The transition from the medieval to the early modern Buddhist order was directed in large measure by a new regulatory regime instituted by the Tokugawa bakufu. These new directives issued from Edo increasingly regulated every aspect of both political and religious life during the first half of the seventeenth century. As the bakufu extended its control over domains through a pyramidal hierarchy of order towards the center, similar formations of regulation governing Buddhist sectarian order emerged in an increasingly formalized fashion. At the same time, power did not operate in a unilateral direction as Buddhist institutions attempted to shape regulation, move toward a self-regulatory model of governance, and otherwise evade control by the center through local interpretations and implementations of law. This essay takes up how state regulation of religion was managed by Soto Zen Buddhism, with particular attention given to rules governing the clerical ranks and the robes worn by clerics of high rank. The 1627 purple robe incident is examined as an emblematic case of the new power relationship between the new bakufu's concern about subversive elements that could challenge its hold on power; the imperial household's customary authority to award the highest-ranking, imperially-sanctioned purple robe; and Buddhist institutions that laid claim on the authority to recognize spiritual advancement. KEYWORDS: Soto Zen Buddhism-Tokugawa bakufu and religion-hatto-purple robe incident (ProQuest: ... denotes formulae omitted.) BUYO INSHI ... was the pen name of an anonymous writer from the late Edo period whose essay, Seji kenmonroku ..., was critical of many aspects of Edo society at the time, including what he considered the degenerate activities of merchants, government officials, and Buddhist clerics. 1 While speculation about his identity has ranged from the possibility that he was a shogunal retainer or a moneylender to his being a judicial clerk, his wish to remain anonymous because of his biting remarks has made it difficult for modern scholars to trace his true identity (Aoki 1999; Tsuji 1955, 172.73). The Seji kenmonroku section on religious institutions includes the following commentary about the Soto Zen sect in which he decries the moral and spiritual degeneration of Zen clerics who were unable to live up to new sect and government regulations on clerical training. He also sharply criticized the practice of bribery to purchase clerical ranks and higher-rank colored robes as well as the general atmosphere in which money dictated clerical success. [Recently], Buddhist clerics, from all the sects, have been breaking both governmental and sectarian regulations. Neither having the [required] years [of experience] nor moral discipline, they walk the path of greed. To take up an example or two, I will start with the Soto school. According to the rules set by the first Shogun Ieyasu, for a cleric to be considered fully qualified, he must attend clerical training retreats for twenty years. For the same cleric to become an abbot of a temple, twenty-five years are necessary. These rules were determined through discussions between the sect and a high-ranking cleric of a different sect.2 The clerical training includes a ceremony where clerics sit across from each other to hold a question-and-answer session regarding the Dharma. Even though difficult or unexpected questions might be asked, one is supposed to be able to give an appropriate reply. However, these days, the ceremony is conducted with the participants having previously agreed upon the contents of both the questions and the answers. Unlike the true Zen question-and-answer session, the ceremony today is like a preset performance of sword and spear techniques, rather than real combat .... Having gone through the clerical training only in form, they can still become a fully-recognized cleric or a temple abbot without the twenty years of training and without the proper number of Dharma years, if they prepare a bribe of ten ryo . …