勅修百丈清規 5.15

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-