勅修百丈清規 5.107

5.107

勅修百丈清規卷第五（終）

repeat the foregoing passages three times and thereby strive for realization of supreme enlightenment, equally benefiting yourself and others.

End of Fascicle Five

Fascicle Six

3. Zazen Practice

[Prior to the Evening Zen Session]

After the noon meal, the practice hall attendant reports to the primary seat official the time of late afternoon zazen practice. He also posts a tablet indicating the zazen practice [to be held before the evening Zen session] in front of the practice hall and the practitioners’ quarters. At dusk, incense is burned and candles are lit in the practice hall. The wooden sounding block located in front of the practitioners’ quarters is struck to signal [the practitioners to assemble]. After the first strike, the practitioners enter the hall; at the second strike, the training officials enter; and at the third strike, the primary seat official enters.

(On this occasion, it is not required to strike the wooden sounding block located in front of the primary seat official’s quarters; however, the block must be struck three times before the evening Zen session [or an evening lecture session].)

This procedure is much the same as the case of reporting to the abbot and striking the wooden sounding block of the abbot’s office to announce the time of zazen practice. In some temples, it is against the regulations to not wear the kaṣāya robe for the occasion of Zen sessions.

When the cooking of the evening rice gruel has been completed, the practice hall attendant notifies the primary seat official:

The release from Zen practice is in order, sir.

He passes behind the altar of the guardian bodhisattva and to its right, reaches the front entrance, takes down the tablet, and strikes the practice hall bell three times, at which time all practitioners bow in unison while remaining in their seats. The abbot leaves the hall, followed by the training

officials. Thereupon the practitioners descend from the raised sitting platform

and pull out their bedding to a half-open position. Previously the abbot and

the training officials had all come to the practitioners’ quarters for the evening

meal. Perhaps, in ancient times, practitioners used to approach the abbot every

evening for instruction and exposition as a general practice. Because of that,

the abbot led all the members of the temple to assemble for the Zen session.

At the drum signal, they proceeded to approach the abbot. The term “evening

session” (zuosan) came from this practice. [There is an episode related to

this.] Because the region of Fenzhou was very cold, the honorable Shanzhao

canceled this type of evening session [on severe wintry days], and the phrase,

“the release from the Zen (dialogue) session” (fangsan), derived from it.

4. The Evening Zen Session

Today, in monastic institutions where numerous practitioners reside, the

“evening Zen session” (wansan) is still practiced with the original meaning.

This is called the “great Zen practice session” (dazuosan) and it is nearly

identical to a regular Zen session. The only difference, however, is that the

primary seat official does not burn incense after entering the practice hall

but proceeds directly to his place and waits for the abbot to enter and sit

cross-legged at his seat. The practice hall attendant strikes the wooden sound-

ing block at the primary seat official’s quarters three times, and the practi-

tioners turn around to face each other while sitting cross-legged on their

seats. The primary seat official descends from his seat, leaves the hall through

the rear entrance, reenters the hall through the front entrance, burns incense

before the altar of the guardian bodhisattva, makes a round through the hall

as usual, and then returns to his place and sits cross-legged.