勅修百丈清規 4.47

4.47

ward to burn incense and returns to his seat. Thereupon, the tea master in

charge of serving announces: “How are you, sir?” The practitioners per-

form a gesture of greeting in unison. If it is the first day of the month or the

mid-month day, the tea master should strike the wooden sounding block to

assemble the practitioners for the serving of sweet hot water as prescribed

on these days. The manner of burning incense and serving the sweet hot

water is the same as for a regular occasion.

2. The Master of the Quarters and

Associate Master of the Quarters

In order to make the daily life of the practitioners comfortable, the head

official of the practitioners’ quarters should assign their respective seating

spaces in accordance with ordination seniority, inviting each member from

lower to higher. The names are copied and posted on the tablet for each space.

Assigned on a rotation shift every ten days, the master of the quarters assists

the head official of the quarters in carrying out these tasks. When the prac-

titioners return to the practice hall in the morning and evening, he is in charge

of inspecting the desks for scripture reading, and, if practitioners have left

things behind, he collects and examines the items with witnesses present and

returns them to the owners. He is obliged to keep the stores of household

items in order and to prepare incense, candles, tea, and sweet hot water for

the practitioners’ use. He must not allow any nonresidents from outside to

stay in the quarters overnight or to bring things there for sale. Moreover, a

third candidate practitioner should be nominated beforehand as assistant

master of the quarters (wangliao), and this person will be appointed the next

associate master of the quarters. When the master of the quarters has fulfilled

his term, he requests to be relieved from duty through the recognition of the director of practitioners’ affairs, whereas when the associate master of the quarters has completed his term, he requests to be relieved from duty through the recognition of the head official of the quarters.

3. The Infirmary Official

This official is in charge of nursing the sick. He provides them with hot water, medicine, oil lamps for lighting, charcoal and fire, rice gruel and rice as well as all flavoring items (salt, etc.), making these items available for their use at all times. If the temple’s budget does not provide sufficient funds [for these items], and if the infirmary official can afford it, he may purchase whatever is needed from his own funds, or he may invite patron donors to provide it to the office when needed. Even when filth is scattered over the floor, seats, clothing, and bedclothes, he should clean them by washing, rinsing, and so forth, never indulging a sense of disgust. Among the eight kinds of fields of merit (puṇyakṣetra; futian), attending to the sick is the foremost.

4. Head of Cleaning

The tasks of sweeping the grounds, cleansing the air with incense, replacing used bamboo scrapers [for the toilet] with new ones, cleaning the lavatories, and boiling and adding water must all be carried out whenever required. Even when things become somewhat messy, the task [of the head of cleaning] is to immediately restore the original cleanliness. He is obliged to inspect washcloths and pails and change them if necessary. This task is invariably beneficial to whoever serves in this position, because it strengthens the mind toward the practice of the path. If the head of cleaning wishes to retire from the post, the practice hall official is obliged to post a note on the bulletin board beforehand, reading:

The post of head of cleaning has been vacated. To volunteer for this,

please put up your name.

Someone wishing to volunteer [for the post] takes the board to the director of practitioners’ affairs to express his intent. Thereupon, the official reports it to the abbot for approval and then appoints him to the post.

5. The Fundraising Official

In general, monastic temples where practitioners live always have the problem of being short of funds. Therefore, in order to support the practitioners sufficiently, it is always necessary to rely upon the assistance of patron donors by inviting their donations through the fundraising preacher. His activity of soliciting funds is necessary in order to balance a constant annual deficit. However, too-frequent fundraising activity must be avoided, as it might become oppressive to patron donors.

6. The Head of the Farmyard

Unhesitatingly [the holder of this post] takes the lead in heavy physical labor. He cultivates the soil, sows seeds for vegetable crops, irrigates the fields when necessary, and thereby provides a steady supply of fresh vegetables and so on to the kitchen hall throughout the year.

7. The Head of Mill Operations

[The holder of this post] is in charge of hulling and grinding grain. His function is indispensably related to the supply of rice and noodles for the practitioners. It is the norm to appoint to this post someone whose mind is established on the path of practice and who is well-acquainted with the mechanics and processes of grinding and hulling grain.

8. The Head of the Water Supply

[The holder of this post] is obliged to prepare hot water by 3:00 A.M. to supply the practitioners for face washing and brushing their teeth. He also supplies hand cloths, water trays, lamps, and dental powder so that there is no shortage. In the winter months, it is necessary to dry the washed hand towels. He must get up early in order to prepare these items for the practitioners, taking care not to create any inconvenience to them.

9. The Head of the Charcoal Supply

[The holder of this post] is in charge of securing kindling and charcoal before the [winter] season in order to protect practitioners from severe cold weather.

He is obliged to invite patron donors or to request temple funds in order to