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welcoming the guests’ presence. As each guest finds his seat and stands beside it, the abbot’s incense offering assistant and the guest reception assistant together go around the hall, requesting the guests to take their seats. When all are seated, they burn incense and bring forward the tables. Thereupon, all the assistants line up before the abbot, bow to him in unison, and take their respective positions, carrying out the serving of sweet hot water and the presentation of each meal. During the meal, the incense offering assistant leaves his seat to burn incense and deliver monetary gifts. When the meal is over, he and the other assistant retrieve the tables. A series of drumrolls signals the beginning of the serving of tea. (The propriety is identical with that of the special serving of sweet hot water.) With three drumbeats, the former and new dual order officials leave their seats and perform the formal propriety of two prostrations with opened sitting cloth and three prostrations with unopened sitting cloth to express their thanks.

6. The Abbot’s Special Serving of Tea

for the New Primary Seat Official

The morning after the evening special meal reception, the incense offering assistant reminds the abbot that a special serving of tea is due for the new primary seat official. The assistant instructs the guest reception attendant to prepare the crepe-wrapped board with an incense burner, a candle stand, and an incense box. The guest reception assistant draws up the signboard. (The format, previously given, is identical with that of the special serving of tea for a renowned, virtuous primary seat official.) The guest reception assistant visits the primary seat official’s quarters, and after burning incense and performing a prostration, says:

After the noon meal, the venerable master abbot wishes to hold a spe-

cial serving of tea at the practice hall in honor of your reverence. Please

grant us your honorable presence.

The guest reception master then informs the practitioners by posting the signboard indicating the serving of tea, and also invites the administrative officials and practitioners to participate.

The abbot’s assistants set up the name tablets indicating seating and conduct the ceremonial serving.

(The ceremonial proceedings are identical to those of the special serving on the four major days of annual festivity [sijie]. The only difference is that no incense table is placed by each head monk at the four raised platforms, nor is the propriety of making a round in the hall for invitation conducted.)

When the serving of tea is over, the teabowls are retrieved from the seats of the abbot and the primary seat official. At once, the latter goes before the abbot and performs the formal propriety of two prostrations with opened sitting cloth and three prostrations with unopened sitting cloth. At the first opening of the sitting cloth he says:

Today I am honored by this special serving of tea. My gratitude is

greater than I can express. I cannot help feeling great regret [for this

inability, sir].

At the second opening, he enquires about the well-being of the abbot, and concludes with the propriety of three prostrations with unopened sitting cloth. The primary seat official goes out of the hall, passing behind the altar of the guardian bodhisattva, and turns right to the outer hall. The abbot escorts him and returns to his place to take the teabowl. The practitioner assistant burns incense (signaling the practitioners to participate in the drinking of tea), then takes down the teabowl from the altar. After three drumbeats, the practitioners leave their seats. The primary seat official waits for the abbot at the lower left section of the Dharma hall and thanks him for the serving of tea.

7. The New Primary Seat Official’s

Special Serving of Tea for the Rear Hall

Primary Seat Official and the Practitioners

(If there is no rear hall primary seat official, the member of the training faculty next in rank is served.)

The morning after the abbot’s special serving of tea, the new primary seat official visits the abbot’s office carrying incense in his sleeve and invites the master, saying:

Today, at the end of the noon meal, a special serving of tea is sched-

uled [for the rear hall primary seat official as well as the practitioners]

at the practice hall. I earnestly appeal to your compassion to grant us

your honorable presence.

The new primary seat official then proceeds to the quarters of the rear hall primary seat official, carrying a written invitation (format given below) and a crepe-wrapped board equipped with an incense burner and candle stand. After burning incense, he invites him for the serving of tea:

Today, at the end of the noon meal, a special serving of tea is sched-

uled at the practice hall in honor of your reverence and the practition-

ers. May I request your honorable presence.

Thereupon, he presents the letter of invitation. The rear hall primary seat official, recipient of the special serving of tea, instructs his master of the quarters to give the document to the serving master and request him to post it on the left section of the wall outside the practice hall. The envelope

is also attached along with the document. Next, he instructs the attendant of

the practice hall office to inform the practitioners about the invitation and

post the signboard indicating “tea serving.” When the metal gong located at

the kitchen hall is struck to signal the serving of tea, the primary seat offi-

cial of the front hall should make a round through the practice hall, inviting

the practitioners for the serving of tea.

The fellow practitioners are called to assemble by the signal of drum-

rolls and the ceremonial serving begins. The propriety of the serving is iden-

tical with any of the other special servings.

Format of the Letter of Invitation

The front hall primary seat official, Bhikṣu So-and-so, has the honor

of holding a special serving of tea at the practice hall after the noon

meal. This is especially intended for the primary seat official of the

rear hall and the practitioners. This invitation is also extended to the

administrative officials as honorable participants.

Date and month

Respectfully prepared

by So-and-so

Format of the Envelope

Letter of Invitation for

The Primary Seat Official of the Rear Hall

as well as the Practitioners

Respectfully sealed

by So-and-so