勅修百丈清規 2.53

2.53

to the left of the chair, makes a bow, and [steps backward] to perform a prostration with unopened sitting cloth. He then leaves the room, again leading with his left foot, and salutes the next practitioner, thus signaling him to enter the room in the same manner. As one practitioner comes out another goes in with a bow, one after another, with no pause in between.

If the primary seat official is himself an established master, due to having once been the west hall official of a superior temple, or if a renowned practitioner happens to visit the room and burns incense, the abbot leaves his seat to salute him and respectfully sees him out of the room. In the case of a regular ascent to the rostrum seat of the Dharma hall, such personalities may be excused from participation [in this rite] by public announcement. (This custom was also developed in recent times. In the past, real practitioners did not hesitate to encounter the Buddhas and patriarchs at any time. Why should anyone follow convention? The point is that [the manner of this ritual] depends on the kind of master.)

The rear hall primary seat official usually leads the practitioners. New residents of the temple should make a visit [to the abbot] for direct instruction. The assistant brings up the end of the line, enters the room last, similarly

receives instruction, offers incense, and performs three prostrations with opened sitting cloth. The novice attendant also burns incense and performs three prostrations with opened sitting cloth. Thereupon, the abbot burns incense before the image of Bodhidharma, performs three prostrations with opened sitting cloth, and leaves the room.

7. Prayer Chanting on the Days of the Month

Ending in Three and Eight

In the Ancient Regulations, prayer chanting was observed on the third, eighth, thirteenth, eighteenth, twenty-third, and twenty-eighth days of each month. Today, [however,] it is observed only on three days: the eighth, eighteenth, and twenty-eighth of each month. The practice hall official is obliged to make a chart of the ceremonial positions in the practice hall based on ordination seniority. (Format of the chart given below.) When the appointed day comes, the entrance area of the practice hall must be swept and cleaned, and in the afternoon the practice hall office attendant informs the practitioners of the schedule for prayer chanting and posts the signboard announcing the event. Before the evening Dharma session, [around four o’clock in the afternoon,] after confirming that incense and candles are prepared and ready for use in the practice hall as well as in all other buildings, the abbot notifies the dual order officials and instructs the attendants to strike, first, the wooden sounding board located by his office; next, the one located at the skylit hall adjacent to the practice hall, and then all the wooden sounding boards located in the various corridors connecting the buildings. When the abbot comes out from his hall, signaled by three strikes of the metal gong located at the kitchen hall with an interval between strikes, the practitioners take their positions as designated in the chart and remain standing. New arrivals are required to stay behind the abbot’s assistant.

Followed by his assistant, the abbot makes a round from the patriarch’s shrine hall to the local spirit shrine, then to the Buddha hall, burning incense and performing prostrations at each place. When he reaches the Buddha hall, the large bell is tolled [to signal his arrival]. The dual order officials gather beforehand at the entrance of the practice hall, and upon hearing the sound of the metal gong, enter the hall and take their respective positions. The alms

master signals the abbot’s entrance into the practice hall with seven tolls of the practice hall bell. The abbot proceeds to offer incense at the altar of the guardian bodhisattva, receiving the incense from his assistant who carries the incense case. Meanwhile the abbot’s secretarial assistant goes directly to his designated position. The guest reception assistant proceeds to the front of the [column of] the west order officials and, with a bow, invites them to the serving of sweet hot water; he then goes around to the front of the [column of] the east order officials and invites them. The abbot then comes out into the outer hall and stands in the center, followed by his incense offering assistant. The latter then takes his designated position in the outer hall.

The director of practitioners’ affairs leaves his place, comes to the hall entrance and stands facing the abbot and, with his palms together, begins the prayer chanting. The following is the word of prayer to be read on the eighth and eighteenth days:

May the imperial wind forever send fresh air and the imperial way for-

ever flourish, while the Buddha’s sun shines ever more brightly and

the wheel of the Dharma perpetually turns. The temple building and

the earth protect the Dharma and people, and all the benefactors increase

ever more in merit and wisdom. For the sake of the foregoing causes,

we shall intone the ten sacred names of the Buddhas: the Luminous

Pure Dharma Body Vairocana Buddha, and so on.

[While this is being intoned] the practitioners remain in silent prayer. As each name of the Buddha is intoned, the hall bell is lightly tolled; at the end, to signal the conclusion of the prayer, the bell is immediately tolled again. The word of prayer for the twenty-eighth day is as follows:

I respectfully address the practitioners. According to the first regnal

year of Zhiyuan of the great Yuan dynastic calendar, it has been twenty-

two hundred and eighty-four years since the time the Tathāgata, the

Great Teacher, entered parinirvāṇa. Just as this day is about to pass,

so is our lifespan diminishing, like fish in a shrinking pond. What kind

of happiness is there in this state of existence? May you exert your-

selves in your endeavors as if to extinguish a fire burning on your head.

With constant awareness of impermanence, may you strive and refrain

from becoming negligent. May the temple building and the earth pro-

tect the Dharma and the people, and all the benefactors of the ten direc-

tions ever increase merit and wisdom. For the sake of the foregoing

causes, we shall intone the ten sacred names of the Buddhas: the Lumi-

nous Pure Dharma Body Vairocana Buddha, and so on.

Having completed the prayer invocation, the director of practitioners’

affairs returns to his place. The abbot and the primary seat official enter the

hall, one after the other. Next, the distinguished guest official of the west

hall enters the hall, burns incense, and upon reaching the board head stands

facing the altar of the guardian bodhisattva. Three at a time, the training offi-

cials, leading the practitioners, approach the altar of the guardian bodhisattva

and bow before it. Turning toward the abbot, they bow before him, and mov-

ing to their left they make a round [through the aisles in procession] with

their palms together. Upon reaching their respective positions as designated

in the chart, each stands in place. Recent arrivals follow the practitioners

behind the abbot’s assistant, but proceed only up to the rear half of the hall.

When the [abbot’s] assistant stops behind the altar facing the rear exit, they

also stop there and face him.

Next, the administrative officials enter the hall, bow toward the altar,

turn toward the abbot with a bow, and proceed to make a round in similar

manner with their palms together, then go out of the hall. The recent arrivals

follow the abbot’s assistant and leave the hall by the rear exit. The attendant

of the practice hall office goes before the primary seat official and says: “The

evening session is called off, sir.” He departs the hall, passing behind the

guardian bodhisattva’s altar. Thereupon, the alms serving attendant rings the

hall bell three times, and all the practitioners bow in unison and leave their

positions in orderly fashion. The altar attendant leaves the hall by passing

around behind the altar.

(When the abbot goes out, the dual order officials also follow him and

begin to express their thanks to him outside the hall for the invitation to the

reception of sweet hot water, though this formality may be excused by the abbot

himself. On the twenty-eighth day, after prayer chanting, the serving of sweet

hot water is conducted at the abbot’s reception hall. The wooden sounding board

located by the office is struck to signal this. The abbot’s assistant burns incense;

the manner of serving sweet hot water is the same as on the usual occasion but is followed by an evening meal. In the Ancient Regulations, the serving of sweet hot water was a norm on the days ending in three and eight but there was no evening meal on the eighth and eighteenth days. On those days, no zazen is scheduled prior to the evening session, but the evening session of zazen occurs as usual.)

The Position Chart for Prayer Chanting

and Practice Hall Rounds

(The chart below reflects corrections made in reference to Mujaku

Dōchū’s Commentary on the Baizhang Monastic

Regulations with Left-side Notes)

h g rear entrance f e

i

d

u v w x

guardian

bodhi-

j

t s z y

c

sattva

q r a b

k

inner

b

p o practice hall d c

WH n m TF PS

l

A

a

skylit hall skylit hall

Ps TF PS AH AO DPA AA

DPA

a b c WH A b c d Rs

e d a z

f g z y

wooden rack wooden rack

i h w v

j k t u

outer

practice hall

m l s r

n o p q

front entrance

Key A Abbot PS Primary Seat Official WH West Hall Official AH Administrative Head AO Administrative Officials DPA Director of Practitioners’ Affairs TF Training Faculty Officials AA Abbot’s Assistants Ps Practitioners Rs Recent Arrivals

The dotted line shows the initial movement of the three people in the practice hall rounds. The letters a–z show the progression through the hall and final seat positions.

8. Inspection Rounds of the Quarters

The Ancient Regulations stipulated that a signboard announcing “inspection round” was to be posted in front of the practice hall to inform the practitioners when the abbot was going to make rounds through the various quarters. In each quarter a seat for the abbot is set up and incense, tea, and sweet hot water are prepared in advance of his arrival. In each quarter the wooden sounding board is struck to assemble the practitioners. When the abbot arrives, they greet him outside the gate of their quarters and follow him into the quarters. The head practitioner of the quarters burns incense and bows to him in unison with the others, and all sit down. The abbot enquires after the practitioners’ age and health, and so on, inspects to see if anything is lacking or in short supply, and engages in dialogue with them. When he stands up, the practitioners perform a prostration with opened sitting cloth to thank him. If the formality is excused, they may simply bow instead when seeing him off. When the abbot makes rounds on the first day of the month and mid-month, there is no need to post the signboard.

Nowadays, the inspection rounds of the practitioners’ quarters are conducted only on the four annual festivity days and at no other time. If anyone is capable of reviving the Ancient Regulations, he should be encouraged to do so.

It is said in the Mahāsaṃghika-vinaya (Mohesengqilü) that the Worldhonored One visited the bhikṣus’ quarters once every five days for five major reasons: first, he was concerned that disciples might be trapped in worldly affairs; second, that they might be attached to conventional doctrines; third,

that they might be idly asleep; fourth, to see if anyone might be sick; and fifth, to encourage junior disciples through having them directly witness the dignity of the Buddha.

9. Reprimanding Measures

The eminent Hanlin scholar Yangyi of the Song dynasty tried to trace the original ideas of the Baizhang Zen Monastic Regulations in the great Tripiṭaka scriptural collection in order to fathom the meaning of their creation. Yangyi explained his findings generally as follows: Suppose someone assumes an ordained name or [adopts the form of an ordained person (i.e., wears robes)], and mixes with real practitioners. When such a person, most especially, starts quarrels, the director of practitioners’ affairs is obliged to apprehend him and expel him from the temple, nullifying his residency for the sake of relieving the minds of the other practitioners. If a person commits a certain transgression, he may be punished by [being beaten with] sticks. His robes, almsbowl, and requisites may be burned in front of the assembly of practitioners. He should be expelled through the side gate of the temple. All this is to show the disgrace of his transgression. This single rule is seen to bring about four benefits. First, it prevents bad influences that might affect good practitioners on the one hand, and on the other hand creates a sense of reverence and respect for the rules and regulations in the minds of the practitioners. Second, it does not destroy the physical body of an imposter and is in accordance with the Buddha’s Vinaya rule. Third, it does not involve public officials and avoids possible legal prosecution or imprisonment. Fourth, it does not create a scandal outside the temple and protects the Zen religious institution.

Thus, the regulations that Baizhang formulated were a reorganization of the Buddhist Vinaya rules and disciplines, which were organized under the fivefold categories of offenses or the sevenfold classifications of transgressions, as the broadest standards acceptable to the whole world. The codes of punishment, such as “exclusion to silence” (brahmadaṇḍa), “expulsion from the sangha” (bahiṣkṛta), “confession” (pravāraṇa), and “formal charge

with the penalty of suspension” (utkṣepaṇīya), have helped practitioners dis-

cipline themselves.

The successive rulers of the imperial courts granted Buddhist ordina-

tion to those men of aspiration and strictly obliged them to follow the

Buddhist rules and regulations. For instance, regarding an offense com-

mitted by a practitioner, insofar as it does not necessarily involve the civil

authorities, the temple community is authorized to deal with the offender

in accordance with the rules of the monastic regulations. Should a monk

fight with someone of higher status than an ordained practitioner, or behave

shamelessly and unrestrainedly, or abuse the temple’s properties, or steal

from the temple’s public funds, the temple is authorized to deal with him

in accordance with the monastic regulations, and [the matter] need not

[become a scandal] in the outside world. Since the title of “Śākya” (i.e., the

Buddha’s clan name) can be understood to carry ancestral authority over

whoever bears that title as a Buddhist, similar to secular convention one is

obliged to maintain the ancestral rules and regulations and punish trans-

gressors in accordance with those rules and regulations. When one’s con-

duct is grave, the offender may be whipped and expelled in front of the assem-