[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) › 2.73 # 勅修百丈清規 2.73 The Baizhang Zen Monastic Regulations 2.73 - **Language:** English ### [2.73](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk.2.73) tioners. May you in your compassion especially grant your preaching. Respectfully written and presented on Date, month, year iv. Format of the Envelope Invitation to Zen Master, Venerable So-and-so Abbot of Such-and-such Temple 14. Donor’s Request for Preaching and Almsgiving for Practitioners When a patron donor arrives, the guest reception official receives him and escorts him to the abbot’s hall, and, after serving him tea and sweet hot water, escorts him to the guest house. If the guest is a great magnanimous benefactor, such as a high-ranking government official, the large bell should be tolled to assemble the practitioners to welcome him at the main gate of the temple. After he is settled in the guest house, the benefactor invites the guest reception official for consultation, and then accompanies him to the abbot’s hall to burn incense and request the abbot to conduct the ascent to the Dharma hall \[for preaching\]. On the appointed day, a seat for the patron should be set up in front of the rostrum seat and a signboard \[announcing the event\] to the practitioners should be posted. The drum signals the \[practitioners\] to assemble. The guest reception official, together with the patron donor, escorts the abbot. A hand incense burner, candles, flags, and cymbals must be prepared beforehand as required for this occasion On reaching the rostrum seat, the abbot ascends it and sits cross-legged while the donor stands before the high seat. The guest reception official, saluting, returns to his place. The patron remains standing during the preaching. (It is not appropriate to sit down during the preaching of the Dharma.) When the abbot descends from the seat, the patron donor expresses his gratitude. If the guest wishes to give alms to the practitioners, the abbot must consult with the administrative officials to determine the amount of money required. Counting the number of practitioners and novice attendants, the director of practitioners’ affairs calculates the total amount based on the average cost of a meal. A seat for the donor should be prepared in the practice hall next to the abbot. After the meal is over, the donor, accompanied by the administrative official, waits for the primary seat official to come out of the hall, leading the practitioners, and then thanks him and those behind him. Next, the abbot and the primary seat official visit the donor at the guest house to thank him for his benefaction. If the guest donates money for the practitioners, the abbot must hand it over to the administrative official and let him carefully distribute it to the practitioners. Such donations must never be used for any other purpose than that designated \[by the donor\]. One must remember how clear and evident moral retribution is. In the Precious Mirror of Human and Heavenly Worlds (Rentianbaojian), the following story is related: Zen Master Shouzhi of Mount Yungai, in Hunan province, was meditating one night in his abbot’s office. He suddenly felt scorching heat and heard the noise of dragging chains. He then saw someone wearing a fiery wooden collar, flames still burning up and down. The collar was attached by a chain to the gate’s threshold. Astonished, Shouzhi asked, “Who are you? That must cause unbearable suffering!” The man wearing the burning yoke replied that he was the former abbot, Shouyu, and said, “I never thought I would suffer such pain just because I diverted funds offered by donors for the practitioners to help defray the cost of building their practice hall.” Shouzhi asked, “Is there any way to be relieved from \[your suffering\]?” Shouyu replied, “This can be accomplished only by calculating the cost of the building and distributing an equivalent amount to the practitioners.” Thereupon, Shouzhi, using his own money, rectified his predecessor’s misuse of the funds. One night, Shouyu appeared in a dream to thank Shouzhi, saying that due to the abbot’s help he would escape from his hellish suffering, would be able to be reborn in the world of heaven as well as that of human beings, and would again be able to become a Buddhist practitioner after three transmigrations. Scorch marks can still be seen on the gate’s threshold. Despite the fact that Venerable \[Shou\]yu only used the money donated to the practitioners for building the practice hall, which was, after all, for their use, he nonetheless suffered clear and evident retribution for using donated money for purposes other than that designated. Nowadays, the practice of ignoring moral retribution seems rampant in Zen temples. Not only - [Previous: 2.68](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk.2.68) - [Next: 2.78](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk.2.78) - [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.2.73) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [勅修百丈清規](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025.2.73) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk.2.73](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk.2.73) · Pramāṇa