all highly acclaimed as examples of the 'dwellers', whose status seems to be far higher than that of the Ten Great Disciples, such as Shariputra, who are the symbols of the Sangha, and who have thus greatly inspired the vast number of dwellers in their enthusiasm to actively practise the Buddha's Dharma and propagate it to the benefit of all living beings. On the one hand, this is a reflection of Mahayana Buddhism's emphasis on mindfulness, active initiation into the world, and transcendence of forms and dogmas, and at the same time, a reflection of the greatly enhanced status and role of the monks in real life; as for Tantric Buddhism, it has further rounded off the world of worldly law in its cultivation practice, breaking down the boundaries between the monks and the laymen not only from the theoretical point of view but also from the point of view of the form, thus bringing about a great impact on the positioning and division of labor of the traditional sangha and the monks.

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(3) With the spread of Buddhism in various countries and regions and the continuous evolution of society, monks often encountered situations very different from those of their predecessors in their observance of the precepts, study, practice of the Dharma, management of monasteries, and even daily life, etc. Particularly in the Middle Ages and even in the modern times, many monks found it more and more difficult to maintain their precepts of perfection and authority in their study, and to prevent their practice of the Dharma from going out of shape and their daily life from becoming vulgarized, thus lowering their self-confidence. As a result, their self-confidence was lowered, and they either succumbed to the power of kings and secular forces, or withdrew into the mountains. The lack of self-cultivation and the alienation from the society and the general public made these monks lack understanding of the social problems and the sufferings of the people, and they became indifferent and seldom could set an example for the followers and give them positive and appropriate guidance. At the same time, the general public's knowledge and self-consciousness increased, the mysticism and blind faith in Buddhism and monks decreased, while the cultivation, knowledge and ability to deal with the world demanded more and more from the monks. All this made the social status of monks decline and their influence weaken. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, this situation has become even more pronounced. As a result, the monastic community has risen up to promote Buddhism, and while educating themselves, they have also helped and promoted the self-construction of monasteries and sangha in different ways, correcting their various shortcomings, and playing an increasingly important role.

It is because of the growing status and role of the monks that the idea of 'monastic Buddhism' has naturally emerged. At least in modern times there has been a reference to 'Guru Buddhism' in China. In fact, historically, whenever the quality of monks tended to be low or too secularized, and the monastic community became increasingly corrupt, Buddhism would inevitably be in a state of decline or in a state of external strength, and would be in a precarious position at the first sign of trouble. At this time, there are often some big-hearted monks in the society who join hands with some senior monks to run around and take various remedial measures to save Buddhism, and often the effect is very remarkable, so that people cannot help but be impressed by the role of the monks. A typical example is the revival and restoration of Buddhism in modern times, in which the great-hearted monks who believed in the truth did play a very crucial role. For example, in the late Qing Dynasty, there were many monasteries and a large number of monks, but their quality was generally low and lifeless. At the time of the eastward trend of the western wind and the national crisis, the monastic community almost became a target, and the temples often became the target of fish and meat, and Buddhism came to the critical moment of survival. Fortunately, Yang Renshan, as the representative of the elite of the monastic community, engraved and circulated a large number of Buddhist scriptures, founded a new style of Buddhist education, preached Buddhism, and put forward a variety of proposals for the renewal of Buddhism, which had a great impact on the political, academic and religious circles. As a result, a remarkable team of Buddhist priests independent of the traditional Buddhist monastic orders was formed, and some people put forward the idea that Buddhist priests could also uphold Buddhism, and the fashionable term 'Buddhism for Buddhist priests' came into being. In this regard, there was a controversy in the teaching profession. Interestingly, after more than half a century, the cause of Buddhism has gained comprehensive development, the blossoming of Buddhist colleges and universities at all levels, which have been opened for more than ten years, and have trained a large number of monks, the quality of the Sangha is no longer comparable to that of the past, today, there are still some people who put forward the proposition that Chinese Buddhism should take the road of Guru-ization, which in itself is worthy of the deep thought of the colleagues in the teaching profession!

(2) The general characteristics of 'Guru Buddhism' in China.

In Buddhist texts, monks and lay disciples who have heard the Dharma and turned to goodness are generally referred to as 'good men' and 'good women', and among them, the home followers who have reverted to the Three Jewels of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha are called Upasai or Upayi. This is a transliteration of the Sanskrit word, which translates as 'close man' or 'close woman', meaning one who is close to serving the Three Jewels. In our country, this kind of title is more abstract and gives people the feeling of 'low status', so it is mostly used in written texts. The most common title used in daily life is 'jushi', meaning 'scholar' who lives at home and practices Buddhism. This, like the word 'monk', is a respectable title, but it loses its proper dignity when overused. However, it does reflect the reality of the family believers in the Han area, i.e., whether they have received the three or five precepts, the eight fasting precepts, the bodhisattva precepts, or have not received any of the precepts, as long as they have done good deeds and accumulated virtues in Buddhism, they are often called Guru Shi. Therefore, the object of Guru in Buddhism is relatively wide, and there are great variations, which are worth studying. Of course, in this article, the term "Guru" refers specifically to a Buddhist monk who has received at least the Three Vowers of Mercy.

To understand China's 'Guru Buddhism', we must first understand the basic conditions of our country and some of the characteristics of Chinese Buddhism: as early as before the introduction of Buddhism into our country, the Chinese society has a high degree of civilization, is a relatively authoritarian society. People attach importance to human morality, reverence for nature, with a tendency to presentism; respect for ancestors, sacrifices to ghosts and gods, for the religion of more pragmatic attitude. Although Buddhism is essentially secular, as a religion, it is not only an ideology (faith), but also a culture and a social entity that involves all aspects of society and has a strong social nature. Therefore, the above national conditions (karma) have greatly influenced the state of development of Buddhism in China and the role it has played: Mahayana Buddhist thought and theory are highly respected, but failed to become the state religion; the translation of scriptures and writings are full of books, the eight sects stand side by side, but the two sects of Ch'an and Pure Buddhism flourish alone; Buddhism in the mountains and forests co-existed with beliefs about ghosts and gods; and Buddhism of elites and Buddhism of the people go hand in hand. In contrast, China's 'Guru Buddhism' shows some of the following characteristics:

1) A large number of people, the distribution of a wide range of areas. In China's traditional Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, Buddhism believers accounted for the vast majority, that is, from the point of view of the five major contemporary religions, Buddhists are also the most, of which the majority of Gurus, all walks of life. During the nearly 2,000 years of the spread of Buddhism in China, they have made great contributions to the Three Jewels by respecting, supporting and protecting the Three Jewels, contributing funds, building temples and monasteries, sculpting statues and printing scriptures, organizing charitable and public welfare projects, practicing and promoting Buddhism, and even safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of the Buddhist community, etc., with a great impact on the society.

(2) Pious in faith, but different in pursuit. The Chinese people are simple and kind-hearted, and in the face of frequent natural and man-made disasters and long-term feudal oppression, their inner religious needs are very strong, and the propagation of Buddhism has given them great spiritual fulfillment. As far as the majority of home believers, especially the larger number of female monks, are concerned, their faith is quite pious, but a considerable number of them believe in Buddhism with a certain degree of blindness and superstition, and quite a number of them have a tendency towards pragmatism or utilitarianism.

(3) There are more social elites, such as monks in politics, academia, culture and even business, who are generally better educated, have a better understanding of society, have specialized knowledge and skills in their respective fields, have considerable social status, and have a greater contribution to and influence on the Buddhist community.

(4) The overall quality is not high. Most of the residents of the Buddhist doctrine of the lack of necessary knowledge, many people learn Buddhism tend to stay in the burning incense kowtow, vegetarian chanting, to participate in legal affairs, do merit level, emotional and even superstitious components are strong. On the one hand, this is due to the Chinese nation's strong psychological factor of presentism, on the other hand, it is because the Buddhist culture is indeed profound, and monks in the preaching and promotion of the work done too little sake.

(5) There are great differences among the monks. Buddhism advocates the equality of all living beings and accepts disciples from all walks of life, so there are great differences among the monks, such as the widespread differences in status, culture, wealth, urban and rural areas, etc. These differences not only affect their understanding of Buddhism, but also affect the way they feel about it. These differences not only affect the differences in their understanding of Buddhism and their needs, but also more or less relate to their status and role in Buddhism, and so there is a parallel situation of elite Buddhism and folk Buddhism. Of course, all these differences also existed in large numbers in the Sangha, but they were much smaller after all.

(6) Lack of its own disciplinary mechanism and failure to exercise effective supervision over the sangha. Buddhism is a religion that emphasizes self-realization and is very inclusive. Therefore, the requirements for home-based believers from very different backgrounds who are external caretakers of Buddhism are not very high, not to mention that practicing Buddhism and propagating the Dharma is usually just an amateur 'hobby' for many Gurus, as opposed to having a family and earning a living. Unlike the Sangha, Gurus do not differ markedly from non-Buddhists, at least in their outward manifestations, and Guru communities are generally loosely knit and lack binding incentives for each other. In these respects, it is very difficult for a Guru to represent and abide by Buddhism. In addition, our country is a country where multiculturalism exists, and there are large differences in the people's and even the country's perceptions, attitudes, and requirements toward the sangha and monasteries. In this context, it is not possible for monks to be like those in some southern Buddhist countries, who on the one hand pay respect to the sangha and at the same time effectively supervise the behavioral norms of the sangha in order to promote the purity and perfection of the object of their faith. Not only that, due to the poor quality of some monks, often unconsciously do some things that are not conducive to the construction of the sangha.