勅修百丈清規 5

The Baizhang Zen Monastic Regulations 5

Language: English

5.5

posture. The master of ceremonial instruction steps toward the ordination

master and performs three prostrations with fully opened sitting cloth, then

kneels with his right knee on the ground and his palms joined together. The

ordination master enquires of him, “Have all the practitioners assembled?”

The ceremonial master replies, “Yes, they have assembled, sir.”

The ordination master asks, “Are all the practitioners in accord and har-

monious?”

The ceremonial master replies, “Yes, they are, sir.”

The ordination master asks, “Being settled in full accord, what do they

expect to accomplish?”

The ceremonial master replies, “To participate in the rite of ordination

for the candidate novices who have shaved their heads and received the pre-

cepts under oath, sir.”

The ordination master concludes, “So be it.”

Thereupon, the master of ceremonial instruction folds his sitting cloth and escorts the novices who are to receive the rite of head-shaving into the hall, while ringing his hand-bell.

The novices perform three prostrations toward the altar of the guardian bodhisattva, three prostrations before the ordination master, and then kneel. Thereupon, the master of ceremonial chanting rings the large standing bell (daqing) and recites:

Endowed with the fivefold supernatural powers, the divine and immor-

tal person (i.e., the Buddha) restrained those who have no sense of

remorse or shame for the sake of those who strived for moral perfec-

tion motivated upon remorse and shame. The Perfected One (rulai)

thus established the rules of injunction and expounded them every half-

month in order to explain the benefit of those injunctions. Veneration

to all the Buddhas with a deep bow.

Having finished reciting this passage, the master of ceremonial chanting again speaks, asking: “What is Brahmā?”

(What is the meaning of this sacred scripture? The ultimate goal is the yonder shore. May the Buddha open the subtle and secret Way and preach it widely to the people of the world.)

Having completed his recitation, he once again speaks to the ordination master, requesting:

May your reverence exhort for the sake of those who have shaved their

heads and are ready to receive the precepts under oath.

The master rises from his seat and all the practitioners stand in unison after him. He then takes up the portable incense burner and says:

There is the incense of the moral precepts (śīla), the incense of med-

itative concentration (samādhi), the incense of transcendent insight

(prajñā), the incense of the resulting state of liberation (vimokṣa), and

the incense of the insight that recognizes the realization of this state

of liberation (vimukti-jñāna-darśana), all of which, as one, permeate

the entire world just as light illuminates from beyond the horizon of

the clouds. It is offered to the immeasurable numbers of Buddhas in

all directions, to the immeasurable numbers of Dharmas in all direc-

tions, and to the immeasurable numbers of Sanghas in all directions.

It perfumes the senses of seeing, hearing, and so on and transforms

them into ultimate quiescence. May all sentient beings also accom-

plish this quiescence as well.

Therefore, this morning, at the moment of inaugurating the meri-

torious rite of head-shaving and the conferment of the precepts, I shall

pray, foremost, for the imperial throne to enjoy an everlasting longevity

of ten thousand years and that his ministers and subjects live a long life

of a thousand years; for the sake of universal peace to prevail through-

out the land and for the Dharma wheel to perpetually turn; for the tem-

ple buildings and the grounds to increase their majestic influence and

protect the Dharma and the residents of the temple by warding off trou-

bles; for the patron donors of all regions to be adorned with fortune and

wisdom; for those who have been associated with this temple to be

assured of physical and mental health and peace; for the aged teachers

and parents to accumulate good karma ever higher in the practice of

virtues; for those who undergo the rite of head-shaving to have no dif-

ficult obstacles in their course of practice; for those who suffer in the

three hellish realms of existence and in the eight calamitous condi-

tions to be totally liberated from the cycle of suffering; and for those

who abide in the nine desirable states of existence and those who are

born of the four different modes to without fail reach the far shore.

I now request the practitioners to intone this prayer along with

me: “Veneration to the Luminous Pure Dharma Body Vairocana

Buddha, and so on.”

(The master and practitioners complete the prayer of calling the ten sacred names of the Buddhas.)

When the practitioners take their seats again, the master of ceremonial instruction takes the portable incense burner and instructs the candidate novices, saying:

You should request the master to grant you the rite of ordination in

your own words. If you cannot do so, follow along reciting the words

as I say them. In general, whenever “So-and-so” appears, you should

replace it with your own name.

The master of ceremonial instruction then recites the passage, [as the novices follow it]:

Venerable (name of the ordination master), may you record my request

in your mind. I, So-and-so novice, now request you to be the master on

my behalf to officiate in the rite of head-shaving and receiving the pre-

cepts. Venerable, I pray, as my master, may you officiate in the rite of

having my head shaved and receiving the precepts. As I depend on your

officiating, I may be able to accomplish the rite of head-shaving and

receiving the precepts. May your compassion be with me.

The entire group of candidate novices performs a prostration after the last passage, “May your compassion be with me”; they repeat this passage for a second time and perform a second prostration, and again repeat the passage and perform a third prostration. They then kneel before the master, left knee up and right one down, with palms joined together.

The ordination master then says:

O novices, sons of good families... (at this, the novice candidates mur-

mur a response), the fountainhead of the mind is totally quiescent and

the ocean of dharmas is profoundly deep. Whoever is astray in it will

forever sink down and be lost, whereas whoever is enlightened of it

will realize liberation outright. If one wishes to propagate the supreme

path to others, there is no better way than that of renunciation. The

path is vast and wide like empty space; it is clean and pure like the

moon brightly shining. When one’s practice of the path is assisted by

proper conditions, such as authorized with the rules of the precepts,

the goal of the path is not really far distant because such conditions

initially help each one overcome distracting thoughts and eventually

realize the state of transcendence. It was for this reason that Śākya-

muni Buddha, the Great Sage, renounced his princely status together

with his golden wheel, left the palace during the night, took off his

precious garment of universal rule, and cut off his hair in the forest.

Even as a bird made a nest upon his uncombed hair and a spider built

its web between his eye-brows, he [continued to] practice [the state

of] quiescence, experienced the everlasting truth, severed obstructive

impurity, and thereby realized supreme enlightenment.

No Buddha of the three periods [of past, present, and future] ever

has taught or will teach that a layperson can realize the ultimate path.

Nor could any of the past patriarchs, were they engaged in an ordinary

life of impurity, ever have succeeded in delivering others. Therefore,

[the state of ultimate realization] was directly transmitted from one

Buddha to another only through their own hands, and the patriarchs

transmit it only through patriarchs. Free from secular entanglements,

they have rightly become the vessel of the Dharma transmission. Hence,

no heavenly demon could do anything but look on with folded arms

and the heretics were eventually converted, and whosoever renounced

his secular life and received ordination could discharge the four kinds

of indebtedness toward his respective benefactors (i.e., rulers, parents,

teachers and associates, and patron donors) and carry out his task of

delivering sentient beings from suffering to liberation. Thus, it is said

that as one transmigrates through the three worlds, one cannot discard

the bond of indebtedness and attachment nor can one enter into the

state of transcendence unless he does it through decisively severing

himself from indebtedness. Whoever accomplishes this, however, is

truly one who pays his indebtedness. After renunciation, one’s con-

duct ought to be beyond the ordinary sense of obligation, subject nei-

ther to worshiping kings and rulers nor to worshiping one’s parents.

[Now] you may leave this place for a short while to reflect upon your

indebtedness to the rulers of the land as well as upon the parental virtue

by which you have been brought up. With utmost earnestness, you should

worship [your rulers and parents] and convey your farewell to them, as

you may not repeat this again after the moment of renunciation.

2. The Rite of Head-shaving and

Receiving the Precepts under Oath

The candidate novices perform a prostration to express their thanks. The master of ceremonial instruction signals by ringing his hand-bell and leads them out of the hall. Facing north, the novices in unison perform three prostrations

to express thanks to the ruler of the land and another three prostrations to express thanks to their parents. Immediately, they change into their practitioners’ garments, return to the altar of the guardian bodhisattva, and perform three prostrations. They then turn toward the ordination master, perform a prostration and kneel before him, left knee up and right one down, with palms joined together.

The ordination master takes up a pitcher, sprinkles water on the head [of each candidate], moistening the hair with his finger, and shaves it off with a knife. After this he calls for the practitioners to chant the verse in praise of renunciation in unison:

Well done, men of courage.

You have thoroughly understood that the world is impermanent.

Renouncing this secular world, you set your course toward the goal

of nirvana;

It is most extraordinary and inconceivable!

The verse is chanted three times, and the candidates step back and perform a prostration toward the master. Thereupon, the master of instruction leads them to before the sponsoring master (upādhyāya; in this case, the abbot) and all kneel before him, left knee up and right one down, with their palms joined together. The master takes up a knife and says:

The last remaining knot of hair is called cūḍā and can be cut off only

by the sponsoring master of the candidate novices. I shall now remove

the knot of hair on your behalf. Do you allow me to do so?

After the candidate novices answer, “Yes, sir,” the master speaks a word of insight to commemorate the event and recites the verse of head-shaving:

Though his original appearance has changed, he is resolute in

upholding his goal.

Severing himself from attachment and leaving his relations,

He is intent upon propagation of the holy path.

May he hold fast his resolution to help all people toward deliverance.

Three times the master chants the verse as the practitioners follow in unison. The candidates perform three prostrations toward the master and

kneel before him, left knee up and right one down, with palms joined together. The master, holding up the kaṣāya robes in his hand and uttering a word of insight, places a [folded] robe on the head of each candidate, and intones the verses to be recited when donning the robe:

How great is the robe that embodies liberation,

The robe that is a formless field of merit!

Wearing it and upholding the precepts authorized by the Tathāgata,

I am determined to assist all sentient beings to reach nirvana as

widely as I can.

This is repeated three times, with the practitioners following in unison. At the moment the chanting is over, the candidate novices, wearing the robe, perform three prostrations toward the sponsoring master, toward the image of the guardian bodhisattva, and then to the ordination master and immediately kneel before him, left knee up and right one down, with palms joined together.

The ordination master says:

O sons of good families, the Dharma is like a great ocean: the more you

dive into its depths, the deeper it becomes. You have already renounced

the secular world; hence, you must first accept the threefold refuge (san-

gui) and the five precepts (pañcaśīla; wujie). Qualified by these steps,

you may be allowed to approach and join the authentic sangha. Next, you

are obliged to accept the ten śrāmaṇera precepts (śrāmaṇera-saṃvara;

shamishijie), fit for the life of novices, through which you are entitled to

share in whatever benefit, material or spiritual, belongs to the sangha.

The crucial matter is singleminded sincerity and never being of inatten-

tive, lax nature. Now I shall call for the presence of the Three Treasures

on your behalf so that they may witness our ceremonial conduct.

The ordination master then takes up the portable incense burner to offer incense and continues:

I pray with my mind in full concentration and call for the boundless

Buddha treasure. May those enlightened ones who have accomplished

the ten final stages (daśabhūmi; shidi) and the three tenfold prelimi-

nary stages of the bodhisattva as prescribed in the sacred scriptures

brought back from the ocean storehouse (i.e., the Mahayana sutras,

such as the Flower Ornament Sutra, etc.), those who have attained the

five saintly fruits of discipleship (pañca-phalāṇi; wuguo) and those

who are advancing toward each of the four higher saintly states

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(catvāraḥ pratipannāḥ; sixiang), may they all descend to manifest

themselves in response to my prayer and witness the conduct of the

following rites.

After repeating this prayer three times, the ordination master then says:

O sons of good families, if you wish to have the precepts confirmed

upon you, you must first repent and be cleansed of your faults and

flaws, just as cloth must be washed before it is dyed. Now, you must

repent with utmost sincerity by following along with my recitation of

the verse of repentance:

Whatever evil karma I have committed in my past lives,

Rooted in beginningless forces of desire, hatred, and delusion,

All a result of my acts of body, speech, and mind,

I now repent of all of it completely, without remainder.

The master repeats the verse three times as the practitioners follow in unison, and the candidate novices perform three prostrations. They then kneel before the master, left knee up and right one down, with their palms joined together.

The ordination master says:

O sons of good families, the Dharma has already cleansed your actions

(karmas) of body, speech, and mind. You are now obliged to take refuge

in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

He then immediately calls for the recitation of the set of ceremonial phrases for conversion:

I take refuge in the Buddha,

I take refuge in the Dharma,

I take refuge in the Sangha.

I take refuge in the Buddha, the most honorable, highest being

[among all humans].

I take refuge in the Dharma, the most honorable [truth] that transcends

the profane.

I take refuge in the Sangha, the most honorable among all human

assemblies.

Now, having already taken refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha,

I declare that the Perfected One (Tathāgata) who realized the ultimate

truth and supreme enlightenment is my master, and I now take refuge

in him. From this moment onward, I call the Buddha my teacher and

will not take refuge in any other evil, wrong teachers and heretics. May

the Buddha’s compassion be upon us.

The candidates for ordination silently concentrate on these passages while the practitioners recite them along with the ordination master.

(From the initial passage, “I take refuge in the Buddha,” to the last passage, “May the Buddha’s compassion be upon us,” the entire set of verses must be repeated three times; however, the last passage, “May the Buddha’s compassion be upon us,” is to be repeated twice at the end of the second recitation of the verses and three times at the end of the third recitation.)

At the end of each recitation, the candidates for ordination perform one, two, and three prostrations, respectively, after which they once again kneel before the master, left knee up and right one down, with palms joined together. The ordination master says:

O sons of good families, you have already forsaken the evil teaching

and taken refuge in the right teaching. The efficacy of the [moral and

religious] norms of action has already permeated the whole of your

being. If you wish to know the rules of the precepts and maintain them,

you must vow to keep the set of five rules:

As long as I live (literally, “till the end of my body and life”),

I will not commit an act of killing,

I will not commit an act of stealing,

I will not commit an act of sexual indulgence,

I will not commit an act of lying,

I will not commit an act of becoming intoxicated.

The ordination master then says: “These are the five rules of the [Buddha’s] precepts, with which you must comply. Answer me: Will you uphold these rules?”

The candidates answer, “Yes, we will, sir.”

The ordination master continues, “The foregoing five member rules of the precepts must not be violated separately or all together. Answer me again: Will you keep these rules of the precepts?”

The candidates again respond, “Yes, we will, sir.”

“So be it,” completes the master.

Thereupon the candidates for ordination perform three prostrations and again kneel before him, left knee up and right one down, with palms joined together. The ordination master says:

O sons of good families, the foregoing set of five rules is the initial

step to enter the path of enlightenment and the foremost cause to escape

from the cycle of the threefold evil courses of life. Next, you must

accept the ten rules of the precepts prescribed for aspiring novices.

Whoever is committed to these rules in external form is called “one

who aspires to become a Buddhist disciple” (śrāmaṇera; qince). Who-

ever observes these rules under his master’s guidance and receives the

same benefit from the sangha is an authenticated novice worthy of

becoming a practitioner. [Therefore,] you are most obliged to accept

the ten rules of the precepts:

As long as I live, I will not commit an act of killing,

I will not commit an act of stealing,

I will not commit an act of sexual intercourse,

5.15

I will not commit an act of lying,

I will not commit an act of drinking,

I will not rest or sleep on a high and wide bed,

I will not wear hair ornaments, necklaces, anointments, or perfume,

I will not watch a performance of theatrical singing and dancing,

I will not carry any gold, silver, coins, or precious stones,

I will not partake of food at any unauthorized time.

The foregoing ten rules of [moral and religious] purity must not be

violated individually or communally. Answer me: Will you maintain

the rules of the precepts?

The candidates for ordination reply, “Yes, we will.”

“So be it,” completes the master.

The novices then perform three prostrations and once again kneel, left knee up and right one down, with palms joined together.

The master of ordination again speaks:

O sons of good families, having now committed yourselves to the fore-

going precepts under oath, you must uphold them reverentially in prac-

tice. Commit no transgression. The precepts and disciplines you have

acquired are dedicated to the Three Buddhist Treasures, and they

become seeds sown in the rich field of merit. You must act in accor-

dance with the teachings and instructions as guided by your respec-

tive masters. You must always keep your mind respectful toward those

who rank higher, middle, or lower in their respective places (in the

sangha) and exert effort in the practice of the path, so that you may

discharge your indebtedness to your parents. Refrain from wearing

colorful clothes, as clothes are only for the purpose of covering the

body. Do not be indulgent in seeking tasty food, the purpose of which

is only to sustain your life. Refrain from wearing hair ornaments, per-

fume, make-up, and so on. Nor should you watch or listen to anything

attractive or seductive in visual or auditory forms. Speak with dignity

and correctly. Refrain from speaking of others’ faults. If people are in

a dispute, you must talk to each party and encourage them to recon-

cile. There should be a normative distinction between men and women.

No vegetation should be destroyed at random. You should not befriend

anyone who is unwise, nor should you venerate anyone who is not

holy. Keep with you at all times the standard garments and a single

almsbowl. You should not take food other than at the prescribed time,

nor should you speak unless it is proper and appropriate. Be diligent

in finding meaning, and study the past to know new things. When sit-

ting, keep yourself in a state of meditation. When standing, occupy

yourself with chanting sacred scriptures. You must close up the three

evil paths but open the gate that leads to nirvana. Placing yourself

among those engaged in practice, you must enhance your right actions

(karma) and your mind of enlightenment (bodhicitta) and never ret-

rogress. Observe things through the insight of prajñā for the distant

future with clarity, help sentient beings in all spheres of existence, and

pray for their realization of supreme enlightenment. If you apply your

mind in these ways, you are a true disciple of the Buddha.

The novices perform three prostrations to the ordination master and again kneel, left knee up and right one down, with palms joined together. The master stands, burns incense with the portable incense burner, and intones the following invocation of merit transference:

The merit accrued from the foregoing rites of head-shaving and receiv-

ing the precepts under oath is dedicated to the dragon (nāga) and heav-

enly (deva) protectors of the Dharma, the supernatural gods presiding

over the temple buildings. May their majestic spirits be enhanced, secure

the sangha and protect the Dharma. May the abbot of the temple always

be the [excellent] ferry or bridge to help people across the ocean of suf-

fering. May the management officials become the pillar and founda-

tion stones of the religious tradition for a long time to come. May the

practitioners who have gathered in this hall equally ride the ship of

prajñā insight. May the ordained novices equally reach the yonder shore

of enlightenment, discharge all of the four kinds of indebtedness, and

deliver people who transmigrate through the three realms of existence.

May all sentient beings of the Dharma world equally realize the ulti-

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mate knowledge (i.e., omniscience, sarvajña).

Veneration to all Buddhas, bodhisattvas, mahāsattvas, and Mahā-

prajñāpāramitā presiding in the ten directions and the three times.

On completion of this recitation, the ordination master takes his seat.

The master of ceremonial chanting rings the standing bell and recites the following verses in praise of the Buddha:

Abiding in this world like pure extended space,

Like a lotus that is untouched by water;

Yet the purity of [the Buddha’s] mind even surpasses it,

I salute him with a deep bow, the Highest and Most Honorable One.

I have taken refuge in the Buddha. I am determined to realize

enlightenment and uphold my mind to strive for the path, without

ever retrogressing.

I have taken refuge in the Dharma. I am determined to realize omnis-

cience and acquire the great gate of transcendent concentration.

I have taken refuge in the sangha. I am determined to resolve disputes

so as to enter together with others the ocean of harmonious unity.

The merit accrued from the foregoing rites of head-shaving and receiv-

ing the precepts under oath is the limitless, excellent, good cause that

we shall dedicate to those innumerable other worlds to venerate those

holy beings who preside there.

At the moment when the master of ceremonial chanting begins the verses praising the Buddha, with the line, “Abiding in this world like pure extended space,” the master of ceremonial instruction immediately rings his hand-bell to signal the ordained novices to perform three prostrations before the ordination master. They then turn toward the guardian bodhisattva’s altar and again perform three prostrations. The master of ceremonial instruction then bows and leads the ordained novices to the outer hall, where they wait at the lower-ranking (left-hand) section. The ordination master and the other two masters perform three prostrations with fully opened sitting cloth before the altar of the guardian bodhisattva and leave the hall. When the practice hall attendant tolls the hall bell three times, the abbot leaves the hall, and the practitioners descend from their sitting platforms.

3. Post-ceremonial Activities

The primary seat official leads the practitioners to the abbot’s office in order to express congratulation. If there are a great number of practitioners, the abbot must receive their congratulations at the Dharma hall, where the guest master’s attendant has beforehand set up an area with incense, candles, an incense burner, flower vases, a screen, and a chair. First, the ordination master and the other two masters perform the formality of two prostrations with opened sitting cloth and three prostrations with unopened sitting cloth. At the first opening of the sitting cloth, they say:

As assigned, we have completed the rite of ordination, conferring the

precepts to the newly ordained novices. Though we tried hard, due to

our lack of cultivation in matters of propriety we fear that it may have

taken much longer than the venerable expected. We cannot help but

feel extremely embarrassed, sir.

The abbot replies:

Since the ceremony was about the young novices’ rite of head-shav-

ing, I know how much effort you have exercised to complete it suc-

cessfully.

At the second opening of the sitting cloth, they enquire after the abbot’s well-being, and then complete the three prostrations with unopened sitting cloth. The abbot responds with a single prostration.

Next, the primary seat official and the practitioners step forward to burn incense and perform prostrations, some opening their sitting cloths, some not, and some are excused from either formality. Next, the abbot’s official assistant and disciples burn incense and perform three prostrations with fully opened sitting cloth, proceed forward without folding up their sitting cloths, and express congratulation to the master, saying:

The candidate novices have successfully undergone the rite of ordi-

nation, witnessed by the participant practitioners. We are all delighted

and cannot help rejoicing together in this supreme occasion, sir.

Once again they perform three prostrations and proceed forward to enquire of the abbot’s well-being. They then perform another three prostrations and fold up their sitting cloths. Next, the newly ordained novices burn incense and perform three prostrations with fully opened sitting cloth, proceed forward without folding up their sitting cloths, and say:

So-and-so and others have been allowed to fully receive your rev-

erend’s tradition and with good fortune have been authorized to wear

the kaṣāya robe. Thus, freed from the toil of worldly matters, we are

able to sever ourselves from the net of attachment. We cannot help

feeling profoundly grateful, sir.

Once again they perform three prostrations, step forward, and say:

On this day and this auspicious moment, we respectfully wish that all

is well and felicitous with the abbot, master of the temple, who spon-

sored our ordination.

Thereupon they perform another three prostrations and fold up their sit-

ting cloths.

[After this,] the abbot makes a round through the practitioners’ quarters

to return his thanks, while the newly ordained novices visit each of the office

quarters to express their gratitude. They settle into the novice quarters and

await another occasion when they will be authorized to ascend the Dharma

platform to receive the precepts of the Mahayana tradition. The word of

thanks to be expressed by the newly ordained novices is as follows:

So-and-so and others have been authorized to receive the initial rules

of the precepts, and thereby we have been placed at the beginning rank

of the practitioners despite our meager qualifications. We are most

grateful for the protection and assistance bestowed upon us.

The abbot answers:

In some of your past lives you may have been assured of completing

the rite of receiving the precepts, as you have now accomplished this.

By remaining steadfast with them and holding fast to your vow, you

must exert effort in assisting the teaching of our religion.

4. The Newly Ordained Novices

Join the Practice Hall

After completing the rite of ordination and the conferment of the śrāmaṇera

precepts, the newly ordained novices notify the abbot of the date on which

they wish to take the next step of joining the life of the practitioners in the

practice hall. Next, they report the date to both the primary seat official and

the director of practitioners’ affairs. On the appointed day, after the moment

when the director strikes [the octagonal wooden post] with the [mallet] to

signal completion of the first serving of rice gruel at the early morning meal,

the ceremonial leader escorts the newly ordained novices into the hall, where

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they line up before the altar of the guardian bodhisattva. After a bow and

offering incense, they perform three prostrations with fully opened sitting

cloth and, without folding up their sitting cloths, step forward and say:

So-and-so and others have been granted permission to join the com-

munity of the practice hall. Today, we come to present ourselves here

by following the honorable practitioners. We cannot help feeling a

sense of humble hesitation.

They again perform three prostrations and say:

On this day and at this auspicious moment, we respectfully wish that

all is well and felicitous with the abbot, master of the temple, who

sponsored our ordination, as well as the venerable primary seat offi-

cial and all of the Zen masters.

Stepping back, they perform another three prostrations and fold up their sitting cloths. Lining up before the abbot, they bow in unison toward him, and turn to proceed on a round through the hall, starting from the seat of the primary seat official. On reaching the outer hall, they return to mid-hall, bow to the guardian bodhisattva’s altar, and leave the hall. After that, they return to the hall to conduct the rite of opening their assigned space in the hall and chant along with the practitioners.

5. Ascent to the Platform to Receive

the Mahayana Precepts under Oath

It is said that all the Buddhas of the past, present, and future realized the path through renouncing the secular world. All the patriarchs who transmitted the seal of the Buddha mind (foxinyin) through successive generations are, without exception, homeless mendicants (śramaṇas or bhikṣus). Because they strictly maintained the codes of the Vinaya discipline and prevailed well in the three worlds, it goes without saying that the vow to maintain the precepts and discipline is the prerequisite for the practice of Zen and for the pursuit of the path. Unless one dissociates oneself from transgression and prevents oneself from engaging in unethical conduct, how could anyone become a Buddha or a patriarch?

In order to receive the precepts under oath, a candidate should prepare three kinds of robes, an almsbowl, and new clean garments. If he has nothing new, he may substitute used ones which have been washed thoroughly

and cleaned for the occasion of completing the rite of ascending the Dharma platform. Entering the elevated sitting platform area of the Dharma hall, he must concentrate on receiving the precepts under oath and refrain from diverting his attention elsewhere. Wearing the same attire as did the Buddha, upholding the same body of precepts and disciplines as did the Buddha, and enjoying the practical consequences as did the Buddha—all this is not at all a minor matter and must not be taken lightly. If someone uses another’s robes and bowl on loan or lets someone else use his own, even though he may ascend the platform and receive the precepts under oath he has not really received them at all, and though he has become a practitioner in external form but has not been endowed with the precepts internally, he is thus like someone who has placed himself at an empty gate and eats up the donor’s gifts for nothing. Those who have already received the precepts attributed to the path of śrāvakas (disciples of the Hinayana tradition) must receive the Mahayana precepts of the path of bodhisattvas. This is the gradual procedure to enter the religion.

6. Steadfast Adherence to the Precepts

After receiving the [sacramental conferment of] the precepts, one must be determined to uphold the rules at all times—even to the extent of being willing to die for the Dharma rather than live without it. One is obliged to know in detail the types of offenses, the methods of discharging them, and the methods of preventing them from arising. One should learn in detail what rules one ought to comply with and what offenses one ought to avoid through reading the Vinaya in Four Divisions (Dharmaguptaka-vinaya; Sifenlü) as to its detailed rules and offenses:

1. The four grave offenses or “defeats” (pārājika; boluoyi);

2. The thirteen offenses requiring temporary suspension from the sangha (saṃghāvaśeṣa; sengqieposhisha);

3. The two indeterminable offenses concerned with encountering the opposite sex (aniyatau; buding);

4. The thirty offenses of expiation requiring forfeiture (naiḥsargikaḥ pāyattikā; nisagi);

5. The ninety offenses requiring expiation (pātayantika; boyiti);

6. The four offenses requiring confession (pratideśanīyāni; boluotisheni);

7. The one hundred minor offenses concerned with the rules of training and conduct (śaikṣakaraṇīya; zhongxue);

8. The seven offenses concerned with the ways for settling legal disputes (adhikaraṇaśamathā; miezheng);

9. The ten grave offenses of the Mahayana precepts prescribed in the Brahmajāla-sūtra (zhongjinjie); and

10. The forty-eight minor offenses of the Mahayana precepts prescribed in the same sutra (qingjie).

In addition, one must read these sources and thereby become well informed about the offenses in detail, so as to know what a given case might be. One should not fall uncritically into mediocre notions but should be cautious by referring to the real words of the Buddha.

One must not partake of improper food (buyingshi). (There are three kinds: 1) alcohol, 2) spicy vegetables, and 3) animal flesh. Onions, leeks, garlic, scallions, coriander, and so on, are classified as the second spicy food, whereas various meats are classified as the last one. One should not partake of these kinds of food.)

Nor should one partake of any food at a restricted period of time (bufeishishi). (No food is permitted other than rice gruel at breakfast and rice at the midday meal. Practitioners ought not to partake of any food at any other time in compliance with the time restrictions.)

Monetary and sexual matters are a far more serious cause of misfortunes than poisonous snakes. One should most carefully stay away from them. It is important for Buddhist practitioners to think of sentient beings with compassion, just as one might feel about one’s infant child, to match one’s thought and words and speak truth with honesty, to read the Mahayana scriptures and nurture the strength of the vow of meritorious conduct. When one strives with one’s vow to realize a degree of purity in upholding the precepts, the Buddha-Dharma manifests itself in that person of its own accord. If there is no sheepskin in one’s possession, how is it possible to think of transmitting beautiful wool to anyone else? Therefore it is said in the sacred scripture that one must make an effort to keep one’s precepts spotlessly clean as if protecting a bright pearl with all one’s strength.

5.35

III. Necessary Articles Required

for the Practice of the Path

When one wishes to enter the life of a Zen monastery or temple, he must

aquire a set of necessary articles (literally, “tools,” daoju) for pursuit of the

path. It is said in the Collection of Middle-length Discourses (Madhyama

Āgama; Zhongahanjing) that items that must be kept in one’s possession or

anything that helps in the practice of the path are called “tools for the path”

as well as “tools for enhancing the good Dharma.” In the Sutra on the Bodhi-

sattva Precepts (Bodhisattva-prātimokṣa-sūtra; Pusajiejing) such necessary

items are defined as “tools to help people and to accord with the Way.”

1. Three Kinds of Robes

In general, there are three kinds of robes: 1) the outer robe (saṃghāṭī; seng-

qieli) [namely, the large robe (dayi)]; 2) the upper robe (uttarāsaṃgha; yü-

duoluoseng), [namely, the robe made of seven strips of cloth (qitiao)]; and 3)

the inner robe (antarvāsaka; antuohui), [namely, the robe made of five strips

of cloth (wutiao)]. (These are called “triple robes.” Hence, it is wrong to call

the robe made of seven strips of cloth, the undergarment (pianshan), and the

loincloth (qun) together the “triple robes.” The large robe is again of three

kinds: 1) the greater one made of twenty-five, twenty-three, or twenty-one

strips of cloth; 2) the medium one made of nineteen, seventeen, or fifteen strips

of cloth, and 3) the lesser one made of thirteen, eleven, or nine strips of cloth.)

The origin of the “rice-paddy robe” (tianyi) is given in the Mahā-

saṃghika-vinaya (Mohesengqilü). The Buddha is said to have stayed one

day in front of Indra’s rock cave [near the city of Rājagṛha], and observed

that the rice field spread out below was neatly marked by ridges into precise

patterns. Thus, he is said to have explained to Ānanda that the robes of the

past Buddhas were all like that field, and thereupon suggested to him that his

disciples should model their robes after the pattern. The Record of the Rising

Splendor of the Tradition (Zenghuiji) gives an explanation as follows: The

rice field demarcated by ridges holds water and nourishes good rice seedlings,

which eventually nurture the human body and life. The Dharma robe as sym-

bolized by the rice field is moistened by water which gives four kinds of

benefits (i.e., boundless kindness, compassion, joy, and transcendence) and

raises rice seedlings comprising three kinds of good results (i.e., freedom from greed, hatred, and delusion). Thus, the robe symbolized by the rice field supports the life of wisdom which abides in the Dharma body.

2. The Sitting Cloth

This item is called niṣīdana (nishitan) in Sanskrit and “a cloth on which one takes seat as he wishes” (suizuoyi) in Chinese. In the Mūlasarvāstivādavinaya (Genbenpinaiye), it is transliterated as “nishidanna” and translated in Tang Chinese as “zuoju,” or “equipment for seating.” According to the Vinaya in Five Divisions (Mahīśāsaka-vinaya; Wufenlü), it is “equipment” for protecting the body from the ground, keeping the robes as well as the monastic bedsheet from becoming soiled, and hence it is prescribed that “each monk should carry his own cloth for sitting.” The Mahāsaṃghikavinaya provides further information about the size of the cloth, as follows: its length should be twice the length of the Buddha’s arm, and its width one and a half times [the length of the Buddha’s arm]. (Since the length of the Buddha’s arm is two feet four inches in our scale, the sitting cloth should be four feet eight inches by three feet six inches.)

3. The Undergarment

As prescribed for monks in the Vinaya discipline (lüzhi), there was only an ancient garment, the saṃkakṣikā (sengqizhi). (This is called, in translation, “a cloth that covers the upper arm and shoulder,” and is also called “a cloth that covers the armpit.”)

The size of this robe is long enough to cover the left upper arm and rightside armpit. Perhaps it was a custom in ancient India that this garment was overlapped by the other three robes. Zhudaozu said in the Chronicle of the Wei Dynasty (Weilu) that the court officials of the Wei did not consider it proper for Buddhist monks to keep their right shoulder and arm exposed, and thus a one-shoulder garment, called piantan (“one-sided shoulder cover”), was made which was then patched on to the regular saṃkakṣikā, [thus covering the whole upper torso]. Accordingly, this was called pianshan. (That the garment we have today is open in the back but connected at the collar is a legacy of this Wei court order.)

4. The Loincloth

According to the Great Tang Dynasty Record of the Western Regions

(Datangxiyuji) [by Xuanzang], nifuxie[na]; (nivāsana) (here, xie is abbre-

viated from sanggeqie) was called in Tang Chinese qun. In other Vinaya

translations, it is rendered as niepanseng or nihuanseng, or, meaning “inner

garment” (neiyi), as chuiyi.

(The term chui meant in early times a boat or a round vessel in which

to keep rice. It was called chui because the loincloth looks like such a ves-

sel without its lid.)

5. The One-piece Garment

According to oral tradition, the priests of long ago felt that it was incon-

venient that some predecessors had an undergarment but no loincloth while

others had a loincloth but no undergarment. They were innovative in bring-

ing about the present-day form of the one-piece garment by combining both

into one. There was an episode in which Puhua, [a contemporary of Linji (d.

867)] begged for a one-piece garment made of wood [before he died]. Dayang

(941–1027) left a pair of leather shoes and a one-piece garment [as an inno-

vation for his disciples]. Hence, the garment in question was already in use

[as long ago as the Tang].

6. The Almsbowl

This is called boduoluo (pātra) in Sanskrit and yingliangqi in Chinese,

[meaning a vessel that can be used according to an individual’s need as to

quantity]. Here, bo is its shortened alternative. It is also called boyu, which

is a compound of Chinese and Sanskrit syllables (i.e., bo for pātra and yu,

which means “bowl” in Chinese]. The Sutra of the Collection of the Origi-

nal Acts of the Buddha (Buddhacaritasaṃgraha-sūtra; Fobenxingjijing) tells

5.49

of two merchants in northern India, Dilifu[suo] (Trapuṣa) and Balijia (Bhal-

lika) by name, who one day offered the World-honored One almsfood made

of wheat flour, butter, and honey. The World-honored One recollected that

the Buddhas of the past all invariably carried their respective bowls to receive

alms, and wondered to himself what kind of receptacle he should use now in

order to receive alms from the two merchants. At that moment, the four guardian

gods of the heaven at once brought four golden vessels before him. The Worldhonored One, however, did not accept them, because no person who had renounced the world could keep such precious items. Thereupon, the guardian kings of the heavens tried to cause him to accept their gifts of four bowls, each set made of silver, glass, lapis lazuli, ruby, agate, and juqu, but the Buddha would not accept any of these.

In the meantime, Vaiśravaṇa, the guardian king of the northern heaven, spoke to the other three, saying: “As I recollect, a long time ago, the guardian generals of the blue sky brought us four stone-carved vessels that can be used to receive food. At that moment, a god, Vairocana by name, reminded them that they should not use these stone-carved bowls for receiving food but exclusively for offering alms to the Perfectly Enlightened One. In this period of ours, a perfected being (Tathāgata), Śākyamuni by name, has appeared in this world. It should be best that these four stone-carved vessels should be presented to that Tathāgata.” As instructed, the guardian kings of the four corners of heaven presented the four stone-carved bowls to the Buddha. The World-honored One thought to himself that since these kings had given him the four bowls with genuine devotion, if he had accepted only one without accepting the other three, a sense of unfairness might result in the minds of the other three kings, creating an impression of partiality on his part. Thus he decided to accept all four and make a single bowl out of them by merging them into one. He stacked them one upon another on his left palm and compressed them from above with his right hand, thereby producing a single bowl with four corners for touching the mouth. Then, the World-honored One exhorted the listeners in the following verse:

Meritorious conduct of my past lives produced many results,

Whereby the mind of compassion and purity has arisen within me.

Because of this, the four guardian kings of the heavens,

Immaculate and steadfast, had come to offer me the bowl I need.

7. The Staff Topped by Pewter Rings

This item is called khakkhara in Sanskrit and xizhang, or “a pewter-topped staff,” in Chinese. According to the Pewter Staff Sutra (Dedaotichengxizhangjing), the Buddha is said to have told his disciples that they should

keep a staff topped by pewter because all the Buddhas of the past, present,

and future have kept and will keep [such a staff]. The staff in question is also

called a “wisdom staff” or “staff of virtue,” because it symbolizes the source

of insight and practice and their merit. Mahākāśyapa asked the Buddha,

“Why does the cane have pewter rings on top?” The Buddha replied, “Xi

(“pewter-top”) symbolizes lightness. Relying on this staff, its holder can

remove his defilements and escape from this triple world. Xi symbolizes

insight. Because it helps its holder to realize wisdom and insight, xi sym-

bolizes awakening. Because it awakens its holder to the ultimate nature of

the triple world as suffering and empty, xi symbolizes separation. That is to

say, its holder is to be freed from the five kinds of desires.”

The pewter-topped staff equipped with two edges, each holding three

rings, is said to have been produced by Kāśyapa Buddha, while a staff

equipped with four edges holding twelve rings is said to have been inno-

vated by Śākyamuni Buddha.

8. The Walking Stick

According to the Vinaya in Ten Chapters, the Buddha is said to have permitted

his disciples to keep a walking stick (zhuzhang). The tip of this stick is protected

by an iron point in order to make it durable. The same Vinaya scripture also says

that the Buddha permitted the use of the stick for two reasons: 1) it aids the eld-

erly of little physical strength; and 2) it helps the sick with a frail body.

5.53

9. The (Zen) Dusting Brush

According to the Vinaya scriptures, the disciples (bhikṣus) suffered from

insects and hence were allowed to make dusting brushes (fuzi). According

to the Mahāsaṃghika-vinaya, the Buddha is said to have permitted his dis-

ciples to make brushes out of thread, torn cloth, grass, and bark. But they

were prohibited to use any brush made of animal hide, such as that of a cat,

cow, or horse, as well as one decorated with a gold or silver handle.

10. The Prayer Beads

In the Sage Mandala Sutra (Munimaṇḍala-sūtra*; Mounimantuoluojing) the

prayer beads are called bosaimo, or shuzhu in the Liang Chinese dialect.

They are a “a tool that assists the concentration of the mind and the discipline of practice.” In the Soapberry Tree Sutra (Ariṣṭaka-sūtra*; Muhuanzijing), the following story is related:

Once upon a time there was a ruler named Boliuli. He said to the

Buddha, “Since my country is small and located in a remote region, I

have always felt insecure. The Dharma storehouse is so deep and wide

that it is impossible for a person to practice everything. Please, teach

me the essentials of the Dharma.”

The Buddha replied, “If you want to annihilate your mental defile-

ments, make a set of prayer beads by piercing a hole through one hun-

dred and eight soapberry tree seeds, string them together with a thread,

and carry this with you at all times. Recollect the names of the Three

Treasures: ‘Namo Buddha, Namo Dharma, Namo Sangha,’ and upon

completing each repetition of this phrase, move one of the beads from

one side of your finger to the other, and in this way you will gradually

reach one thousand times and even ten thousand times. And if you feel

no mental and bodily disturbance, then you will be able to leave your

life and be reborn in the Yāma Heaven, [which is filled with supreme

light]. When you reach the number of one million times, you should

be able to remove the one hundred and eight delusion-bound karmas

and thereby realize the fruit of eternal bliss.”

The king replied that he would practice as instructed.

11. The Water Jar

This is called kuṇḍikā (junzhijia) in Sanskrit, and ping (“jar” or “bottle”) in Chinese. One ought to always keep a clean jar filled with water wherever one goes, to use for washing one’s hands. According to Yijing’s travelogue, A Record of the Inner Law Sent Home from the South Seas, two kinds of water pitchers (kuṇḍi) are recorded: one of earthenware, which holds drinking water, and a second made of either copper or iron, which holds water for washing.

12. The Water Filter

In the Record of the Rising Splendor of the Tradition it is said that although this is a small tool, the benefit it provides is exceedingly great because it protects

lives. In China, however, Buddhist practitioners seldom carry such an item. The frequent use of this is also attested to in the Vinaya literature. According to the Mūlasarvāstivāda-vinaya, the One Hundred and One Formal Acts of Resolution (Genbenbaiyijiemo) mentions five kinds of water filters (lüshuinang):

1. A square filter (fangluo). (This is made of silk cloth three by three feet or three by two feet, and usable in flexible sizes, smaller or larger, in different circumstances. The cloth must be made of the finest silk threads closely woven, so that it does not [let through] tiny insects. A [less closely] woven silk cloth or coarse hempcloth, if used, does not serve the purpose of protecting life.)

2. A jar for mendicancy, faping (i.e., yinyangping, “magic bottle”).

3. A jar filter (junchi). (The mouth of this jar is covered with silk cloth, and one uses it by immersing it into flowing water with a rope and retrieving it when it is filled.)

4. A dipper filter (zhuoshuiluo).

5. A cloth filter (yijiaoluo). (Yijiao here does not mean a corner of the kaṣāya robe but simply a thickly woven silk cloth that is picked up by its corner. It is used by placing it over the mouth of a jar or over a bowl into which water is poured, thereby filtering the water.)

The Venerable Zongze, Cijiao Dashi (author of the Monastic Regulations of the Zen Garden) collected the sources about water filters from sutras and Vinaya texts and composed thirty-one verses on the subject. Because of the abundance of descriptions he did not record them all, but in the end concluded that the so-called filter cloth (lüluo) could not [produce an ample enough quantity of filtered water] for the use of a multitude of people.

In the first year of Chongning (1102), the Venerable Zongze built a large washbasin by the side of the well in front of the kitchen hall of Hongjiyuan Monastery. Above this basin, close to its upper edge, was set another smaller basin, from which water was made to drop through a passage on its corner through a filter cloth placed beneath. Even when [a large quantity of] water was poured into the upper basin [from buckets dipped in the well], no overflow occurred, and as many as five practitioners could easily wash their feet [at the same time]. A similar system was built for the rear room of the bath hall. It is essential for all monastic residents, practitioners as well as novice attendants,

to use filtered water [in order to avoid injuring living beings], by setting up a filtering system in the lavatory. When the Venerable Zongze later on resided at Changlusi, he installed a similar water-filtering system at the side of each well in that temple, in more than twenty places.

Unless water is filtered at a temple at all times, the transgression [of “killing tiny insects” by the resident practitioners] comes to be the responsibility of the head of the temple. Therefore, it is earnestly hoped that effort be exercised toward the installation of water-filtering systems as widely as necessary.

13. The Precept Knife

In the Outline of the History of Zen Practitioners, it is said that a small knife, called a “moral preservation knife” ( jiedao), is also a tool necessary for the

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