Jing Zhu: The Scripture Master in Taoist Temple Administration 经主

Definition

Jing Zhu (经主, Jīng Zhǔ, lit. "scripture master") is a Quanzhen Taoist temple administrative position, one of the Five Masters (五主) of temple governance. The Jing Zhu supervises the monastic community's scripture cultivation, the three daily periods of devotional practice (三时熏修), and formal worship ceremonies. More than an administrator, the Jing Zhu is the community's living repository of textual knowledge—the one who ensures that ritual performance is grounded in scriptural understanding and that the classical tradition is transmitted intact to the next generation of practitioners.

Classical Sources

The qualifications for Jing Zhu are documented in Wang Chengya's entry on Taoist temple administration in the Zhonghua Daojiao Dacidian (《中华道教大辞典》): "当选洞明经典、科仪规范、忌讳、礼法，动静肃恭，威仪诚敬，精洁恭虔之士任之" ("One should select a person who thoroughly understands the scriptures, ritual norms, taboos, and ceremonial law; whose movements are solemn and respectful, whose dignified demeanor is sincere and reverent; a person of purity and devotion").

This passage establishes that the Jing Zhu's qualifications are both intellectual and ethical. He must master the content of the scriptures and the correct forms of ritual; he must also embody the reverence that the texts enjoin. The phrase "动静肃恭" (movements solemn and respectful) suggests that the Jing Zhu's conduct is observed at all times, not only when performing formal duties.

Classification

The Jing Zhu belongs to the Five Masters (五主) of Quanzhen temple administration, alongside the Dian Zhu (殿主, hall master), Hua Zhu (化主, almsgiving master), and others. The Jing Zhu's specific domain is scriptural and educational, complementing the spatial management of the Hall Master and the external relations of the Almsgiving Master.

Zhengyi Perspective

While the Zhengyi tradition does not maintain the Quanzhen Five Masters system, the function of overseeing scriptural education and devotional practice is equally essential to Zhengyi temple life. At Tianshi Fu (天师府), the transmission of scriptural knowledge and the supervision of daily liturgical practice are coordinated through the Celestial Master's household, with senior priests assuming responsibility for training junior clergy in both textual study and ritual performance.

The difference is structural: Quanzhen designates a specific officer within a formal administrative hierarchy; Zhengyi embeds the function within the broader lineage structure, where the transmission of knowledge flows from master to disciple as part of the organic life of the temple. In both traditions, the principle is the same—ritual without textual knowledge is empty gesture, and textual knowledge without ritual expression is mere scholarship.

Related Concepts

• Taoist Scriptures (道藏): The textual corpus overseen by the Jing Zhu → See: Taoist Scriptures
• Taoist Temple (道观): The institutional context → See: Taoist Temple
• Sacred Ritual (科仪): The ritual protocols mastered by the Jing Zhu → See: Sacred Ritual

Source Texts

• Wang Chengya (王成亚). Entry on temple administration. In Zhonghua Daojiao Dacidian.