勅修百丈清規 6.15

6.15

日用軌範

cating the time and place] should be posted on this board. At the sound of the wooden fish-shaped gong (muyu) or the drumbeat, every member tucks up his sleeves with a strip of cloth over his arms and assembles at the designated place for the task of labor. Except for the guard of the practitioners’ quarters, the practice hall guard, and the sick and aged, every practitioner is equally required to participate in such tasks. In this connection, the maxim of the ancient master [Baizhang] should be recollected: “A day of no work is a day of no eating.”

VII. The Rules and Regulations

of Daily Conduct

1. Introduction

Zen Master Wuliangshou said [in the introduction to his Daily Regulations],

Escaping from worldly dust and leaving human convention, shaving

the head and wearing the kaṣāya robe, and pursuing the path by sojourn-

ing in various monastic institutions, one must clearly know the rules

and disciplines of these institutions.

Unless you know the rules by heart in the act of lifting up or putting down things, and also unless you are in accord with the normative disciplines in the act of moving or stopping, even if you have good teachers and colleagues,

how would you be able to penetrate deeply into and intensely experience the subject of your pursuit? Since wrong behavior easily becomes an established custom through repetition and learning, it is very difficult to reform. Such wrong customs will devastate the seats of the monastic centers, and affect through chain reaction practitioners’ minds, causing them to become negligent in their religious pursuits. Because such fault and sickness are so frequently observed in everyday life, it has finally led to the compilation of those paradigmatic rules of Baizhang as models.

If one seeks the origin and goal of these [paradigmatic] rules, one must spend days from morning to night [studying them]. In order to escape from the [mind’s lack of understanding] about these rules, it is necessary to put each of these rules into practice immediately, and only after strict adherence to each [rule] can one claim that one has pursued the nature of the self, clarified the forms of the mind, understood the problem of life, and grasped the nature of death. The rules of the secular world are [essentially] identical with those of the sacred. The practitioners who renounce [secular life] and are constantly traveling can bequeath their rules to those who have not renounced [secular life]. For many householders are not inferior physically or mentally to those who have left the householder life, and they are equally obliged to discharge their indebtedness to the Buddhas and patriarchs. The model rules of daily life will be respectfully enumerated in the following.

2. The Rules for Morning Proceedings

As to the rules of conduct among the practitioners, you should not go to sleep before others do, nor should you get up after others have. Before the timekeeping bell signals three o’clock in the morning, you must arise energetically and put your pillow at the foot of the bed space. It is not yet necessary to fold up the bedding, as this may disturb your immediate neighbors who are still asleep. Pull yourself together and sit straight with the whole body, so as not to create wind which may disturb your neighbors. If you feel fatigue, push the quilt off your feet, pick up your towel with the left hand, and intone the following verse:

From three o’clock in the morning until dusk, every sentient being

must reflect upon himself with the following prayer: “Even if my life

should end at this very moment, may I immediately be reborn in the

Pure Land.”

Then, go out to the washstand, lifting the hanging screen [of the practice hall] softly. You must not make noise by dragging your sandals or gargling loudly. It is said in the Ancient Regulations:

When one lifts the hanging screen to go out of the entrance of the hall,

one should not let his hand drop until it is all the way down. After com-

ing out of the hall, one should never drag one’s sandals.

The water tray for washing one’s face must be gently handled, and one should not use too much hot water. Dip the right fingers in dentifrice and rub the left side of the mouth, then dip the left fingers in dentifrice and rub the right side of the mouth. Do not dip your fingers in the dentifrice again; it should be cautioned that one’s mouth odor may be transmitted to others [in this way]. When rinsing the mouth, lean forward with your head down and after taking the water, spit it out with both hands downward; it is cautioned that [if you spit water while standing upright,] it may splash over nearby buckets that are being used by others.

You must not wash the head. There are four disadvantages for yourself and others [in doing so]: 1) it stains the washtray, 2) it soils the towel with oil, 3) it withers the hair, and 4) it injures the eyes.

Do not make noise by blowing your nose, splashing water onto your face, loudly [expelling water from the mouth], or defiling the washing trays by spitting. The Ancient Regulations set forth the [general] rule as follows:

Washing the face at three o’clock in the morning is for the primary pur-

pose of religious practice. [Expelling water from the mouth] and stamp-

ing with the sandals are most annoying to the practitioners who are seri-

ously engaged in practice.

While washing your face do not fight others for towels, nor should you use the towel to wash your head. After washing your face, hang up the towel or place it to dry over a fire.

When entering the practice hall through the higher-ranking section, step into the hall with the left foot first; conversely, when entering from the lower-

ranking section, step into the hall with the right foot first. Then ascend the raised sitting platform, fold up your bedding halfway, and sit upon it cross-

legged. When changing your garment, you must put the new one on over the old one, keeping yourself covered while taking the old one off. You must not expose any part of your body while changing clothes, nor should you create a breeze by moving hurriedly.

If you wish to burn incense and venerate the Buddha, you should do so while the timekeeping bell is being rung. Carry the kaṣāya robe in your sleeve, leave the hall by the rear entrance, and don the robe outside. Regardless of whether you are at your seat or away from it, when you are about to put on the kaṣāya robe, with palms together, [raise the robe] to your forehead and intone the following verse:

How great is the robe of liberation;

Formless yet the field of every merit.

Wearing this robe now with veneration,

I am determined to wear this robe in all my lives to come.

Oṃ siddhāya svāhā (anxituoyesuohe).

To fold up the kaṣāya robe, first pull the grip portion and untie the ring. You should not hold the robe in your mouth or use your chin to pull the robe. After folding up the robe, you must bow again before leaving the area.

When venerating the Buddha at the shrine hall (diantang), you must not occupy the central part of the floor lest you obstruct the abbot’s entrance into [the hall] for the rite of veneration. Nor should you call the names of the Buddhas out loud, nor should you walk beside someone who is performing the rite of veneration. You must take a place in the empty rear part of the hall. When the bell signals three o’clock, recollect in your mind this verse:

May the sound of this bell go beyond this Dharma world.

May it be heard by all those who abide in the dark, ghostly world

of iron prisons.

May those who suffer in the three deplorable realms of existence

be freed from it,

Ending the perpetual warfare of sword-wheels.

May all sentient beings establish supreme enlightenment.

When the abbot and the primary seat official are practicing zazen in the practice hall, no one can enter or exit the hall through the front entrance. [At

the end of morning zazen practice, at the time of “minor release of silence” (kaixiaojing), everyone must fold up their bedding and place the pillow within it. The way to fold the bedding is to first find the two front corners and stretch the quilt by hand straight in front. Then fold that one half into half, and next fold the other half which is closer to you into half. You must not extend the quilt into the neighboring space by folding it sideways, nor should you let any sounds escape when pulling the quilt, nor should you create any air movement by shaking it. You may either go to the practitioners’ quarters to have an herbal medicine drink, or engage in the practice of a “meditational stroll” (jingxing) in the hall, eventually returning to your almsbowl position by turning [left] toward your upper shoulder (i.e., the left shoulder). When entering the hall from the front entrance, you must step in from its southern [left-hand side] corner; you are not allowed to approach from the northern corner or from the center. This is perhaps out of reverence for the abbot.

3. The Rules for Meal Proceedings

As to meal proceedings, when the wooden fish-shaped gong is sounded signaling mealtime, no one is allowed to enter the hall. You may request a meal attendant to fetch your bowl and sit in the outer hall. Or, returning to the practitioners’ quarters, you may join the serving team. When you enter the hall and reach your assigned position to take meals (bowei, literally, “almsbowl position”), keep your head slightly lowered and bow toward your neighbors on both the higher and lower sides as well as across the aisle. If you have already been seated, when your neighbors come to their seats, you are obliged to join your palms together. The Ancient Regulations has the following:

Unless one greets with respect the practitioners of the higher and lower

seats as well as those across the aisle, there is no difference between

a Buddhist gathering and [a gathering] of brahmans.

After the sound of the wooden fish-shaped instrument, the metal gong in the kitchen hall is sounded to signal practitioners to take their almsbowls down. Rise and stand straight for a moment, then turn again toward your upper shoulder (i.e., to the left), with both palms together, ready to take the bowl down. First, with your right hand release it from the hook, then with your left hand support it while turning around and bending down to place it

on the floor. In this way, you can avoid colliding with your neighbor with

your back hip. When the hall bell rings, everyone must descend to the floor

to greet the abbot, who is entering the hall, and all bow in unison. No one,

however, should move their hands to the right or left. When descending to

the floor, move close to the wooden board-edge and bow and, after descend-

ing, you must not let your kaṣāya robe hang over the board [while standing

in front of it]. After the greeting, all once again ascend the raised platform

in a careful manner, not abruptly tossing your body onto it.

Set the almsbowl on the board-edge, and upon hearing the sound of the

mallet [striking the octagonal wooden post], you are obliged to intone the

following verse from memory:

The Buddha was born in Kapilavastu,

Enlightened in Magadha,

First preached in Vārāṇaṣī,

Entered nirvana at Kuśinagara.

As to the manner of “opening the bowl,” first recite, with palms joined

together, the following verse mindfully:

Now I have opened the Tathāgata’s almsbowl

That spontaneously measures the quantity of need.

I wish, along with all sentient beings, to realize the insight that

The donor, the recipient, and the alms received are all of the nature

of emptiness.

Thereupon, untie the knot of the wrapping cloth [around the almsbowl]

and take out the clean handkerchief to cover your lap and knees. The wrap-

ping cloth must be folded into a triangular form, so that it may be placed on

the board-edge without hanging over.

First, unfold the tray sheet (bodan), pick up the bowl with your left hand,

palm upward, and set it on the tray-sheet. Then using the thumbs of both

hands, take out the [three] nested bowls (fenzi). Lay them out [from right to

left], smaller to larger, and do not make a clattering noise while handling

them, nor should your fourth and fifth fingers touch the bowls. Fold the dry-

ing cloth of the bowl into a small size, and place it together with the sack

holding the spoon and chopsticks, laying these horizontally nearest your place

(literally, “to the body”). When placing the utensils into the sack, you should put the spoon into the sack first [and then the chopsticks], but when removing them from the sack, take out the chopsticks first, [then the spoon]. The utensils are to be laid out horizontally, with the handle of the utensil regarded as clean facing toward the upper (i.e., left) shoulder. The bowl-cleaning spatula (boshua) must be laid vertically to the side of the second bowl, with its tip extending half an inch out from the tray sheet, so that alms [for the sake of the hungry ghosts] may be placed on it. Neither the spoon nor the chopsticks should be used for this offering, and it ought to be no more than seven grains of rice. If [the offering] consists of less than this amount, it is regarded as showing greed for food. Whenever food is received [in the almsbowl,] it is a general rule to make such an offering, but when food has not been received, it is not permissible to make an offering directly from the serving ladle.

While the director of practitioners’ affairs intones the names of Buddhas, the practitioners hold both palms together, with the fingers held evenly. Join your palms together [and let your hands] lightly graze your chest; do not let your fingertips reach the mouth. The following statement is found in the Ancient Regulations:

There are those who hold both palms together but do not [rest] the

hands on their chest. Both hands cross each other at the fingers, with

the fingertips almost sticking into their nostrils. In dragging the san-

dals and lifting up the entrance screen, there is no refined cordiality

whatsoever. Uttering sounds like [expelling water] and leaking breath,

they look like [battlefield] heroes.

When receiving food, you are obliged to hold the bowl with both hands and intone the following verse from memory:

When one receives almsfood, one must wish that

All may have the Zen experience of delight as their food,

And be filled with the sense of rejoicing in the Dharma.

In order to request more or less [food from the server], signal by keeping your right hand still or raising it slightly [to indicate that you have received enough].

When the octagonal wooden post is struck with the mallet [to signal the

completion of the first serving], you must observe your neighbors [so as to be in tandem with them], lift the [main bowl] straight up in front of your forehead, and make a slight bow. Do not shake [the bowl] to the right or left. After bowing, you must intone the “Verse of Fivefold Reflection” on almsfood:

First, reflect upon the many labors [made by other people in order for

this food to be served to you] and for what reason [has this food been

served to you].

Second, reflect upon whether your virtue and practice have been

perfected or are far from satisfactory, and [renew your resolution before]

partaking of the almsfood.

Third, reflect upon whether your mind is prevented [from evil

thoughts] and freed from wrongdoing, because such [actions] are caused

by desire, and so forth.

Fourth, reflect upon whether you regard food as good medicine

and use it properly to treat illness and prevent emaciation of the phys-

ical form and [to maintain] strength.

Fifth, reflect upon whether you are aware that it is for the sake of

realizing the ultimate goal of the path that you receive this almsfood.

Next, you must produce some alms and intone the following verse from memory:

O host of hungry ghosts, I now make an offering of food for you;

This food is offered widely in all ten directions, for all the hungry

ghosts.

As to the manner of eating, you must not bring your mouth to the bowl, nor bring the bowl to the mouth. Whether taking up the bowl or putting it down, you must not make noise either with the spoon or chopsticks. You should not cough or sneeze. If this naturally occurs, you should cover your nose with your sleeve. You must not scratch your head, because dandruff may fly and fall into the bowls of neighboring practitioners, nor should you [put your finger in your] ear, nor make noise when chewing rice and drinking soup. You should not collect rice in the center of the bowl, nor should you take a large amount [of food] into the mouth [in one bite], nor should you open your mouth in anticipation of the food, nor should you let food drop from your

mouth, nor should you pick up and eat food with your fingers. If there remains any vegetable sediment, leave it below the edge of the bowl. Do not create [malodorous] wind which might affect neighboring seats. If you are afraid of doing so, you may take a seat in the outer hall after obtaining permission from the director of practitioners’ affairs. Do not rest your hands on your knees. Request only as much food as you need. Do not leave food after eating a part of it. Wet food (i.e., soup, side dishes, etc.) should not be placed in the primary bowl. Do not eat by pouring soup into the primary bowl and sifting rice from it. Do not eat rice by mixing it with side dishes in the primary bowl. While eating, pay attention always to your neighbors on each side, so as not to be too far [ahead or] behind in the proceedings. You must not start cleaning the bowl with the spatula before the second serving has been completed, nor should you make noise by sucking the tip of the spatula. Before the food is served, you should refrain from creating mental defilement. The Ancient Regulations has enumerated these misbehaviors as follows:

Foolishly looking around in all directions, becoming depressed

or angry;

Thinking of food, swallowing saliva and thus coughing frequently;

Pouring rice gruel, slurping soup, and stuffing food into the mouth;

Opening the seat and spreading the bowl set, making noise

everywhere toward all neighbors.

As to the manner of washing the bowl, water is placed in the primary bowl and the smaller bowls are washed in due order in the [main] bowl, but [do not wash] the spoon and chopsticks in it. [Wash the bowls using only the thumbs and first two fingers, keeping the fourth and fifth fingers extended;] after the bowl washing is done you may bend your fourth and fifth fingers. Do not gargle, as it makes noise, or spit water into the bowl. You must not wash the bowl while [the water] is boiling hot. Before the remaining water has been discarded, no one is allowed to remove the cloth used to cover the lap. Do not use this cloth to wipe sweat [from your face] The residue water must not be thrown onto the floor; [before it is discarded in the bucket], you must intone the following verse from memory:

This water with which I have cleansed the bowls

Tastes like ambrosia.

I offer it to all the hungry ghosts,

Wishing that they all be gratified by it.

Oṃ mahorase svāhā (anmoxiuloxisuopohe).

As for the manner of placing the smaller bowls back into the primary bowl, use the thumbs of both hands to pick up each bowl in due order and place them [gently] one after another into [the main bowl]. After this has been completed, hold your palms together and recollect the verse that is recited at the end of each meal:

Having finished the food, I feel the strength of my physical body,

Whose majesty shakes the heroes in all directions and in the three

times.

Neither abiding here nor remaining yonder, nor holding on to a

moment of thought,

I wish that all sentient beings acquire supernatural powers.

At the signal of the striking of the wooden sounding block in the practitioners’ quarters, the practitioners return to their quarters and bow. If someone does not return to his assigned position, it is regarded as being rude to the fellow practitioners. Entering the quarters as well as coming to your seat is performed exactly as is done in the practice hall. Remaining in position, wait for the moment when the master of the quarters finishes burning incense, then bow to your neighbors, both higher and lower in rank.

4. Drinking Tea and Reading Sutras

at the Practitioners’ Quarters

When practitioners take their seats to have tea in the practitioners’ quarters, they must be careful not to allow their robes to hang down. Nor should they talk and laugh with others with their heads close together. Do not greet others by a single raised hand, nor collect leftover (powdered) tea. Thus, the Ancient Regulations has this to say:

When ascending the raised sitting platform, you must not let your

robe hang overboard.

Some greet others with a single hand, but for what reason?

Some secretly collect powdered tea, thus becoming the laughing-

stock of bystanders.

Detestable is the wasting of time by neighboring pathseekers who

[talk idly] with their heads close together.

After drinking tea, if you want to read sutras do not unfold the text scroll too widely but limit it to [a two-page length]. You must not walk about in the quarters carrying the sutra in your hand, nor should you let its binding cord hang down, nor should you read it aloud, nor should you lean against the wallboard. The Ancient Regulations thus has these words:

Reading sutras aloud irritates neighboring practitioners,

Leaning back on the wallboard is a slight to the fellow practitioners.

It is advisable to leave the quarters early for zazen practice. Do not wait until you hear the signal of the wooden sounding block.

5. Using the Lavatory

When going to the lavatory, according to the Ancient Regulations, you must change into the robe made of five strips of cloth (wutiaoyi; namely, a simplified robe). Take a clean handkerchief and hang it over the left arm. Untie the string belt and hang it upon the bamboo rack, and take off the simplified robe and one-piece garment. Neatly fold them up and put them together with the handkerchief, marking the place. You must not engage in laughter and conversation, nor should you urge others in the lavatory to hurry across the doorway. Enter the lavatory carrying a water bucket in your right hand. When changing sandals, do not leave them in disarray. Place the bucket of water in front, and snap your fingers three times in order to warn the hungry ghosts who feed upon feces. Squat down and maintain the right posture, do not groan nor spit saliva or nasal mucus, nor should you make conversation with another through the wall. The Ancient Regulations says:

At the doorway, snap your fingers lightly.

If someone still remains within, why is it necessary to speak aloud?

Using bamboo spatulas in the lavatory, you must distinguish an

unused one from used ones.

When coming out of the lavatory, you must not leave the shoes

in disarray.

Do not pour water on both hands for cleansing. When the left hand is

used for cleaning, cover the thumb and the two adjacent fingers, and do not

use many bamboo spatulas. The Ancient Regulations says:

You may use warm water but not too much.

Stop fooling around with the bamboo spatulas.

After using the spatulas, wash them with water and leave them in the space

near the lavatory. When there are many practitioners in line, do not stay too

long because it inconveniences others. Leave the water bucket where it was

before. Using your dry hand, fix your underwear and put on the under-robe.

Open the door with your dry hand and come out, carrying the bucket with the

left hand. You must not touch the door panel or the side of the door with your

wet hand. Pick up a pinch of ash and then dirt with your right hand, not with

your wet hand. You must not spit saliva to mix with the dirt. Wash the left hand

and then use [soap] to wash the hand [and forearm] up to the elbow. You must

intone a mantra at each act of cleansing (mantras given below).

According to the Mahayana Tripiṭaka text, the Sutra of the Garland of

the Bodhisattva (Yinglojing), it is said:

In general, whosoever goes to the lavatory and does not intone the pre-

scribed mantras will never be able to cleanse his defilement, even upon

reaching the subterranean depth of the golden layer by using as much

as ten times the [amount of] water in the Ganges River to wash his

defilement away. No matter how often he presents himself in the shrine

hall to worship the Buddha, it is said to be of no use. Therefore, one

must maintain the mantras steadfastly and intone them seven times each

on every occasion. Because of this practice, the ghosts and spirits always

accompany him and protect anyone who intones them accordingly.

When going into the lavatory, intone the charm: Oṃ krodhāya svāhā

(Angenlutuoyesuohe).

When washing: Oṃ hanāmṛte svāhā (Anhenangmilidisuohe).

When washing the hands: Oṃ śuklāya svāhā (Anzhuqieluoyesuohe).

When purifying the body: Oṃ śrīye sahe svāhā (Anshiliyisuoxisuohe).

When purifying defilement: Oṃ vajrodaka ṭha svāhā (Anfeizheluonang-

jiazha).

Finally, cleanse your mouth with fresh water. Some Vinaya rules prescribe the method of cleansing after urination.

6. Miscellaneous Rules for Daily Conduct

[After visiting the lavatory], one may chew a toothpick and return to the practice hall and zazen practice. As long as no signal is heard from the kitchen hall metal gong, you should not return to the practitioners’ quarters. Nor should you wash your clothing before the morning gruel. Nor should you open your storage box before the morning rice gruel, before the noon meal, or after the signal canceling the evening session. If it is an unavoidable situation, you must speak to the person responsible for the respective matter of concern. For instance, in the case of the practitioners’ quarters, you must speak to the master of the quarters. In the case of the practice hall, you must talk to the assistant official of the guardian bodhisattva. After the noon meal is over, no one is allowed in the practice hall in order to put their heads together for idle talk. Nor should you read sutras or any kind of text in the practice hall. While engaged in a meditational stroll between the higher- and lower-ranking sections, you must not take a direct passage [from one side to another] through the hall. Do not count coins by displaying them on your seat, nor hang your feet over the board-edge while sitting on the raised platform. The one-foot-wide board-edge is regarded as a clean space for three reasons: First, it is the space where the almsbowl is used; second, it is the space where the kaṣāya robe is placed; and third, it is the space toward where one’s head is directed during sleep at night. You must not walk on the raised platform across neighboring space units. Nor should anyone open their storage box by squatting down on the floor. Nor should you descend from the raised platform by stepping on the board-edge.

After going around outside the temple wearing grass sandals and the simplified robe made of five strips of cloth, no one is allowed to step into and walk about in the Buddha’s shrine hall or the Dharma hall [without first changing their clothes]. The Ancient Regulations says:

After entering into the lavatory with a shoulder exposed

Or walking in the field outside wearing grass sandals,

No one should step into the Dharma hall,

Nor encounter any senior practitioner (i.e., without first changing

into the proper clothing).

You should not wear the practitioner’s sandals with bare feet. Nor should you walk hand in hand with another while explaining the secular truth as to its rightness and wrongness. The Ancient Regulations has the following words:

Separating oneself from one’s parents and leaving one’s original

teacher,

What would one intend to accomplish by traveling afar to seek

knowledge?

Whoever has not settled with the matter of the religion of the Zen

tradition,

May not accomplish anything, even until they become white-haired.

Whose fault is this?

At the Buddha’s shrine hall, you must not lean on the railings of the building, nor should you suddenly move quickly like a crazy person. The Ancient Regulations says:

Movement must be conducted with gentle walking,

For which one must learn Assaji’s majestic demeanor,

Words must be spoken in a low voice,

For which one must learn Upāli’s manner.

Do not stay in the shrine hall just to pass time. The Ancient Regulations says:

One must not go to the shrine hall for no purpose,

Nor should one step into the stupa compound to waste time.

Unless one visits [these places] to sweep the ground or sprinkle

scented water,

No matter how often [one visits, as numerous as] the sands of the

Ganges River, the benefit would diminish to nothing.

When washing your clothing after the noon meal, you must keep one shoulder covered. Nor should you soak the garment by pouring hot water directly from a jar. After using the bamboo poles and drying racks, they must be returned to their place. When the wooden sounding block is struck to sig-

nal the time for washing the feet, [indicating the end of laundry work,] you must not compete with others to obtain a washbucket. If you have boils or sores that itch, you must wash your feet after the others finish, or go somewhere not directly within sight to do so. Each practitioner must act expediently to avoid any occasion that might incur disturbance in the minds of his fellow practitioners. You should return to the practice hall without waiting for the signal of the wooden sounding block when your work is done.

When evening zazen practice is over, each practitioner opens his bedding to one-half size and descends to the floor. If the evening Zen session has been canceled, when the wooden sounding block located at the primary seat official’s quarters is struck, everyone turns around to face each other across the aisle. Whenever the wooden sounding block is struck as a signal, everyone is obliged to return to the practice hall. Once the signal has been completed, no one is allowed to enter the hall. No one should remain standing outside the hall. When the abbot and primary seat official leave the hall, the practitioners can open their bedding and descend from the raised platform, and after a bow, proceed to the practitioners’ quarters for the evening meal. When each one has settled in his position, he should not, however, get up or immediately stand up to fetch his meal. Nor should anyone shout aloud or compete to obtain items such as gruel, rice, salt, vinegar, and so on. After the evening meal, one must leave the quarters but not go beyond the main gate or to any of the smaller

quarters. No one is allowed to return to the practice hall or walk through the corridors without wearing the regular robe. Nor should anyone wait for the signal of the wooden sounding block to leave the practitioners’ quarters.

When the evening bell is tolled, each practitioner, with palms together, silently and mindfully recites this verse:

Listening to the sound of the evening bell, we feel that defilement

is reduced,

It increases far-reaching insight, inducing enlightenment,

It helps us out of hell and the fiery pit.

Let us aspire to realize Buddhahood and help sentient beings.

Everyone must first return to his floor space to practice zazen. You must not scratch your head on the raised meditation platform, nor should you make noise by manipulating your prayer beads on the raised platform, nor should

you exchange conversation with your immediate neighbors. If the practitioner next to you is not yet well cultivated, you must help him improve himself by way of skillful words, and never hold a sense of dislike toward him. After the bell [is rung] to signal the end of zazen practice or the time to sleep, no one may use the front entrance for going or coming. Awaiting the moment when the primary seat official prepares his pillow, those who feel extremely tired go right to sleep. While sleeping, lie on your right side, not [on your back] facing straight upward, because this is called the dead man’s sleep. Sleeping [with your face down] is called indulgent sleep because it creates bad dreams. Wrap the kaṣāya robe in the handkerchief, and place it above your head (i.e., on the board-edge). Today many practitioners place it below their feet, but logically this is not a convenient practice.

7. The Rules for Bathing

On bath day, carry your toiletries in the right hand, enter the bath hall from the lower-ranking section, and, after a bow, go to an empty space. After greeting your fellow practitioners to the right and left, hang the sash of the robe made of five strips of cloth over the bamboo rack, spread the bathing garment (yufu) on the floor, place the toiletries to the side, and disrobe. Before taking off the one-piece robe, remove your underwear and wrap the loincloth around your body to prevent the bathing trousers (yuqun) from becoming loose. Then untie your underwear [above and below] and place it in the wrapping cloth. Next, take off the one-piece robe and tie it together with the sash and the robe made of of five strips of cloth. The Ancient Regulations says:

When you hear the three drumbeats and enter the bath hall,

Separate those clothes that directly “touched” the body from those

that are “clean.”

Wrap all your clothing into one bundle, turning it front and back, and then change into the wooden footwear. Do not enter the bathwater with bare feet. You should wait your turn to bathe at an empty spot in the lower-ranking section and must not occupy the space reserved for the training officials and senior-ranking practitioners (called the higher-ranking section).

Be careful not to pour hot water over another’s body. Do not dip your foot

inside the bucket, nor urinate inside the bathing room, nor prop your feet up on the bucket, nor exchange laughter and conversation with others. Do not rest your feet over the trough, nor bail water out. Do not pour water over your body with a bucket while standing. If there are other practitioners nearby, you must prevent any water from splashing upon them. Do not let the loincloth drop from your body. Do not dip your feet into the water bucket to wash them, nor use too much hot water. Those who have wounds should wash the wound with moxa cautery or use medicinal materials. Those with itching sores must bathe last and not try to enter into the bath any earlier by hassling [others]. Do not use the public washcloths for cleaning your head or face, because these are used for hand-cleaning after wearing the undergarment, and thereby you put the robe made of five strips of cloth on over it. After coming out of the bath, greet those on the right and left, ascend the raised platform, and sit cross-legged for a while facing the wall. Then, first donning the robe and the one-piece robe, descend to the ground, take down your bathing trousers while bundling up the loincloth into it. This is because the wrapping cloth may have become wet. Holding the handkerchief in your left hand, greet [those on] the right and left, then leave the hall. Find the names of the donors and chant sutras or intone mantras as you wish, concluding with an invocation of merit transference.

8. The Rules for Being at the Fireside

During the winter months, when approaching the fireside, you must first sit on the fireside board, then turn around to the back, and, sitting properly, greet [those on] the right and left. You must not play with the fire shovels and pok-