勅修百丈清規 4.36

4.36

綱維眾僧曲盡調攝。堂僧掛搭辨度牒真偽。眾有爭競遺失。為辨析和會。戒臘資次床曆圖帳。凡僧事內外無不掌之。舉唱回向以聲音為佛事。病僧亡僧尤當究心。每日二時赴堂。堂前鍾鳴離位。入堂聖僧前左手上香。退兩步半。問訊合掌而入椎邊立。先看逐日回看神示名位。鍾鼓絕鳴椎一下。眾展鉢已再鳴椎一下。合掌默回向當日神示。左手按砧。舉云（仰憑大眾念。清淨法身毘盧遮那佛。圓滿報身十號云云）右手鳴椎。高不過五寸。聲絕方下椎。急緩合度。俟首座唱食至第三句將畢。轉身退至立僧板頭立。俟行食遍。進前鳴椎一下。合掌至聖僧前問訊。出堂歸鉢位。若施主齋僧行䞋遍食。椎後從聖僧後轉。左邊朝首座問訊。復鳴椎一下而出。為請施財也。或有他緣。或暫假出入。將戒臘簿假簿堂司須知簿。親送過客司令攝之。

He leads and regulates the assembly of monks, exhausting every effort in accommodating and guiding them. For hall monks registering for residence, he verifies the authenticity of ordination certificates. If there are disputes or lost property among the assembly, he discerns, resolves, and reconciles them. He manages monastic age, seniority of seat assignments, bed rosters, and registers; in all monastic affairs, both internal and external, there is nothing he does not oversee. Intoning invocations and dedicating merit, he conducts Buddhist services through sound. Regarding sick monks and deceased monks, he must be especially attentive. Daily he attends the hall for the two meals. When the bell sounds in front of the hall, he leaves his seat. Entering the hall, he offers incense before the sacred monk with his left hand, retreats two and a half steps, greets with folded hands, joins his palms, and enters to stand by the mallet. First he inspects the names and positions of the spirits for the daily dedication. When the bell and drum cease, he strikes the mallet once. After the assembly has unfolded their bowls, he strikes the mallet once more, joins his palms, and silently dedicates merit to that day's spirits. Resting his left hand on the block, he intones: (Relying upon the great assembly, let us recite: Pure Dharma-body Vairocana Buddha, Complete Reward-body with the ten epithets, and so forth.) With his right hand he strikes the mallet, raising it no higher than five inches. Only when the sound ceases does he lower the mallet, keeping the tempo balanced. Waiting until the head seat is near the end of chanting the third phrase of the meal verse, he turns around, retreats, and stands at the head of the standing monk's board. Waiting until the food has been served everywhere, he steps forward and strikes the mallet once, joins his palms, proceeds before the sacred monk to greet with folded hands, leaves the hall, and returns to his bowl place. If a benefactor offers a meal to the monks and distributes donations throughout the meal, after striking the mallet he circles behind the sacred monk, faces the head seat on the left side to greet with folded hands, strikes the mallet once more, and departs; this is to invite the distribution of donations. If there are other engagements, or if he takes temporary leave to go out, he personally brings the monastic age register, leave register, and hall administration handbook to the guest master's office to have them manage it in his stead.