勅修百丈清規 4.20

4.20

instructions written on a tablet posted next to it, reading: “One strike: add

hot water; two strikes: add cold water; three strikes: stop. This is the stan-

dard signal.”

When a donor donates the cost of bathing for the practitioners, a serv-

ice of sutra chanting should be performed, followed by an invocation of merit

transference. If one realizes why the mysterious touch of water is as clear

and transparent as it really is, and experiences this fact as having already

been abiding in Buddha-nature, then it is not an insignificant donation to

bear the cost of the practitioners’ bathing, is it?

7. The Shrine Hall Official

The practitioner at this office is in charge of handling the incense burners

and candle stands in the various shrine halls, and keeps everything neat and

tidy by wiping dust from these items and the desks. When it becomes windy,

he must extinguish the incense burners and candles, and tie up the bottom

of the banners to prevent them from blowing near the flames of lamps and

lights. Diverting money offered by donors for incense for other purposes of

the temple is forbidden. On the commemorative day of the Buddha’s birth-

day, he is obliged to prepare the sweet water to be used by the practitioners

to bathe the statue of the infant Buddha, and on the four monthly days of

religious observance (siqiri) he must also open the doors of the shrine halls

so that general visitors may pay their respects.

8. The Abbot’s Assistant Officials:

The Incense Offering Assistant,

the Secretarial Record Assistant,

and the Guest Reception Assistant

The functions of these practitioner assistants are the closest and most inti-

mate with the daily life of the abbot. Observing [numerous notable examples

of] their master’s practice of the path and virtue, listening to his teaching and

instruction in the morning and evening, and thereby closely guarded from

undesirable influence while encouraged by desirable influence, they may

aspire to reach the great goal of the Dharma and path [as exemplified by the

abbot]. Thus, they should become well disposed to maintain the decorum of

respect and reverence [toward the master] at all times. The way Ānanda attended Gautama Buddha or Xianglin attended Yunmen is a matter of great importance for the path of the Buddhas and patriarchs. How can this be slighted?

In general, it is the duty of the assistant official in charge of incense offering to record the words of the abbot whenever he speaks on the occasions of his [official functions], such as the ascent to the rostrum seat at the Dharma hall, the supplementary session, general exhortation (pushuo), instruction by individual visitation (kaishi), prayer invocation (niansong), canceling the evening session (fangcan), special serving rites on the four annual festivity days (juelatewei), interviewing a guest upon request (tongfuxiangli), establishment of residency (guada), the rite of offering incense (shaoxiangxingli), the word of insight (fayu), and so on.

Next, it is the duty of the assistant official in charge of the secretarial record to compose the abbot’s correspondence. He must first write a draft for the master’s inspection and approval. If the secretarial record official is absent from the temple, this assistant official is in charge of composing the official letters of the temple.

Next, it is the duty of the guest reception assistant to prepare the abbot’s invitations and carry out the rite of a special serving [of tea or sweet hot water], whenever the latter receives special guests or renowned senior practitioners, or at the four annual celebration days, such as the first day of the summer retreat, and so on.

When neither the director of practitioners’ affairs nor the guest reception official is available [to address] the needs of the practitioners, or if [these officials] are temporarily absent from the temple, the abbot’s three assistant officials are obliged to act as their proxies according to the foregoing prescribed conduct.

(Some say that the assistant in charge of the secretarial record and composition has nothing to do with any other areas of work. This [assertion] is wrong, without any basis whatsoever.)

When the abbot is away from the temple for some length of time, these assistant officials return to the general quarters of the resident practitioners and engage themselves in daily practice along with them. If [the abbot’s] absence is brief [in duration, however], they do not leave their official positions.

9. The Personal Managerial Assistant

(This position is not part of the official order.)

Many of our predecessors appointed to this position a well-trained per-

son experienced in monastic life. He must be able to command loyalty from

others, rescue others from their mistakes, mobilize the capable and talented,

and know how things are going within and without. Being expedient and all-

embracing, he should be able to harmonize the higher and lower ranks into

a good, working unity. There is an episode about Mian, who appointed Qing-

ruo as his personal managing assistant and acquired Songyuan as his Dharma

heir through this assistant. After Dongsou appointed the primary seat offi-

cial Sheng as his managing assistant, his monastic discipline became ever

more rigorous in practice. Nowadays, many abbots frequently appoint an

inexperienced junior practitioner to this position, and such appointments

often result in damaging the virtuous name of an abbot and in serious mis-

management. One must be cautious about this.

10. The Medicinal Care Assistant

(This position is in the official order.)

This practitioner assistant attends the abbot with the duty of prescribing

medicine at all times. He assists him also in dealing with things around him

and helps the managerial assistant. He should be compassionate in oversee-

ing the novice attendants and workmen in daily matters. If a guest happens