By utilizing previous studies that have identified the biographies of the monks included in the now-lost Mingseng zhuan 名僧伝 from the Gaoseng zhuan 高僧伝, this paper analyzes the uneven distribution of social traits among the monks who were categorized as “shi” 師 and “kujie” 苦節 in the Mingseng zhuan, and proposes the possibility that Baochang’s use of the dual categories of “shi” and “kujie” in the Mingseng zhuan reflected the dualistic class structure of the early medieval Chinese saṃgha.
