勅修百丈清規 7.135

7.135

方丈點行堂茶

ting platform of the primary seat official. The new arrivals and the assistant

official, following the administrative officials, leave the hall.

The incense offering assistant then returns to mid-hall and bows, request-

ing the practitioners to take their seats. When the practitioners have settled

in meditation posture, he proceeds to burn incense [on the respective incense

burners set] at both the higher- and lower-ranking sections of the inner hall

and in the outer hall, first at its lower section and then its higher section.

Returning to the mid-inner hall, he places the incense case on the altar and

bows toward all the sections of the practice hall before their respective incense

burners. This completes the offering of incense for invitation. He then returns

to the mid-hall position, and the practice hall bell is struck twice to signal

the serving of tea. [When the tea has been served and] the jars are carried

out of the hall, he once again burns incense and makes bows as before, requesting the assembly to drink tea, and again returns to the mid-hall position. A single sound of the bell signals the retrieving of the cups, and three sounds of the bell signal the abbot’s departure from the hall. The primary seat official and the practitioners leave the hall in due order. If the abbot cannot make the evening tea serving for some unavoidable reason, or if he has been away from the practitioners for some time, he will have tea with the practitioners after the morning rice gruel. The assistant official’s ceremonial conduct is the same as before.

10. The Abbot’s Tea Reception at the

Novice Attendants’ Hall

After the serving of tea at the practice hall on one of the four annual celebration days, the assistant official and guest reception master together visit the novice attendants’ hall to serve tea. The guest reception master has beforehand requested the ceremonial master to post a tablet announcing the tea serving, and to inform the residents of the attendants’ hall. Prior to the occasion the abbot’s office sends tea to the kitchen hall, water is boiled and cups set out, and the kitchen official is invited to participate. The kitchen official receives the assistant official on his arrival at the administrative office, and the ceremonial master and the infirmary master, leading the novice attendants, receive the two officials at the hall gate. The assistant official takes his seat at the main position, because he is conducting the serving of tea on behalf of the abbot, while the kitchen official sits to his right, separated by an arm’s length. The assistant official goes to mid-hall and burns incense, and, returning to his seat, requests the resident novice attendants to take their seats. When the drinking of tea is completed, the kitchen official sees the assistant official off, while the ceremonial master and the infirmary master together see off the kitchen official outside the hall entrance. Immediately afterward, both officials visit the abbot’s office to express their thanks for the tea.

11. The Serving of Tea by the

Head Administrative Official and the

Training Official at the Attendants’ Hall

When the abbot’s tea reception ends, the administrative official visits the attendants’ hall to serve tea. The official sits at the main position, while the kitchen official is seated to his right, separated by an arm’s length. The conduct of this propriety is identical to that of the assistant official. The novice attendants see off the two officials, and the ceremonial master greets them:

The ceremonial master and the resident attendants shall visit the admin-

istrative office to express thanks for this tea reception, sir.

The guest reception master of the administrative office conveys the message:

The administrative official has excused the return propriety.

When the practice hall tea is finished (for details, see chapter VI, part VII, section 11) the training officials instruct an attendant of the practice hall office to notify the ceremonial master that they are ready to conduct a serving of tea and request him to post the signboard to inform the residents [of the novice attendants’ hall]. The kitchen official is invited as a participant.

(The propriety is identical with that of the administrative official. The ceremonial master’s promise of a return visit as a gesture of thanks when seeing off the administrative official, as well as the latter’s message excusing the return propriety is also identical.)

IV. Monthly Calendar of Events

During the Year

First Lunar Month

First Day (in some temples this also occurs in the fourth month): a ceremonial procession, sutra chanting, prayers for peace and security by the resident practitioners.

New Year’s greeting messages to government officials, patron donors, and the major monastic temples.

Seventeenth Day: The Memorial Day of Baizhang.

Second Lunar Month

First Day: Closing of the hearth in the inner practice hall; this is not done if it is a mountain temple and if the weather is still very severe.

Fifteenth Day: The Memorial (Nirvana) Day of Śākyamuni Buddha.

Third Lunar Month