[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) › 3.16 # 勅修百丈清規 3.16 The Baizhang Zen Monastic Regulations 3.16 - **Language:** English ### [3.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk.3.16) with unopened sitting cloth in unison with the practitioners. He then departs from the western corridor of the Dharma hall. The practitioners see him off at the temple gate, tolling the large bell and making various sounds with the ritual instruments, while the attendants and workmen line up outside the gate. The area surrounded by hanging curtains for the farewell serving should be set up beforehand at the gate, and a high seat should be placed within the space, facing the temple buildings. The primary seat official takes the main seat facing outside, while the west hall ranking official and the retired officials take their seats symmetrical to the main seat. The east and west order officials are seated on both lines facing the high seat. The head administrative official conducts the ceremonial serving. He requests the new appointee to take his seat, respectfully burns incense, and returns to his own seat for serving tea. When the tea bowls are collected, he once again stands up to burn incense and returns to his seat for the serving of sweet hot water. When the serving is over, the newly appointed abbot climbs into the sedan chair. Should the dual order officials and the retired officials start to walk alongside the sedan chair, the new appointee should thank them but stop them from doing so. The large bell is tolled until the party is assumed to have \[traveled out of earshot\]. 7. Inviting the West Hall Official to Become Abbot The guest delegate meets with the guest reception official upon his arrival, and together they visit the office of abbot’s assistants. Through proper introduction by the assistants, he meets with the abbot, burns incense, and performs prostrations with opened sitting cloth. When the meeting and serving of tea are concluded, the guest official is escorted to the guest house. Next, he visits the various official quarters to complete the formal greetings. Thereupon, through the abbot’s assistant, he states the purpose \[of his visit to the abbot\], saying: Such-and-such Temple has commissioned me to invite Venerable So- and-so to become its abbot. The host abbot notifies the dual order officials and the retired officials of the matter, and together they visit the quarters of the invited west hall official. The documents and letters brought by the guest delegate are presented. The ceremonial procedure followed in the latter situation for burning incense and so forth is exactly identical to that of inviting an incumbent \[abbot\]. Should the \[west hall official politely\] decline the invitation, his close associates should encourage him to accept it. Upon his acceptance, the abbot invites the new appointee, the dual order officials, and the retired officials to a serving of tea. Thereupon, the new appointee is escorted to the guest house to receive congratulations from various officials and the practitioners in due order. After making rounds of the various quarters and exchanging formal greetings, the new appointee and the guest delegate are invited to a special serving of sweet hot water, an evening meal, and a later serving of sweet hot water and fruit at the abbot’s reception hall. The dual order officials are obliged to participate in these special servings. 8. Ascent to the Dharma Hall by the New Appointee (If the new appointee is a renowned ranking west hall official or the primary seat official, he is rightly recommended to conduct such an occasion.) The evening before the day \[of the ascent to the Dharma hall\], the guest official should visit the host abbot with incense in his sleeve, perform three prostrations with unopened sitting cloth, and say: I request you to invite the new appointee to have the opportunity of ascending to the Dharma hall tomorrow. The next day, after the morning meal, a table for the official documents and a chair should be placed to the right of the rostrum seat in the Dharma hall. The abbot’s seat is placed to the left of the high seat. The practitioners are called to assemble by the drum signal. The abbot, entering into the hall, ascends the rostrum seat in similar manner as that of the every-fifth-day ascent to the Dharma hall. The abbot signals his guest reception assistant to direct the new appointee to sit cross-legged. \[The abbot\] then eulogizes the opportunity for the new appointee who has accepted the appointment from the point of view of the Dharma, expresses his full support for the appointee’s acceptance, and offers the practitioners some words of explanation and consolation. Regardless of whether he relates any instructive Zen insight episode, the abbot descends from the high seat and then stands before the left-side chair, facing the practitioners. (Songyuan invited Yanshi to take the opportunity to ascend the rostrum seat; Xiaoan likewise invited Songyuan to take such opportunity, but in neither case was a Zen insight episode given. On the other hand, Shiqiao invited Jianchang to \[ascend the Dharma seat\] and Xian also invited Fuan \[to do so\], but in both these cases Zen insight episodes were given.) The official delegate together with the guest reception assistant go before the appointee and bow toward him. The appointee goes before the abbot and bows to him. Next, the dual order officials and the practitioners bow toward him in unison. If the new appointee is the host abbot’s disciple in the Dharma lineage, the abbot grants him a robe and utters a word of insight. The appointed disciple, having donned \[the robe\], requests \[the abbot\] to sit cross-legged and performs three prostrations with opened sitting cloth. Without folding his sitting cloth, he greets \[the abbot\] with the following words: So quickly trained as I have been, I am hesitant before my predeces- sors. Yet, having been encouraged to accept the invitation, I feel it is difficult to decline this public imperative. I cannot help feeling extremely uneasy about it. He once again performs three prostrations and says: I wish on this day and at this time that all is well and felicitous with your reverence, my original master and great teacher. After another three prostrations, he folds his sitting cloth and steps for- - [Previous: 3.12](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk.3.12) - [Next: 3.20](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk.3.20) - [Up: 3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk.3) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-mt.3.16) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [勅修百丈清規](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025.3.16) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk.3.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk.3.16) · Pramāṇa