In its role as a scriptural charter vinaya has justified widely dissimilar approaches to religious life as Buddhist orders in different times and places have interpreted it in contradictory ways In the resulting tension between scripture and practice certain kinds of ceremonial issues such as those involving lineage seniority initiation purification repentance visualization vows ordination acquire profound social psychological doctrinal and soteriological significance in Buddhism Going Forth focuses on these issues over a wide sweep of history from early fifth century China to modern Japan to provide readers with a rich overview of the intersection of doctrinal ritual and institutional concerns in the development of East Asian Buddhist practices Despite the crucial importance of vinaya especially for understanding Buddhism in East Asia very little scholarship in Western languages exists on this fascinating topic The essays presented here written by senior scholars in the field go beyond the timeworn method of relying on prescriptive accounts in the scriptures to describe what imaginary Buddhists must have done or do Rather they address how actual people responded to local social and cultural imperatives by reading scripture in innovative ways to give new life to tradition They place real people practices and institutions at the center of each account revealing both diversity and unity continuity and transformation in Buddhist customs The result is a well integrated accessible work relevant for Buddhist studies but with wider implications for anyone interested in East Asian cultural heritage Contributors T H Barrett William Bodiford David W Chappell James C Dobbins Daniel A Getz Paul Groner John R McRae Morten Schlutter Nobuyoshi Yamabe Yifa