勅修百丈清規 3.29

3.29

Next, the new appointee visits the shrine of the local divinities and the

patriarchal shrine hall to offer incense and give a word of insight at each

place. When he enters the abbot’s office and takes his seat, the abbot’s assis-

tant steps forward, burns incense, and stands by his side. As he completes

the word of insight, the attendant places by him a table equipped with a brush

and inkslab, while the head administrative official presents an official doc-

ument (format given below). The temple’s official seal is also placed on the

crepe-wrapped board. The new appointee examines the seal and asks the

head administrative official to open it. After examining the seal characters,

he stamps the seal over the letters on the envelope. Next he writes the date

and stamps over it as well. The head administrative official takes the docu-

ment, and the abbot’s personal assistant (who manages the abbot’s personal

possessions, such as his robe and almsbowl) puts the seal and table away.

When the abbot stands, all the officials line up as their leader burns incense

on their behalf, and perform in unison the propriety of two prostrations with

opened sitting cloth and three prostrations with unopened sitting cloth. At

the first opening of the sitting cloth, the head official says:

It is most gratifying to us that you have accepted the position here.

At the second opening of the sitting cloth, he says:

We wish that all is well and felicitous with the newly appointed abbot

and great teacher.

They complete the greeting with three prostrations with unopened sit-

ting cloth.

The neighboring temple representatives, the officials, and the retired

officials step forward to burn incense. When this informal congratulation is

over, the guest reception attendant announces:

There will be a serving of sweet hot water for the neighboring temple

representatives, the dual order officials, and the retired officials at their

designated seats.

There follows the serving of some food provisions for the government

officials and the representatives of neighboring temples. If the former abbot,

though already having accepted a new position elsewhere, has not yet departed,

or if he is staying on in the east hall as a retiree, the new appointee is obliged to conduct the propriety of the transfer ceremony before occupying the main rostrum seat as abbot. Only after this ceremony does he receive informal congratulations. Ringing the practice hall bell and leading the practitioners, he personally escorts his predecessor to his quarters and peforms a prostration with unopened sitting cloth to [the former abbot]. Thereafter the new abbot receives congratulatory greetings from the primary seat official and the resident practitioners. Attendants and serving men are all obliged to pay their respects to the new abbot.

The Document for Presenting the Temple Seal

Bhikṣu So-and-so, head administrative official of this temple, respect-

fully presents the single piece of the temple seal to the newly appointed

temple master and great teacher. Awaiting his compassionate accept-

ance.

Solemnly written and presented,

Date and year

2. The Temple’s Invitation to the New Appointee

for the Noon Meal

After the new appointee has settled in his official seat at the abbot’s office, the head administrative official waits for the moment when the congratulatory proprieties are finished, then comes to the abbot to invite him to the noon meal reception. Beforehand he has prepared a letter of invitation along with an incense burner and a candle, which are carried by an attendant on a crepe-wrapped board. The head administrative official, carrying incense in his sleeve, performs the formality of two prostrations with opened sitting cloth and three prostrations with unopened sitting cloth. At the first opening of the sitting cloth, he says:

At noon, a humble meal reception will be offered at the practice hall

to respectfully welcome your reverence. We earnestly wish that in your

compassion you will grant us the honor of your presence on this occa-

sion, though we feel hesitant because of its meagerness.

At the second opening [of the sitting cloth], he enquires about the abbot’s well-being, and then completes the formal greeting with three prostrations with unopened sitting cloth. The abbot replies with a prostration. The invitation presented by the administrative official is received by the abbot’s guest master or the guest reception assistant, while the preparations must be made at the abbot’s place in the practice hall by the guest master of the administrative office. The proceeding is identical with that of the special dinner reception.

The Letter of Invitation to the Noon Meal

Bhikṣu So-and-so, head administrative official of this temple, respect-

fully invites the newly appointed temple master to a humble meal recep-

tion at the practice hall at noon. We earnestly wish that in your com-

passion you will grant us the honor of your presence on this occasion.

Written by So-and-so on

Date, month, year

Format of the Envelope

Solemnly sealed for the Honorable Seat

New Appointee, Venerable So-and-so

3. Inaugural Ascent to the Dharma Hall

and Invocation for Imperial Longevity

In ancient times, the inaugural ascent to the Dharma hall was conducted under imperial decree or under the request of a deputy official of the imperial court, and hence such an event was called for with magnanimity. Either the provincial judges or the district and prefectural officials requested the new appointee with gifts of silk and so on, which were presented at the welcoming meal reception, to conduct the inaugural ascent to the Dharma hall at a certain temple or at its mother temple by providing funds from the government treasury for the meal reception and inaugural events. It is mentioned in various records written by renowned public officials that each official himself prepared a signboard announcing such an event, or a signboard indicating the serving of tea and sweet hot water.

Nowadays, the inaugural ascent to the Dharma hall is generally conducted at each temple’s expense. The new appointee can conduct the ceremony of inauguration at any determined time in order to preside in the temple. The

abbot’s assistant assigns the attendants to set up the rostrum seat at the Dharma hall, notify the practitioners, and post the signboard indicating the ascent to the Dharma hall. He copies out the names of government officials and the representatives of neighboring temples beforehand, and presents this list to the abbot. A crepe-wrapped table with an incense burner and a candle stand are placed to the left of the rostrum seat, and the official documents are displayed on it. [The abbot’s assistant] is also obliged beforehand to request the director of practitioners’ affairs and the primary seat official to prepare the public announcement and to compose the word of tribute on behalf of the temple community. The training official next in rank or renowned practitioners who have gathered from neighboring temples or from the Zen world in general compose the rest of the tributes. Moreover, one of the neighboring temple representatives must be chosen and requested beforehand to conduct the commencement of the event by striking the octagonal woooden block with its mallet. The seats of the government officials should be placed opposite the rostrum seat.

The abbot’s assistant notifies the master of the beginning of the event and instructs an attendant to begin drumming to assemble the practitioners. When all have assembled, [the assistant] and the official delegate together escort the abbot into the Dharma hall. Crimson lanterns have been placed in the hall, cymbals are sounded, and flowers are scattered. The abbot reaches his designated place and stands. If he is not wearing the robe of Dharma transmission, he must raise up the word of insight on the Dharma [that he has written] before donning the robe. After this, the official delegate steps forward, burns incense, and performs the formal propriety of two prostrations with opened sitting cloth and three prostrations with unopened sitting cloth. At the first opening of the sitting cloth, he says:

Today, you have accepted the responsibility of this Zen institution for

the sake of our benefit. This is most gratifying to us.

At the second opening, [the official delegate] enquires politely about the master’s well-being, and then completes his greeting with three prostrations with unopened sitting cloth. The abbot responds with a single prostration.

First, the abbot presents the public announcement. After he raises the word of insight, he gives the written proclamation to the director of practitioners’ affairs to read. Next, he gives a word of insight for each congratulatory message one by one as presented by the temple community, the neighboring temples, and the Zen world in general, and returns each respectively to its originator who then reads it. If a government official who originally sponsored the new appointee’s conduct of the inaugural ascent to the Dharma hall is present, and if he has prepared a word of congratulation, he presents it to the abbot himself. The abbot is obliged to give a word of insight also before [the congratulatory message] is read by the official. After all the messages have been read, the abbot points toward the rostrum seat and raises the word of insight regarding the high seat that he is about to ascend. Immediately afterward he ascends the high seat and offers incense for the invocation of imperial longevity. Next, he offers incense for the sake of the imperial religious councilor, the offices of the imperial chamberlain and the censorate, the district and prefectural government offices, and also for civil and military bureaucrats. For each offering, the assistant hands incense to the abbot. Finally, and only when offering incense for his own teacher in the Dharma transmission, the abbot takes out his own incense from his sleeve and burns it.

The abbot now sits cross-legged and arranges his robe. His assistant burns incense, descends the high rostrum, and bows. The dual order officials then step forward to bow toward the abbot. The abbot’s assistant once again ascends the rostrum, burns incense, and bows. The proceeding is the same as that of the ascent to the Dharma hall on the first day and mid-month day. The abbots of neighboring temples who escorted the new appointee to the temple are also obliged to come forward and bow. Through his assistant, the abbot requests the government officials to take their seats. Thereupon the lead official, selected from among the representatives from the neighboring temples, strikes the octagonal wooden post with its mallet and announces:

May the honorable colleagues, endowed with superior insight and

understanding, concentrate upon the absolute transcendent truth

(paramārtha).

The abbot gives some words of instruction, participates in question-andanswer exchanges, preaches the essence of doctrine, and finally expresses

thanks to the representatives of neighboring temples and the government officials with the following words:

I have conducted the inaugural session solely for the sake of celebrating

imperial longevity; hence, I refrain from uttering many words and

statements.

The official delegate, the dual order officials, and the retired officials abbreviate their words of appreciation. Details are given below, in section 5. The inaugural session is then completed. The senior practitioner once again strikes the octagonal wooden post with the mallet and announces:

May the honorable colleagues see directly the Dharma of the King of

the Dharma (i.e., the Buddha), that this is the Buddha-Dharma.

Thereupon, the abbot descends from the high seat.

The government officials congratulate the abbot first, and are then escorted by the guest reception official to the guest house. The guest master attendant brings forward the incense burners and candle stands and places them in a horizontal line before the abbot’s seat. After the official delegate offers incense and performs the formal propriety of two prostrations with opened sitting cloth and three prostrations with unopened sitting cloth, the attendant of the practice hall office announces:

The greetings of the representatives of the neighboring temples are in

order.

Next, he announces:

The greeting by the west hall official is in order.

After the official performs a prostration with opened sitting cloth, the [practice hall attendant] once again announces:

The greetings of the administrative officials are in order.

The officials also perform the formal propriety of two prostrations with opened sitting cloth and three prostrations with unopened sitting cloth. Next, with these announcements, the primary seat official and the practitioners, including the retired officials, the retired subfunctionary officials, the retired

subfunctionary assistants, and the retired officials of various quarters, are

ushered in. All burn incense and together with the practitioners perform the

same formal propriety as before. When this is completed, further congratu-

latory greetings are made by the managerial officers of the temple estate and

storage, hermitages, and tower buildings; those who are related [to the abbot]

in Dharma lineage; those who come from [his] native province; and recent

arrivals. The abbot now takes his seat, and his assistant and his own disci-

ples burn incense and perform the formality of three prostrations with fully

opened sitting cloth. Next, the attendants of the official functionaries burn