勅修百丈清規 4.76

4.76

頭首務擇才德相當者為之。而近之庸流責以飲食延接為事。使守貧抱道之士愈甘退藏。叢林何由歆艶。住持當革其弊可也。知事古規只列監院維那典座直歲庫頭五員而已。職滿鳴椎白眾告退歸堂隨眾。初無單寮榻位。故叢林鼎盛。近來諸方大小勤舊動至百數。僕役倍之。而僧堂閴無一人。泰定間脫歡丞相領行宣政院。分上中下三等寺院。額定歲請知事員數正為此也。宜遵行之。凡職事將滿。預詣方丈稟退。如擇進退日定。住持令行者報兩序。知當晚昏鍾鳴。舊知事一班。詣方丈插香告稟。觸禮一拜。納庫記鑰匙而退。就中或有再留者。住持隨送到庫司。侍者燒香點湯勉留。次早五更鍾鳴。頭首一班懷香詣方丈。觸禮一拜告退。或有留者。亦同前禮。點湯留之。住持以擇定人名目子。并西堂勤舊。令客頭行者請粥罷會茶。其舊知事一班候僧堂行粥遍。從後門入。上首鳴椎一下云（白大眾。某等昨蒙堂頭和尚慈旨。令歸庫。今來心力疲倦。告退歸堂隨眾。謹白）再鳴椎一下。從聖僧左出住持前。兩展三禮。初展云（某等昨蒙甄錄。自愧匪才。下情無任愧懷之至）再展敘寒溫畢。觸禮三拜退身。從聖僧右出聖僧前。大展三拜。轉身從首座板起。巡堂一匝。中間問訊而退。粥罷行者守請新人至寢堂。獻茶畢。住持躬起。燒香一炷。歸位白云（前兩序告退。此務不可缺人。拜請某人充知事。某人充頭首。逐一標名白訖）住持出就爐前立。侍者揖請新人至住持前。對觸禮一拜。新知事同進前。兩展三禮。初展云（某等乍入叢林。諸事生疎過蒙使令。下情不勝恐懼之至）再展云（即日時令謹時恭惟。堂頭和尚尊候起居多福）觸禮三拜。住持答一拜。新頭首進前兩展三禮。致訶同前。轉位獻湯（咸淳規揖坐揖香揖湯。至今諸方行之。或謂當晚有特為此可免。講不講在住持意）湯罷謝禮。或展或免。供頭鳴僧堂鐘。大眾歸鉢位立定。住持入堂。先送前堂首座。以次頭首隨歸鉢位。各觸禮一拜。次送後堂對。觸禮一拜。新知事一班預立於西堂板頭。住持歸位。維那往住持前問訊側立（如維那已退。則知容侍者代行禮）住持付目子與之。當面問訊。從聖僧後轉鳴椎一下云（白大眾。前知事告退。此務不可缺人。適奉堂頭和尚慈旨。請某人某職。某人允某職職。謹白）復鳴椎一下。侍者即揖請新知事一班。住持持前觸禮一拜。維那白云（請知事訖）又鳴椎一下。知事一班兩展三禮（致詞並與前同）知事轉聖僧後。右出聖僧前排立。大展三拜。維那引巡堂一匝。歸中問訊。橫退過西堂板頭立。堂司行者喝云（大眾禮賀新知事）普同觸禮一拜畢。又喝云（新知事禮謝大眾）普同觸禮一拜畢。又喝云（大眾送新知事歸庫司）供頭行者鳴僧堂鍾。住持送入對觸禮一拜。送住持出。與舊人交代。互轉身對。觸禮一拜。送舊人出。侍者先賀。次頭首領眾賀畢。行者喝云（大眾送新首座歸寮）再鳴鍾送賀畢。喝云（大眾送新維那歸堂司）又鳴鍾送賀畢。逐一喝云（兩班勤舊送新後堂首座書記藏主知客歸寮）送賀交代禮並同前。又各喝云（大眾送舊首座都寺歸寮）亦鳴鍾送賀畢。各喝云（兩班勤舊送以次舊頭首知事歸蒙堂前資）禮亦如前。送住持出。寮主先相接。交互轉身對。觸禮一拜。不送出。然後受賀俱畢新舊人各懷香。即詣方丈拜謝。新人香係庫司備謝畢。新舊人同巡寮方丈請半齋點心。齋時草飯仍請西堂勤舊。光伴列職雜務待請兩序了。別日詣堂司告退。次第擇人交替。

Prefects must be chosen from among those whose talent and virtue are commensurate. Yet nowadays mediocre types charge them with provisions and reception as their primary tasks, causing those who hold to poverty and embrace the Way to prefer retirement and seclusion all the more. How can a monastic grove be admired and flourishing? The abbot ought to reform such abuses. Under the ancient rules, the administrators numbered only five: the prior, karmadāna, chef, rector, and storehouse head. When their term was fulfilled, the mallet was struck to inform the assembly, their retirement was announced, and they returned to the hall to follow the assembly. Originally there were no individual dormitory berths, so the monastic groves were flourishing. Recently, in monasteries throughout the land, retired officers large and small easily number up to a hundred, with twice as many servants, while the Sangha hall is utterly empty of anyone. During the Taiding era, when Chancellor Toghon was in charge of the Branch Bureau of Buddhist and Tibetan Affairs, he classified monasteries into three grades—upper, middle, and lower—and fixed the annual quota of administrators to be invited precisely for this reason. It is proper to follow and observe this. Whenever their tenure of office is about to be completed, they go beforehand to the abbot's quarters to report their retirement. Once the date for retirement and appointment is set, the abbot instructs the postulants to notify the two ranks. That evening, when the dusk bell strikes, the group of old administrators goes to the abbot's quarters, inserts incense, makes a report, performs one prostration touching the mat, hands over the storehouse records and keys, and retires. If among them there are any whom the abbot would detain, the abbot immediately escorts them to the monastery storehouse; the attendant burns incense and serves hot broth to urge them to stay. The next morning at the strike of the fifth-watch bell, the group of prefects carries incense in their sleeves to the abbot's quarters, performs one prostration touching the mat, and reports their retirement. If any are detained, the same etiquette is used, serving hot broth to detain them. With the list of chosen persons and the retired officers of the west hall, the abbot instructs the guest prefect postulants to invite them to convene for tea after the morning gruel. That group of old administrators, waiting until the distribution of gruel in the Sangha hall is completed, enters through the rear door. The senior member strikes the mallet once and says: "Notice to the great assembly: yesterday we received the hall head upādhyāya's compassionate directive instructing us to return to the storehouse. Now, with our mental and physical strength exhausted, we report our retirement to return to the hall and follow the assembly. Respectfully announced." He strikes the mallet once more, exits from the left of the Sacred Monk, and proceeds before the abbot. He makes two unfoldings [of the mat] and three prostrations. At the first unfolding, he says: "Yesterday we were favored with selection, yet we are ashamed of our unworthiness. Deep in our hearts, we are overwhelmed with shame." At the second unfolding, after exchanging seasonable greetings, he performs three prostrations touching the mat and steps back. Exiting from the right of the Sacred Monk, he stands before the Sacred Monk, makes three prostrations with a fully unfolded mat, turns around, and beginning from the head seat's board, circumambulates the hall once, greets the center with folded hands, and retires. After the gruel, the postulant on watch invites the new appointees to the rear hall. When tea has been offered, the abbot personally stands up, burns a stick of incense, returns to his seat, and announces: "The former two ranks have reported their retirement. These duties cannot be without personnel. I respectfully invite So-and-so to serve as administrator, and So-and-so to serve as prefect." Having named each one and finished the announcement, the abbot comes forward and stands before the incense burner. The attendant bows to invite the new appointees before the abbot, and they exchange a prostration touching the mat. The new administrators advance together, make two unfoldings [of the mat] and three prostrations. At the first unfolding, they say: "Having newly entered the monastic grove, we are unfamiliar with all matters; we have excessively received your command. Deep in our hearts, we cannot bear our extreme apprehension." At the second unfolding, they say: "At this present season, we respectfully inquire: we trust the hall head upādhyāya's venerable health and daily life abound in good fortune." They perform three prostrations touching the mat, and the abbot responds with one prostration. The new prefects step forward, make two unfoldings [of the mat] and three prostrations, and deliver the same words as before. Changing seats, hot broth is offered. (The Xianchun Rules prescribe bowing to sit, bowing for incense, and bowing for broth; to this day, all quarters practice this. Some say that since there is a special hospitality that evening, this may be omitted. Whether to practice it or not depends on the abbot's intention.) When the broth is finished, thanks are offered with bows, either with mats unfolded or omitted. The offering attendant strikes the Sangha hall bell. The great assembly returns to their bowl-positions and stands firm. The abbot enters the hall, first escorts the front hall head seat, and the other prefects follow to return to their bowl-positions, each performing one prostration touching the mat. Next, he escorts the rear hall [head seat], exchanging a prostration touching the mat. The group of new administrators stands in advance at the head of the west hall board. The abbot returns to his seat. The karmadāna goes before the abbot, greets him with folded hands, and stands to the side. (If the karmadāna has already retired, the guest-receiving attendant acts on his behalf to perform the rite.) The abbot hands him the list. He greets him face to face with folded hands, passes behind the Sacred Monk, strikes the mallet once, and says: "Notice to the great assembly: the former administrators have reported their retirement. These duties cannot be without personnel. Just now, receiving the hall head upādhyāya's compassionate directive, So-and-so is invited to such-and-such an office, and So-and-so accepts such-and-such an office. Respectfully announced." He strikes the mallet again. The attendant immediately bows to invite the group of new administrators, who perform one prostration touching the mat before the abbot. The karmadāna announces: "The invitation of the administrators is concluded." He strikes the mallet once more. The group of administrators makes two unfoldings [of the mat] and three prostrations (the spoken words are identical to the preceding). The administrators pass behind the Sacred Monk, exit to the right, and stand in line before the Sacred Monk, making three prostrations with a fully unfolded mat. The karmadāna leads them in circumambulating the hall once; they return to the center to greet with folded hands, step sideways past the head of the west hall board, and stand. The hall office postulant calls out: "The great assembly pays congratulations to the new administrators!" All together make one prostration touching the mat. He calls out again: "The new administrators bow in thanks to the great assembly!" All together make one prostration touching the mat. He calls out again: "The great assembly escorts the new administrators back to the monastery storehouse!" The offering postulant strikes the Sangha hall bell. The abbot escorts them inside, exchanging a prostration touching the mat, and sees the abbot out. They exchange offices with their predecessors, turning to face each other, perform one prostration touching the mat, and see the old officers out. The attendants congratulate them first, and next the prefects lead the assembly to congratulate them. When finished, the postulant calls out: "The great assembly escorts the new head seat back to his dormitory!" The bell is struck again, and when the escort and congratulations are finished, he calls out: "The great assembly escorts the new karmadāna back to the hall office!" The bell is struck again, and when the escort and congratulations are finished, he calls out each in turn: "The retired officers of the two ranks escort the new rear hall head seat, secretary, director of the canon, and guest master back to their dormitories!" The rites of escort, congratulation, and handover are all the same as before. Again he calls out each: "The great assembly escorts the former head seat and chief prior back to their dormitories!" The bell is struck again, and when the escort and congratulations are finished, he calls out each: "The retired officers of the two ranks escort the subsequent former prefects and administrators back to the infirmary hall and previous-rank quarters!" The rite is also as before. They see the abbot out. The dormitory host first receives them; they turn to face each other, perform one prostration touching the mat, and do not see him out. Then, after receiving all congratulations, both the new and old officers take incense in their sleeves and proceed to the abbot's quarters to bow in thanks. The incense for the new officers is provided by the monastery storehouse. When the thanks are concluded, the new and old officers tour the dormitories together. The abbot's quarters invites them to half-day refreshments. At the midday meal, a simple meal is served, still inviting the retired officers of the west hall to grace [the table] as companions. Those appointed to miscellaneous administrative duties wait until the two ranks have been invited, and on another day go to the hall office to report their retirement, sequentially selecting persons for handover.