[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [勅修百丈清規](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025) › [The Baizhang Zen Monastic Regulations](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk) › 2.33 # 勅修百丈清規 2.33 The Baizhang Zen Monastic Regulations 2.33 - **Language:** English ### [2.33](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk.2.33) assembly of practitioners has chanted the Mahākāruṇikacitta-dhāraṇīs. The merit thereby accrued shall be dedicated to enhance the enshrine- ment of the patriarch with ever more reverence. We respectfully implore: May the sun of insight once again shine, illuminating the luminous seed in the patriarchal room, reviving the springtime of trees and flow- ers \[that flourished\] in Shaolinsi, and so on. Alternatively, the same sacred verses may be chanted by those \[who come from the same region as the honored patriarch\] or by those who have gathered for an annual retreat for the sake of a particular patriarch. It concludes with the following invocation of merit transference: The merit accrued by the foregoing chanting shall be dedicated for the sake of the great master and teacher So-and-so to enhance his enshrine- ment with ever more reverence. Veneration to the Buddhas of the ten directions and the three times, and so on. If monetary alms are again distributed, the Śūraṃgama-dhāraṇīs may be chanted and \[the ceremony\] concludes with the same invocation of merit transference as before. V. The Memorial Rite for the Master of the Dharma Succession 1. Sutra Chanting Virtuous patriarchs of the past devoted themselves sincerely to the task of promulgating the Zen vehicle of Buddhist spirituality, to the discovery and cultivation of the essential nature of one’s self, and to the instruction of junior practitioners in order to teach them what one should receive from one’s predecessor and what one should transmit to one’s successor. This was the way they paid their debt, just as citing the three crucial passages uttered by Haojian of Baling became the honorable act to discharge indebtedness at the memorial service of Yunmen. The predecessors had profound thoughts, and honoring them is the path of grave importance that should not be abandoned. Prior to the appointed day, the abbot requests the head administrative official to prepare a set of offerings and provisions with his own money. The evening before the day \[of the memorial\], the altar should be set up in the Dharma hall in due manner. The attendants of the practice hall official are obliged to notify the practitioners about the coming event and post the signboard indicating the sutra chanting. That evening, the Śūraṃgama-dhāraṇīs are chanted; those who are from the same province \[as the honored master\] and those who are related in his Dharma lineage may chant the Mahākāruṇikacitta-dhāraṇīs. This is followed by the novice attendants’ chanting; the invocation of merit transference is the same as before. Early the next morning, the abbot offers rice gruel at the altar and participates in the breakfast meal, and upon completion of this rite, the practitioners chant the Mahākāruṇikacitta-dhāraṇīs, while those who come from the same province and who are related in Dharma lineage intone the Śūraṃgama-dhāraṇīs. At mid-morning, there should be the sutra chanting for the rite of fulfillment. The abbot offers food, conducts a special serving of tea, and utters the word of insight and the prayer for offering incense. (The proceeding is identical to that of Bodhidharma’s memorial service.) The officials of the dual orders jointly offer incense, while the entire assembly performs three prostrations with opened sitting cloth. (Since all practitioners, from the senior onward, have originally gathered to receive the abbot’s instruction, they are obliged to pay their respects to the abbot’s master as well.) At the time of the midday meal, the abbot enters the practice hall, burns incense, and performs prostrations with opened sitting cloth \[before the altar of the sacred guardian image\], and returns to his position. The abbot’s personal assistant presents a monetary gift to the altar. (If he happens to be at the Dharma hall to conduct the same rite, it is not appropriate to present a monetary gift during the sutra chanting, because to do so would be impolite.) After the noon meal, the abbot serves tea and the incense offering assistant carries out the proceeding. 2. The Special Serving of Tea for the Portrait After the noon meal is over, the abbot’s guest reception assistant delivers to the west hall guest resident and the dual order officials an invitation to participate in a special serving of tea to be conducted before the patriarch’s portrait that evening. As the participants move their respective seat markers to the right side of their seats, the abbot makes a gesture of greeting to request them to take their seats. He then proceeds to offer incense and sweet hot water at the altar, and then serves sweet hot water to the participants. Returning to his position, the abbot again burns incense, performs three prostrations with opened sitting cloth, and stands up to bow toward the invitees, thanking them for their presence. Three drumbeats signal the end of the serving of sweet hot water, and the participants leave the hall. If there are three or five guests of the west hall, their seats must be assigned symmetrically opposite the dual order officials. The abbot himself serves sweet hot water to the west hall residents of the first seat section, whereas his assistant serves the dual order officials of the second seat section. If there is no west hall guest in attendance, the first serving is exempted, and fruit or cake are served when the sutra chanting is over. The retired dual order officials must be invited beforehand, and senior or junior practitioners related in the Dharma lineage or colleagues trained under the same master must be also invited. Novices and those who are indirectly related are not entitled to participate in the event. When all participants are seated, the abbot stands to offer incense and sweet hot water. Thereupon, his assistant burns incense and proceeds to serve sweet hot water and fruit or cake. End of Chapter IV: Honoring the Patriarchs of the Zen Tradition The Abbot, Resident Bearer of the Dharma I. Preface to the Chapter Four hundred years after the initial introduction of Buddhism to China, Bodhidharma arrived in this country. Further, the Buddhist Way transmitted by the First Patriarch reached Master Baizhang through eight patriarchal successions. The ultimate truth of the Way was the sole concern of the succession \[of patriarchs\], who received it from one and passed it on to the next. Some of the patriarchs resided in caves, while others sojourned in Vinaya school temples. During this period, there was no official called “abbot” (zhuchi, “upholder or bearer of the Dharma”). By the time of Baizhang, however, the Zen school had begun to flourish. This was because, following the prevailing fashion of the day, not only princes and ministers, rulers, and public officials who dominated the highest strata of society, but also Confucian and Daoist scholars and common people from all walks of life in the lowest stratum of society visited Zen practitioners to enquire about the Way. When the number of practitioners of Zen rapidly increase, unless they deeply respect their teacher’s authority, the rules and disciplines transmitted by the latter may not be rigorously maintained. Thus, for the first time, teachers and masters were given a position of authority under the title “abbot” and were called by the honorable title “senior or head priest” (zhanglao), just as in the Indian Buddhist tradition, Śāriputra, Subhūti, and so on were addressed honorably as “elder” or “head monk” (thera), on account of both their ordination seniority and their excellent qualities and virtues. \[In order to accommodate the growing numbers of Zen practitioners,\] larger buildings were constructed to house them, and the two sets of official positions (i.e., the dual orders of east and west) were created to divide responsibilities. - [Previous: 2.28](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk.2.28) - [Next: 2.38](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk.2.38) - [Up: 2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk.2) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-mt.2.33) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [勅修百丈清規](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025.2.33) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk.2.33](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk.2.33) · Pramāṇa