釋門歸敬儀 2.27

2.27

Monks are virile men, strong and able to establish undertakings; therefore, alternating kneeling is prescribed for them. Nuns are delicate women, easily fatigued by the hardship of suspension; therefore, kneeling upright is enjoined upon them. That is, supporting both knees on the ground, raising both shins in the air, with the toes of both feet pointing to the ground, and standing the torso upright. In the sūtras, because rituals took a long time and weariness accumulated in the body, they knelt alternating the left and right knees. In the sūtras, there are also cases where monks touched the ground with both knees to address the Buddha. As for what is called "barbarian kneeling" (hū-kneeling), this is a respectful gesture of the barbarian people (Hū), which did not exist in this land; preserving its original context, it is called "Hū." It is also written as "barbarian bending" (huji); examining various dictionaries, *ji* is the mark of bending the knees in the land of India. The secular Book of Rites says: "When presenting something, stand and do not bend the knees (qi)." *Qi* means bending the knees, which is tabooed in secular custom: whenever presenting something, one's knees must rise and stand.