Yin Qing Shi (引请师): Invitation Master of Quanzhen

Definition

Yin Qing Shi (引请师, Yǐn Qǐng Shī, lit. "Invitation Master"), also called Welcoming Master (迎请师), is a senior ritual specialist of the Quanzhen Taoist ordination platform (戒坛, Jiè Tán), serving as one of the Eight Great Masters (八大师, Bā Dà Shī). This role assists the Precept Master (律师) during ordination ceremonies and presides over major Taoist ritual assemblies (大型道场) as the High Merit Officiant (高功, Gāo Gōng). The position requires profound knowledge of ritual protocol and liturgical performance.

Classical Sources

The role of Yin Qing Shi is documented in the San Cheng Ji Yao (《三乘集要》), the authoritative Qing Dynasty manual of Quanzhen monastic regulations compiled by Tian Chengyang, which outlines the hierarchical structure of the ordination platform. The Encyclopedia of Taoism (《道教大辞典》) provides additional context, noting that the Yin Qing Shi is: "全真派戒坛八大师之一，协助律师传戒，负责主持大型道场，任高功。" (Meaning: 'One of the Eight Great Masters of the Quanzhen ordination platform, assisting the Precept Master in transmitting precepts, responsible for presiding over major ritual assemblies, and serving as High Merit Officiant.')

Classification

Yin Qing Shi belongs to the Eight Great Masters (八大师) system of the Quanzhen ordination platform. The Eight Great Masters collectively oversee the entire ordination process, with each fulfilling a specific ceremonial function. Among them, the Yin Qing Shi (引请师, Invitation Master) presides over major ritual assemblies and assists in ordinations, appointed to serve as High Merit Officiant (高功); and the Lǜ Shī (律师, Precept Master) serves as the primary master who transmits the precepts during ordination ceremonies. The relationship between Yin Qing Shi and the Precept Master reflects the collaborative structure of the ordination platform, where multiple masters work in coordination to ensure the proper transmission of Taoist precepts.

Zhengyi Perspective

While the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) school does not maintain the Quanzhen Eight Great Masters ordination system, the ritual functions associated with the Yin Qing Shi find expression in the Zhengyi tradition through a different institutional structure. In Zhengyi practice, the conferral of registers (授箓, Shòu Lù)—the defining ordination rite—is officiated by the Celestial Master at Tianshi Fu (天师府), supported by the Three Masters (三师): the Transmission Master (传度师), the Supervision Master (监度师), and the Sponsorship Master (保举师). These roles collectively fulfill the function of guiding ordination candidates through the ritual process, paralleling in spirit the collaborative framework embodied by the Quanzhen Eight Great Masters, though differing entirely in titles, structure, and lineage context.

The Zhengyi emphasis on personal transmission through the Celestial Master's lineage reflects the school's broader understanding of religious authority: it flows through inherited spiritual mandate rather than through elected or appointed monastic office. As the Tao Te Ching teaches, "The great Tao flows everywhere, both to the left and to the right." The differing institutional forms through which the two traditions structure their ordination ceremonies are understood as complementary manifestations of this same flowing presence of the Dao.

Related Concepts

• Taoist Priest (道士, Dào Shì): the ordained practitioners who undergo the ordination process guided by the Yin Qing Shi → See: Taoist Priest
• Sacred Ritual (斋醮, Zhāi Jiào): the ritual activities over which the Yin Qing Shi presides → See: Sacred Ritual
• Quanzhen Dao (全真道, Quánzhēn Dào): the school most associated with the Eight Great Masters system → See: Quanzhen Dao
• Tao Te Ching (道德经, Dào Dé Jīng): the foundational scripture informing the spiritual principles of Taoist ordination → See: Tao Te Ching

Source Texts

• Tian Chengyang (田诚阳). San Cheng Ji Yao (《三乘集要》). Qing Dynasty. Quanzhen monastic regulations manual.
• Tian Chengyang (田诚阳). Encyclopedia of Taoism (《道教大辞典》). Modern compilation.