Bao Ju Shi: Guarantor Master in Quanzhen Ordination 保举师

Definition

Bao Ju Shi (保举师, Bǎo Jǔ Shī, “Guarantor Master” or “Recommending Master”) is a senior Taoist priest in the Quanzhen tradition who serves as one of the officiating masters during precept transmission (传戒) ceremonies. The term combines 保 (bǎo, “to guarantee” or “vouch for”), 举 (jǔ, “to recommend” or “raise”), and 师 (shī, “master”). The Guarantor Master is responsible for verifying the qualifications of ordination candidates, recommending them for the precepts, and acting as their spiritual sponsor before the assembled precept community.

Historical Context

In the Qing dynasty Quanzhen monastic system, particularly following the reforms of Wang Changyue (王常月, 1622–1680) at Baiyun Guan (White Cloud Temple) in Beijing, the ordination platform was presided over by three primary masters:

1. Chuan Jie Lü Shi (传戒律师) – Precept Transmission Master (chief officiant)

2. Jian Jie Shi (监戒师) – Supervision Master (oversees conduct)

3. Zheng Meng Shi (证盟师) – Certification Master (attests to sincerity)

A fourth master, the Bao Ju Shi (保举师) – Guarantor Master – was sometimes added in larger ordinations to examine and recommend candidates. In some lineages, the Guarantor Master is considered distinct; in others, the function is absorbed by the Certification Master. The Guarantor Master’s primary duty is to ensure that only worthy, sincere candidates receive the precepts, thereby maintaining the purity of the lineage.

Duties of the Guarantor Master

Before the ordination ceremony, the Guarantor Master:

• Investigates the candidate’s personal history and moral conduct

• Verifies that the candidate has completed the prerequisite period of novitiate or lay practice

• Confirms that the candidate has not committed any grave violations against the precepts

• Issues a formal letter of recommendation (保举状, bǎo jǔ zhuàng) that is presented during the ordination

During the ceremony, the Guarantor Master stands with the other officiating masters, lends his spiritual authority to the transmission, and witnesses the taking of vows. After the ceremony, he may continue to mentor the newly ordained priest, especially in matters of monastic discipline.

Classification

The Quanzhen Qinggui (全真清规, “Pure Rules of Quanzhen”), codified during the Yuan-Ming period, mentions the Guarantor Master in the context of ordination procedures:

“受戒者，须有保举师一人，知其根行端正，方可引进。”
(Meaning: “One who receives the precepts must have a Guarantor Master who knows that his conduct and foundation are upright; only then may he be brought forward [for ordination].”)

The Chuan Jie Bi Du (传戒必读, “Essential Readings for Precept Transmission”), a Qing dynasty ordination manual, specifies:

“保举师，审查戒子根器，开具保状，于登坛时呈递律师，以证其诚。”
(Meaning: “The Guarantor Master examines the spiritual capacity of the precept candidate, issues a guarantee document, and presents it to the Precept Transmission Master when ascending the altar, to verify the candidate’s sincerity.”)

Relationship to Other Ordination Masters

Not all ordinations include all four; some combine the functions of Guarantor and Certifier. However, in formal large-scale precept transmissions (e.g., the Three Altars Great Precepts), the Guarantor Master is a distinct and essential office.

Zhengyi Perspective

The term Bao Ju Shi is specific to the Quanzhen ordination tradition. In the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) school, the transmission of registers (授箓) does not typically employ a “Guarantor Master” with the same title. Instead, the Zhengyi ordination emphasizes the master-disciple relationship directly, with the master (度师, Du Shi) taking full responsibility for the disciple’s training and spiritual quality. Thus, Bao Ju Shi is primarily a Quanzhen institution, though the underlying principle of recommending and vouching for candidates is present in all Taoist ordination systems

Related Concepts

• Precept Transmission Master (传戒律师, Chuán Jiè Lǜ Shī): The chief officiant of the ordination → See: Chuan Jie Lü Shi

• Supervision Master (监戒师, Jiān Jiè Shī): Oversees ritual conduct → See: Ordination

• Certification Master (证盟师, Zhèng Méng Shī): Attests to the candidate’s sincerity → See: Ordination

• Three Altars Great Precepts (三坛大戒, Sān Tán Dà Jiè): The full Quanzhen ordination system → See: Quanzhen Ordination

Source Texts

• Quanzhen Qinggui (全真清规, “Pure Rules of Quanzhen”). Yuan-Ming period. Zhengtong Daozang.

• Chuan Jie Bi Du (传戒必读, “Essential Readings for Precept Transmission”). Qing Dynasty, Baiyun Guan archives.

• Longmen Chuandu Pu (龙门传度谱, “Register of Longmen Ordination Succession”). Qing dynasty lineage record.

• Zhonghua Daojiao Dacidian (中华道教大辞典), entry on “Bao Ju Shi.” Beijing: Chinese Dictionary Press, 1994.