勅修百丈清規 6.7

6.7

請益

If the abbot conducts the evening session, the practice hall bell is not rung;

the guest reception master of the abbot’s office makes three drumbeats, sig-

naling the abbot to leave the hall. The primary seat official, leading the prac-

titioners, follows him to the Dharma hall or to the abbot’s reception hall. When

he takes his seat on the chair, the assistant official, the dual order officials, and

the east and west hall [high-ranking guest] officials each step out individually

from their regular positions and bow [to the abbot] (prior to the beginning of

his exhortation). After the exhortation is over, the practitioners withdraw to

their quarters for an evening meal.

If there is no evening session, the practice hall attendant goes before the primary seat official and, after a bow, says:

The master of the temple (literally, “the master of the practice hall,”

tangtouheshang) has canceled the evening session, sir.

Passing behind the altar and reaching the midpoint near the front entrance, the practice hall attendant bids the attendant in charge of meal proceedings (heshi) to announce, in a drawn-out voice:

The Zen session has been canceled.

When the practice hall bell is rung three times, the practitioners descend [from the raised sitting platform] and bow in unison. The primary seat official leaves the hall first, followed by the abbot and the training officials. The practitioners then pull out their bedding in full and go to the practitioners’ quarters for the evening meal.

During a period when a series of Zen sessions is conducted, it is better to alternate days with a session with days having no session, so that the junior members can learn the proceedings. If, due to a variety of reasons, the evening session is repeatedly canceled, the alms-serving master, acting in place of the primary seat official, is obliged to pull open his bedding halfway, along with the practitioners. In the evening, when the wooden sounding block in front of the practitioners’ quarters is struck three times, they leave their quarters and return to the practice hall. When the evening bell is tolled (or, if the temple is in a city, at the signal of drumbeats), the training officials enter the hall. The primary seat official also enters the hall at the sound of the bell, burns incense, and makes a round through the aisles of the hall. Next, the abbot enters, burns incense, and makes a round.

When the timekeeping bell (dingzhong) signals the first watch of the night and fifth point (i.e., 8:40 P.M.), the abbot leaves the hall, followed by the training officials. When an extended session of zazen is requested (zaiqingchan), the abbot reenters the hall from the rear entrance and settles on his seat without making a round through the hall. The training officials follow the practitioners, and those who are taking a rest return immediately to their bed spaces. The abbot leaves the hall during the late-night watch.

When the sound of the primary seat official opening his pillow is heard, the practitioners make ready to take their nightly rest. Those who wish to continue practicing zazen are not required to follow. Next morning, the practitioners are awakened by three strikes of the wooden sounding block. The practitioner assistant for the guardian bodhisattva pulls around the hall towel rack to surprise late risers. When the practitioners finish washing and return to the hall, the primary seat official enters first, burns incense, and makes a round through the hall. Next, the abbot enters, burns incense, and makes a round in the same way. At the signal of four drumbeats (i.e., the fourth watch of the night and the fifth point, 2:40 A.M.), the abbot leaves the hall. At the sound of the hall bell, the primary seat official leaves. The rest of the training officials and the practitioners leave the hall a moment later through the rear entrance, change their garments and hats, and, after a rest, return and wait on their bed spaces. Sometimes the primary seat official returns to the hall and once again makes a round through the aisles of the hall. When the hall bell has ceased ringing, the metal gong located at the kitchen hall is sounded to signal the time to fold up the bedding [and put it away in the storage rack]. The alms-serving master is obliged to fold up the primary seat official’s bedding. The practitioners may then leave the hall as they wish. Contemplation of the Buddhas or scriptures should be simultaneously practiced [along with zazen].

5. Individual Request

for Special Instruction

In general, a practitioner who wishes to have special instruction from the abbot must first speak to the assistant official, who will convey his wish to the master, “So-and-so practitioner wishes to visit the abbot’s office (fangzhang) for special instruction this evening.” If [the abbot] grants the request, the practitioner comes to the assistant’s office after evening meditation and waits for the the assistant monk to prepare incense and candlelight and escort him to the abbot. With a bow, the practitioner burns incense, performs nine prostrations with fully opened sitting cloth (dazhanjiubai), and folding up the sitting cloth, steps forward and says:

As I, So-and-so, regard the matter of life and death of primary impor-

tance and am concerned with the swiftness of transformation, I earnestly

request the venerable master in his compassion to grant me special

instruction with words of expediency.

The practitioner is obliged to stand with solemn respect at the master’s side and listen to his words intently. When it is over, he steps forward to burn incense and once again performs nine prostrations with fully opened sitting