It was a law applicable to priests and nuns as well as the shami (novice priests) and the shamini (novice nuns) who were officially certified by the state (Note that it did not govern Buddhism itself).
僧・尼及び国家より度牒を受けた沙弥・沙弥尼を対象とする法令である（仏教そのものを統制した法令ではないことに注意を要する）。