The Soniryo was essentially about penalties for subversive criminal acts by priests and nuns, the self-governing control of temples, priests and nuns by the members of the Sogo (a priest of a managerial post) who were appointed by the state, prohibitions against shidoso (lay priests), the indoctrination of the populace, and the regulation of ascetic training in the mountains and begging.
僧尼の破戒行為的な犯罪に対する処罰、国家が任命した僧綱による寺院及び僧尼への自治的な統制、私度僧や民衆教化の禁止及び山林修行や乞食行為に対する制限を柱とする。