[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [勅修百丈清規](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025) › [The Baizhang Zen Monastic Regulations](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk) › 6 # 勅修百丈清規 6 The Baizhang Zen Monastic Regulations 6 - **Language:** English ### [6.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk.6.7) If the abbot conducts the evening session, the practice hall bell is not rung; the guest reception master of the abbot’s office makes three drumbeats, sig- naling the abbot to leave the hall. The primary seat official, leading the prac- titioners, follows him to the Dharma hall or to the abbot’s reception hall. When he takes his seat on the chair, the assistant official, the dual order officials, and the east and west hall \[high-ranking guest\] officials each step out individually from their regular positions and bow \[to the abbot\] (prior to the beginning of his exhortation). After the exhortation is over, the practitioners withdraw to their quarters for an evening meal. If there is no evening session, the practice hall attendant goes before the primary seat official and, after a bow, says: The master of the temple (literally, “the master of the practice hall,” tangtouheshang) has canceled the evening session, sir. Passing behind the altar and reaching the midpoint near the front entrance, the practice hall attendant bids the attendant in charge of meal proceedings (heshi) to announce, in a drawn-out voice: The Zen session has been canceled. When the practice hall bell is rung three times, the practitioners descend \[from the raised sitting platform\] and bow in unison. The primary seat official leaves the hall first, followed by the abbot and the training officials. The practitioners then pull out their bedding in full and go to the practitioners’ quarters for the evening meal. During a period when a series of Zen sessions is conducted, it is better to alternate days with a session with days having no session, so that the junior members can learn the proceedings. If, due to a variety of reasons, the evening session is repeatedly canceled, the alms-serving master, acting in place of the primary seat official, is obliged to pull open his bedding halfway, along with the practitioners. In the evening, when the wooden sounding block in front of the practitioners’ quarters is struck three times, they leave their quarters and return to the practice hall. When the evening bell is tolled (or, if the temple is in a city, at the signal of drumbeats), the training officials enter the hall. The primary seat official also enters the hall at the sound of the bell, burns incense, and makes a round through the aisles of the hall. Next, the abbot enters, burns incense, and makes a round. When the timekeeping bell (dingzhong) signals the first watch of the night and fifth point (i.e., 8:40 P.M.), the abbot leaves the hall, followed by the training officials. When an extended session of zazen is requested (zaiqingchan), the abbot reenters the hall from the rear entrance and settles on his seat without making a round through the hall. The training officials follow the practitioners, and those who are taking a rest return immediately to their bed spaces. The abbot leaves the hall during the late-night watch. When the sound of the primary seat official opening his pillow is heard, the practitioners make ready to take their nightly rest. Those who wish to continue practicing zazen are not required to follow. Next morning, the practitioners are awakened by three strikes of the wooden sounding block. The practitioner assistant for the guardian bodhisattva pulls around the hall towel rack to surprise late risers. When the practitioners finish washing and return to the hall, the primary seat official enters first, burns incense, and makes a round through the hall. Next, the abbot enters, burns incense, and makes a round in the same way. At the signal of four drumbeats (i.e., the fourth watch of the night and the fifth point, 2:40 A.M.), the abbot leaves the hall. At the sound of the hall bell, the primary seat official leaves. The rest of the training officials and the practitioners leave the hall a moment later through the rear entrance, change their garments and hats, and, after a rest, return and wait on their bed spaces. Sometimes the primary seat official returns to the hall and once again makes a round through the aisles of the hall. When the hall bell has ceased ringing, the metal gong located at the kitchen hall is sounded to signal the time to fold up the bedding \[and put it away in the storage rack\]. The alms-serving master is obliged to fold up the primary seat official’s bedding. The practitioners may then leave the hall as they wish. Contemplation of the Buddhas or scriptures should be simultaneously practiced \[along with zazen\]. 5. Individual Request for Special Instruction In general, a practitioner who wishes to have special instruction from the abbot must first speak to the assistant official, who will convey his wish to the master, “So-and-so practitioner wishes to visit the abbot’s office (fangzhang) for special instruction this evening.” If \[the abbot\] grants the request, the practitioner comes to the assistant’s office after evening meditation and waits for the the assistant monk to prepare incense and candlelight and escort him to the abbot. With a bow, the practitioner burns incense, performs nine prostrations with fully opened sitting cloth (dazhanjiubai), and folding up the sitting cloth, steps forward and says: As I, So-and-so, regard the matter of life and death of primary impor- tance and am concerned with the swiftness of transformation, I earnestly request the venerable master in his compassion to grant me special instruction with words of expediency. The practitioner is obliged to stand with solemn respect at the master’s side and listen to his words intently. When it is over, he steps forward to burn incense and once again performs nine prostrations with fully opened sitting ### [6.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk.6.9) cloth. This is called the propriety of “giving thanks for causes and conditions” (xieyinyuan). If the full formality is excused, he should perform prostrations with unopened sitting cloth. The practitioner is also obliged to drop in at the assistant official’s office to thank him. 6. The Propriety of Partaking of the Morning Rice Gruel and the Noon Meal In the early morning, after the metal gong located at the kitchen hall has been struck to signal the release from morning silence, and later, at mealtime while awaiting the sound of the kitchen hall metal gong, the practitioners go to their respective places in the practice hall where their almsbowls are kept and take them down. They then enter the practice hall, bow before the altar of the guardian bodhisattva, and proceed, with palms joined together, to their respective seats. At the moment of ascending the raised sitting platform, they are obliged to greet their neighbors \[on each side and across the aisle with a bow\]. With your back to the raised sitting platform, first use your right hand to pull up your left sleeve and hold it by the left armpit, and then use your left hand to pull up the right sleeve and hold it by the right armpit. Then, supporting your weight on both hands placed on the board behind you, shove your sandals below the board \[with your foot\] and then first bend in your left foot and pull in the right foot next, proceeding to carry your whole body backward a foot or so across the wooden board. Then sit cross-legged, spread the kaṣāya robe to cover the knees, neither revealing the undergarment nor letting it hang down over the platform. (Details of this process are given below in section VII, part 3.) The administrative head, the director of practitioners’ affairs, the maintenance official, the assistant official, and so on have their seats on the raised sitting platform of the higher section of the outer hall, whereas the training officials of guest reception, of the bath hall, of the Buddha hall, of the fundraising preacher, of the infirmary, and so on have their seats on the raised sitting platform of the lower section of the outer hall. In the Ancient Regulations, the abbot came to the practice hall every day. At breakfast, he first sits in the outer hall, and when the practice hall bell is rung, he enters the hall. All the practitioners at once descend from the raised sitting platform and greet him with a bow in unison before taking their seats again. Nowadays, the abbots of many monastic temples enter the hall to take their seats while the large bell is still being tolled, and when the practice hall bell is rung, they descend from their seats in order to bow in unison with the practitioners. By simply encountering the ceremonial acts of the first day of the month or of the midmonth day, or of the Zen lecture session of every fifth day of the month, it would be difficult for new arrivals at the monastic temples to know anything about ceremonial protocol in their early training. Before our time, our predecessors discussed why all must descend to the floor to bow in unison, and concluded that it was meant to be the time of each day when the officials of various quarters and the practitioners all exchange bows in unison. On the basis of this interpretation, it follows that wherever Zen practitioners live together, it is necessarily the norm that each day early in the morning all members descend from the raised sitting platform to exchange greetings with a bow in unison. 7. Attending the Special Tea and Sweet Hot Water Reception The propriety involved in the tea and sweet hot water reception by the abbot and the dual order officials is a rather serious matter for a number of reasons. One must not be negligent about it. Once invited, one must be on time to attend the event. First, you must observe the tablet indicating the seating places carefully and memorize the seating order so as to avoid the possibility of embarrassing confusion. If you are sick or pressed by nature and unable to attend such a reception, you must convey through a colleague your apology and reason to the hosting official. It is, however, inexcusable to not attend a reception hosted by the abbot. Anyone who does not attend \[such a reception\] due to negligence is certainly not entitled to live under the same roof. 8. The Request for Universal Participation in Tasks of Labor The rule of “universal participation in the task of labor” is meant to equalize the work contribution of individuals, whether higher or lower in rank. In general, wherever a number of people live together, there should necessarily be things accomplished on the basis of all members’ cooperative effort. Should such a necessity arise, the administrative head must first notify the abbot, then send an attendant to report the matter to the primary seat official and the director of practitioners’ affairs, and assign the practice hall attendants to distribute the tasks among all the practitioners and post the tablet that indicates “all-out work for all members.” A small piece of paper \[indi- ### [6.15](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk.6.15) cating the time and place\] should be posted on this board. At the sound of the wooden fish-shaped gong (muyu) or the drumbeat, every member tucks up his sleeves with a strip of cloth over his arms and assembles at the designated place for the task of labor. Except for the guard of the practitioners’ quarters, the practice hall guard, and the sick and aged, every practitioner is equally required to participate in such tasks. In this connection, the maxim of the ancient master \[Baizhang\] should be recollected: “A day of no work is a day of no eating.” VII. The Rules and Regulations of Daily Conduct 1. Introduction Zen Master Wuliangshou said \[in the introduction to his Daily Regulations\], Escaping from worldly dust and leaving human convention, shaving the head and wearing the kaṣāya robe, and pursuing the path by sojourn- ing in various monastic institutions, one must clearly know the rules and disciplines of these institutions. Unless you know the rules by heart in the act of lifting up or putting down things, and also unless you are in accord with the normative disciplines in the act of moving or stopping, even if you have good teachers and colleagues, how would you be able to penetrate deeply into and intensely experience the subject of your pursuit? Since wrong behavior easily becomes an established custom through repetition and learning, it is very difficult to reform. Such wrong customs will devastate the seats of the monastic centers, and affect through chain reaction practitioners’ minds, causing them to become negligent in their religious pursuits. Because such fault and sickness are so frequently observed in everyday life, it has finally led to the compilation of those paradigmatic rules of Baizhang as models. If one seeks the origin and goal of these \[paradigmatic\] rules, one must spend days from morning to night \[studying them\]. In order to escape from the \[mind’s lack of understanding\] about these rules, it is necessary to put each of these rules into practice immediately, and only after strict adherence to each \[rule\] can one claim that one has pursued the nature of the self, clarified the forms of the mind, understood the problem of life, and grasped the nature of death. The rules of the secular world are \[essentially\] identical with those of the sacred. The practitioners who renounce \[secular life\] and are constantly traveling can bequeath their rules to those who have not renounced \[secular life\]. For many householders are not inferior physically or mentally to those who have left the householder life, and they are equally obliged to discharge their indebtedness to the Buddhas and patriarchs. The model rules of daily life will be respectfully enumerated in the following. 2. The Rules for Morning Proceedings As to the rules of conduct among the practitioners, you should not go to sleep before others do, nor should you get up after others have. Before the timekeeping bell signals three o’clock in the morning, you must arise energetically and put your pillow at the foot of the bed space. It is not yet necessary to fold up the bedding, as this may disturb your immediate neighbors who are still asleep. Pull yourself together and sit straight with the whole body, so as not to create wind which may disturb your neighbors. If you feel fatigue, push the quilt off your feet, pick up your towel with the left hand, and intone the following verse: From three o’clock in the morning until dusk, every sentient being must reflect upon himself with the following prayer: “Even if my life should end at this very moment, may I immediately be reborn in the Pure Land.” Then, go out to the washstand, lifting the hanging screen \[of the practice hall\] softly. You must not make noise by dragging your sandals or gargling loudly. It is said in the Ancient Regulations: When one lifts the hanging screen to go out of the entrance of the hall, one should not let his hand drop until it is all the way down. After com- ing out of the hall, one should never drag one’s sandals. The water tray for washing one’s face must be gently handled, and one should not use too much hot water. Dip the right fingers in dentifrice and rub the left side of the mouth, then dip the left fingers in dentifrice and rub the right side of the mouth. Do not dip your fingers in the dentifrice again; it should be cautioned that one’s mouth odor may be transmitted to others \[in this way\]. When rinsing the mouth, lean forward with your head down and after taking the water, spit it out with both hands downward; it is cautioned that \[if you spit water while standing upright,\] it may splash over nearby buckets that are being used by others. You must not wash the head. There are four disadvantages for yourself and others \[in doing so\]: 1) it stains the washtray, 2) it soils the towel with oil, 3) it withers the hair, and 4) it injures the eyes. Do not make noise by blowing your nose, splashing water onto your face, loudly \[expelling water from the mouth\], or defiling the washing trays by spitting. The Ancient Regulations set forth the \[general\] rule as follows: Washing the face at three o’clock in the morning is for the primary pur- pose of religious practice. \[Expelling water from the mouth\] and stamp- ing with the sandals are most annoying to the practitioners who are seri- ously engaged in practice. While washing your face do not fight others for towels, nor should you use the towel to wash your head. After washing your face, hang up the towel or place it to dry over a fire. When entering the practice hall through the higher-ranking section, step into the hall with the left foot first; conversely, when entering from the lower- ranking section, step into the hall with the right foot first. Then ascend the raised sitting platform, fold up your bedding halfway, and sit upon it cross- legged. When changing your garment, you must put the new one on over the old one, keeping yourself covered while taking the old one off. You must not expose any part of your body while changing clothes, nor should you create a breeze by moving hurriedly. If you wish to burn incense and venerate the Buddha, you should do so while the timekeeping bell is being rung. Carry the kaṣāya robe in your sleeve, leave the hall by the rear entrance, and don the robe outside. Regardless of whether you are at your seat or away from it, when you are about to put on the kaṣāya robe, with palms together, \[raise the robe\] to your forehead and intone the following verse: How great is the robe of liberation; Formless yet the field of every merit. Wearing this robe now with veneration, I am determined to wear this robe in all my lives to come. Oṃ siddhāya svāhā (anxituoyesuohe). To fold up the kaṣāya robe, first pull the grip portion and untie the ring. You should not hold the robe in your mouth or use your chin to pull the robe. After folding up the robe, you must bow again before leaving the area. When venerating the Buddha at the shrine hall (diantang), you must not occupy the central part of the floor lest you obstruct the abbot’s entrance into \[the hall\] for the rite of veneration. Nor should you call the names of the Buddhas out loud, nor should you walk beside someone who is performing the rite of veneration. You must take a place in the empty rear part of the hall. When the bell signals three o’clock, recollect in your mind this verse: May the sound of this bell go beyond this Dharma world. May it be heard by all those who abide in the dark, ghostly world of iron prisons. May those who suffer in the three deplorable realms of existence be freed from it, Ending the perpetual warfare of sword-wheels. May all sentient beings establish supreme enlightenment. When the abbot and the primary seat official are practicing zazen in the practice hall, no one can enter or exit the hall through the front entrance. \[At the end of morning zazen practice, at the time of “minor release of silence” (kaixiaojing), everyone must fold up their bedding and place the pillow within it. The way to fold the bedding is to first find the two front corners and stretch the quilt by hand straight in front. Then fold that one half into half, and next fold the other half which is closer to you into half. You must not extend the quilt into the neighboring space by folding it sideways, nor should you let any sounds escape when pulling the quilt, nor should you create any air movement by shaking it. You may either go to the practitioners’ quarters to have an herbal medicine drink, or engage in the practice of a “meditational stroll” (jingxing) in the hall, eventually returning to your almsbowl position by turning \[left\] toward your upper shoulder (i.e., the left shoulder). When entering the hall from the front entrance, you must step in from its southern \[left-hand side\] corner; you are not allowed to approach from the northern corner or from the center. This is perhaps out of reverence for the abbot. 3. The Rules for Meal Proceedings As to meal proceedings, when the wooden fish-shaped gong is sounded signaling mealtime, no one is allowed to enter the hall. You may request a meal attendant to fetch your bowl and sit in the outer hall. Or, returning to the practitioners’ quarters, you may join the serving team. When you enter the hall and reach your assigned position to take meals (bowei, literally, “almsbowl position”), keep your head slightly lowered and bow toward your neighbors on both the higher and lower sides as well as across the aisle. If you have already been seated, when your neighbors come to their seats, you are obliged to join your palms together. The Ancient Regulations has the following: Unless one greets with respect the practitioners of the higher and lower seats as well as those across the aisle, there is no difference between a Buddhist gathering and \[a gathering\] of brahmans. After the sound of the wooden fish-shaped instrument, the metal gong in the kitchen hall is sounded to signal practitioners to take their almsbowls down. Rise and stand straight for a moment, then turn again toward your upper shoulder (i.e., to the left), with both palms together, ready to take the bowl down. First, with your right hand release it from the hook, then with your left hand support it while turning around and bending down to place it on the floor. In this way, you can avoid colliding with your neighbor with your back hip. When the hall bell rings, everyone must descend to the floor to greet the abbot, who is entering the hall, and all bow in unison. No one, however, should move their hands to the right or left. When descending to the floor, move close to the wooden board-edge and bow and, after descend- ing, you must not let your kaṣāya robe hang over the board \[while standing in front of it\]. After the greeting, all once again ascend the raised platform in a careful manner, not abruptly tossing your body onto it. Set the almsbowl on the board-edge, and upon hearing the sound of the mallet \[striking the octagonal wooden post\], you are obliged to intone the following verse from memory: The Buddha was born in Kapilavastu, Enlightened in Magadha, First preached in Vārāṇaṣī, Entered nirvana at Kuśinagara. As to the manner of “opening the bowl,” first recite, with palms joined together, the following verse mindfully: Now I have opened the Tathāgata’s almsbowl That spontaneously measures the quantity of need. I wish, along with all sentient beings, to realize the insight that The donor, the recipient, and the alms received are all of the nature of emptiness. Thereupon, untie the knot of the wrapping cloth \[around the almsbowl\] and take out the clean handkerchief to cover your lap and knees. The wrap- ping cloth must be folded into a triangular form, so that it may be placed on the board-edge without hanging over. First, unfold the tray sheet (bodan), pick up the bowl with your left hand, palm upward, and set it on the tray-sheet. Then using the thumbs of both hands, take out the \[three\] nested bowls (fenzi). Lay them out \[from right to left\], smaller to larger, and do not make a clattering noise while handling them, nor should your fourth and fifth fingers touch the bowls. Fold the dry- ing cloth of the bowl into a small size, and place it together with the sack holding the spoon and chopsticks, laying these horizontally nearest your place (literally, “to the body”). When placing the utensils into the sack, you should put the spoon into the sack first \[and then the chopsticks\], but when removing them from the sack, take out the chopsticks first, \[then the spoon\]. The utensils are to be laid out horizontally, with the handle of the utensil regarded as clean facing toward the upper (i.e., left) shoulder. The bowl-cleaning spatula (boshua) must be laid vertically to the side of the second bowl, with its tip extending half an inch out from the tray sheet, so that alms \[for the sake of the hungry ghosts\] may be placed on it. Neither the spoon nor the chopsticks should be used for this offering, and it ought to be no more than seven grains of rice. If \[the offering\] consists of less than this amount, it is regarded as showing greed for food. Whenever food is received \[in the almsbowl,\] it is a general rule to make such an offering, but when food has not been received, it is not permissible to make an offering directly from the serving ladle. While the director of practitioners’ affairs intones the names of Buddhas, the practitioners hold both palms together, with the fingers held evenly. Join your palms together \[and let your hands\] lightly graze your chest; do not let your fingertips reach the mouth. The following statement is found in the Ancient Regulations: There are those who hold both palms together but do not \[rest\] the hands on their chest. Both hands cross each other at the fingers, with the fingertips almost sticking into their nostrils. In dragging the san- dals and lifting up the entrance screen, there is no refined cordiality whatsoever. Uttering sounds like \[expelling water\] and leaking breath, they look like \[battlefield\] heroes. When receiving food, you are obliged to hold the bowl with both hands and intone the following verse from memory: When one receives almsfood, one must wish that All may have the Zen experience of delight as their food, And be filled with the sense of rejoicing in the Dharma. In order to request more or less \[food from the server\], signal by keeping your right hand still or raising it slightly \[to indicate that you have received enough\]. When the octagonal wooden post is struck with the mallet \[to signal the completion of the first serving\], you must observe your neighbors \[so as to be in tandem with them\], lift the \[main bowl\] straight up in front of your forehead, and make a slight bow. Do not shake \[the bowl\] to the right or left. After bowing, you must intone the “Verse of Fivefold Reflection” on almsfood: First, reflect upon the many labors \[made by other people in order for this food to be served to you\] and for what reason \[has this food been served to you\]. Second, reflect upon whether your virtue and practice have been perfected or are far from satisfactory, and \[renew your resolution before\] partaking of the almsfood. Third, reflect upon whether your mind is prevented \[from evil thoughts\] and freed from wrongdoing, because such \[actions\] are caused by desire, and so forth. Fourth, reflect upon whether you regard food as good medicine and use it properly to treat illness and prevent emaciation of the phys- ical form and \[to maintain\] strength. Fifth, reflect upon whether you are aware that it is for the sake of realizing the ultimate goal of the path that you receive this almsfood. Next, you must produce some alms and intone the following verse from memory: O host of hungry ghosts, I now make an offering of food for you; This food is offered widely in all ten directions, for all the hungry ghosts. As to the manner of eating, you must not bring your mouth to the bowl, nor bring the bowl to the mouth. Whether taking up the bowl or putting it down, you must not make noise either with the spoon or chopsticks. You should not cough or sneeze. If this naturally occurs, you should cover your nose with your sleeve. You must not scratch your head, because dandruff may fly and fall into the bowls of neighboring practitioners, nor should you \[put your finger in your\] ear, nor make noise when chewing rice and drinking soup. You should not collect rice in the center of the bowl, nor should you take a large amount \[of food\] into the mouth \[in one bite\], nor should you open your mouth in anticipation of the food, nor should you let food drop from your mouth, nor should you pick up and eat food with your fingers. If there remains any vegetable sediment, leave it below the edge of the bowl. Do not create \[malodorous\] wind which might affect neighboring seats. If you are afraid of doing so, you may take a seat in the outer hall after obtaining permission from the director of practitioners’ affairs. Do not rest your hands on your knees. Request only as much food as you need. Do not leave food after eating a part of it. Wet food (i.e., soup, side dishes, etc.) should not be placed in the primary bowl. Do not eat by pouring soup into the primary bowl and sifting rice from it. Do not eat rice by mixing it with side dishes in the primary bowl. While eating, pay attention always to your neighbors on each side, so as not to be too far \[ahead or\] behind in the proceedings. You must not start cleaning the bowl with the spatula before the second serving has been completed, nor should you make noise by sucking the tip of the spatula. Before the food is served, you should refrain from creating mental defilement. The Ancient Regulations has enumerated these misbehaviors as follows: Foolishly looking around in all directions, becoming depressed or angry; Thinking of food, swallowing saliva and thus coughing frequently; Pouring rice gruel, slurping soup, and stuffing food into the mouth; Opening the seat and spreading the bowl set, making noise everywhere toward all neighbors. As to the manner of washing the bowl, water is placed in the primary bowl and the smaller bowls are washed in due order in the \[main\] bowl, but \[do not wash\] the spoon and chopsticks in it. \[Wash the bowls using only the thumbs and first two fingers, keeping the fourth and fifth fingers extended;\] after the bowl washing is done you may bend your fourth and fifth fingers. Do not gargle, as it makes noise, or spit water into the bowl. You must not wash the bowl while \[the water\] is boiling hot. Before the remaining water has been discarded, no one is allowed to remove the cloth used to cover the lap. Do not use this cloth to wipe sweat \[from your face\] The residue water must not be thrown onto the floor; \[before it is discarded in the bucket\], you must intone the following verse from memory: This water with which I have cleansed the bowls Tastes like ambrosia. I offer it to all the hungry ghosts, Wishing that they all be gratified by it. Oṃ mahorase svāhā (anmoxiuloxisuopohe). As for the manner of placing the smaller bowls back into the primary bowl, use the thumbs of both hands to pick up each bowl in due order and place them \[gently\] one after another into \[the main bowl\]. After this has been completed, hold your palms together and recollect the verse that is recited at the end of each meal: Having finished the food, I feel the strength of my physical body, Whose majesty shakes the heroes in all directions and in the three times. Neither abiding here nor remaining yonder, nor holding on to a moment of thought, I wish that all sentient beings acquire supernatural powers. At the signal of the striking of the wooden sounding block in the practitioners’ quarters, the practitioners return to their quarters and bow. If someone does not return to his assigned position, it is regarded as being rude to the fellow practitioners. Entering the quarters as well as coming to your seat is performed exactly as is done in the practice hall. Remaining in position, wait for the moment when the master of the quarters finishes burning incense, then bow to your neighbors, both higher and lower in rank. 4. Drinking Tea and Reading Sutras at the Practitioners’ Quarters When practitioners take their seats to have tea in the practitioners’ quarters, they must be careful not to allow their robes to hang down. Nor should they talk and laugh with others with their heads close together. Do not greet others by a single raised hand, nor collect leftover (powdered) tea. Thus, the Ancient Regulations has this to say: When ascending the raised sitting platform, you must not let your robe hang overboard. Some greet others with a single hand, but for what reason? Some secretly collect powdered tea, thus becoming the laughing- stock of bystanders. Detestable is the wasting of time by neighboring pathseekers who \[talk idly\] with their heads close together. After drinking tea, if you want to read sutras do not unfold the text scroll too widely but limit it to \[a two-page length\]. You must not walk about in the quarters carrying the sutra in your hand, nor should you let its binding cord hang down, nor should you read it aloud, nor should you lean against the wallboard. The Ancient Regulations thus has these words: Reading sutras aloud irritates neighboring practitioners, Leaning back on the wallboard is a slight to the fellow practitioners. It is advisable to leave the quarters early for zazen practice. Do not wait until you hear the signal of the wooden sounding block. 5. Using the Lavatory When going to the lavatory, according to the Ancient Regulations, you must change into the robe made of five strips of cloth (wutiaoyi; namely, a simplified robe). Take a clean handkerchief and hang it over the left arm. Untie the string belt and hang it upon the bamboo rack, and take off the simplified robe and one-piece garment. Neatly fold them up and put them together with the handkerchief, marking the place. You must not engage in laughter and conversation, nor should you urge others in the lavatory to hurry across the doorway. Enter the lavatory carrying a water bucket in your right hand. When changing sandals, do not leave them in disarray. Place the bucket of water in front, and snap your fingers three times in order to warn the hungry ghosts who feed upon feces. Squat down and maintain the right posture, do not groan nor spit saliva or nasal mucus, nor should you make conversation with another through the wall. The Ancient Regulations says: At the doorway, snap your fingers lightly. If someone still remains within, why is it necessary to speak aloud? Using bamboo spatulas in the lavatory, you must distinguish an unused one from used ones. When coming out of the lavatory, you must not leave the shoes in disarray. Do not pour water on both hands for cleansing. When the left hand is used for cleaning, cover the thumb and the two adjacent fingers, and do not use many bamboo spatulas. The Ancient Regulations says: You may use warm water but not too much. Stop fooling around with the bamboo spatulas. After using the spatulas, wash them with water and leave them in the space near the lavatory. When there are many practitioners in line, do not stay too long because it inconveniences others. Leave the water bucket where it was before. Using your dry hand, fix your underwear and put on the under-robe. Open the door with your dry hand and come out, carrying the bucket with the left hand. You must not touch the door panel or the side of the door with your wet hand. Pick up a pinch of ash and then dirt with your right hand, not with your wet hand. You must not spit saliva to mix with the dirt. Wash the left hand and then use \[soap\] to wash the hand \[and forearm\] up to the elbow. You must intone a mantra at each act of cleansing (mantras given below). According to the Mahayana Tripiṭaka text, the Sutra of the Garland of the Bodhisattva (Yinglojing), it is said: In general, whosoever goes to the lavatory and does not intone the pre- scribed mantras will never be able to cleanse his defilement, even upon reaching the subterranean depth of the golden layer by using as much as ten times the \[amount of\] water in the Ganges River to wash his defilement away. No matter how often he presents himself in the shrine hall to worship the Buddha, it is said to be of no use. Therefore, one must maintain the mantras steadfastly and intone them seven times each on every occasion. Because of this practice, the ghosts and spirits always accompany him and protect anyone who intones them accordingly. When going into the lavatory, intone the charm: Oṃ krodhāya svāhā (Angenlutuoyesuohe). When washing: Oṃ hanāmṛte svāhā (Anhenangmilidisuohe). When washing the hands: Oṃ śuklāya svāhā (Anzhuqieluoyesuohe). When purifying the body: Oṃ śrīye sahe svāhā (Anshiliyisuoxisuohe). When purifying defilement: Oṃ vajrodaka ṭha svāhā (Anfeizheluonang- jiazha). Finally, cleanse your mouth with fresh water. Some Vinaya rules prescribe the method of cleansing after urination. 6. Miscellaneous Rules for Daily Conduct \[After visiting the lavatory\], one may chew a toothpick and return to the practice hall and zazen practice. As long as no signal is heard from the kitchen hall metal gong, you should not return to the practitioners’ quarters. Nor should you wash your clothing before the morning gruel. Nor should you open your storage box before the morning rice gruel, before the noon meal, or after the signal canceling the evening session. If it is an unavoidable situation, you must speak to the person responsible for the respective matter of concern. For instance, in the case of the practitioners’ quarters, you must speak to the master of the quarters. In the case of the practice hall, you must talk to the assistant official of the guardian bodhisattva. After the noon meal is over, no one is allowed in the practice hall in order to put their heads together for idle talk. Nor should you read sutras or any kind of text in the practice hall. While engaged in a meditational stroll between the higher- and lower-ranking sections, you must not take a direct passage \[from one side to another\] through the hall. Do not count coins by displaying them on your seat, nor hang your feet over the board-edge while sitting on the raised platform. The one-foot-wide board-edge is regarded as a clean space for three reasons: First, it is the space where the almsbowl is used; second, it is the space where the kaṣāya robe is placed; and third, it is the space toward where one’s head is directed during sleep at night. You must not walk on the raised platform across neighboring space units. Nor should anyone open their storage box by squatting down on the floor. Nor should you descend from the raised platform by stepping on the board-edge. After going around outside the temple wearing grass sandals and the simplified robe made of five strips of cloth, no one is allowed to step into and walk about in the Buddha’s shrine hall or the Dharma hall \[without first changing their clothes\]. The Ancient Regulations says: After entering into the lavatory with a shoulder exposed Or walking in the field outside wearing grass sandals, No one should step into the Dharma hall, Nor encounter any senior practitioner (i.e., without first changing into the proper clothing). You should not wear the practitioner’s sandals with bare feet. Nor should you walk hand in hand with another while explaining the secular truth as to its rightness and wrongness. The Ancient Regulations has the following words: Separating oneself from one’s parents and leaving one’s original teacher, What would one intend to accomplish by traveling afar to seek knowledge? Whoever has not settled with the matter of the religion of the Zen tradition, May not accomplish anything, even until they become white-haired. Whose fault is this? At the Buddha’s shrine hall, you must not lean on the railings of the building, nor should you suddenly move quickly like a crazy person. The Ancient Regulations says: Movement must be conducted with gentle walking, For which one must learn Assaji’s majestic demeanor, Words must be spoken in a low voice, For which one must learn Upāli’s manner. Do not stay in the shrine hall just to pass time. The Ancient Regulations says: One must not go to the shrine hall for no purpose, Nor should one step into the stupa compound to waste time. Unless one visits \[these places\] to sweep the ground or sprinkle scented water, No matter how often \[one visits, as numerous as\] the sands of the Ganges River, the benefit would diminish to nothing. When washing your clothing after the noon meal, you must keep one shoulder covered. Nor should you soak the garment by pouring hot water directly from a jar. After using the bamboo poles and drying racks, they must be returned to their place. When the wooden sounding block is struck to sig- nal the time for washing the feet, \[indicating the end of laundry work,\] you must not compete with others to obtain a washbucket. If you have boils or sores that itch, you must wash your feet after the others finish, or go somewhere not directly within sight to do so. Each practitioner must act expediently to avoid any occasion that might incur disturbance in the minds of his fellow practitioners. You should return to the practice hall without waiting for the signal of the wooden sounding block when your work is done. When evening zazen practice is over, each practitioner opens his bedding to one-half size and descends to the floor. If the evening Zen session has been canceled, when the wooden sounding block located at the primary seat official’s quarters is struck, everyone turns around to face each other across the aisle. Whenever the wooden sounding block is struck as a signal, everyone is obliged to return to the practice hall. Once the signal has been completed, no one is allowed to enter the hall. No one should remain standing outside the hall. When the abbot and primary seat official leave the hall, the practitioners can open their bedding and descend from the raised platform, and after a bow, proceed to the practitioners’ quarters for the evening meal. When each one has settled in his position, he should not, however, get up or immediately stand up to fetch his meal. Nor should anyone shout aloud or compete to obtain items such as gruel, rice, salt, vinegar, and so on. After the evening meal, one must leave the quarters but not go beyond the main gate or to any of the smaller quarters. No one is allowed to return to the practice hall or walk through the corridors without wearing the regular robe. Nor should anyone wait for the signal of the wooden sounding block to leave the practitioners’ quarters. When the evening bell is tolled, each practitioner, with palms together, silently and mindfully recites this verse: Listening to the sound of the evening bell, we feel that defilement is reduced, It increases far-reaching insight, inducing enlightenment, It helps us out of hell and the fiery pit. Let us aspire to realize Buddhahood and help sentient beings. Everyone must first return to his floor space to practice zazen. You must not scratch your head on the raised meditation platform, nor should you make noise by manipulating your prayer beads on the raised platform, nor should you exchange conversation with your immediate neighbors. If the practitioner next to you is not yet well cultivated, you must help him improve himself by way of skillful words, and never hold a sense of dislike toward him. After the bell \[is rung\] to signal the end of zazen practice or the time to sleep, no one may use the front entrance for going or coming. Awaiting the moment when the primary seat official prepares his pillow, those who feel extremely tired go right to sleep. While sleeping, lie on your right side, not \[on your back\] facing straight upward, because this is called the dead man’s sleep. Sleeping \[with your face down\] is called indulgent sleep because it creates bad dreams. Wrap the kaṣāya robe in the handkerchief, and place it above your head (i.e., on the board-edge). Today many practitioners place it below their feet, but logically this is not a convenient practice. 7. The Rules for Bathing On bath day, carry your toiletries in the right hand, enter the bath hall from the lower-ranking section, and, after a bow, go to an empty space. After greeting your fellow practitioners to the right and left, hang the sash of the robe made of five strips of cloth over the bamboo rack, spread the bathing garment (yufu) on the floor, place the toiletries to the side, and disrobe. Before taking off the one-piece robe, remove your underwear and wrap the loincloth around your body to prevent the bathing trousers (yuqun) from becoming loose. Then untie your underwear \[above and below\] and place it in the wrapping cloth. Next, take off the one-piece robe and tie it together with the sash and the robe made of of five strips of cloth. The Ancient Regulations says: When you hear the three drumbeats and enter the bath hall, Separate those clothes that directly “touched” the body from those that are “clean.” Wrap all your clothing into one bundle, turning it front and back, and then change into the wooden footwear. Do not enter the bathwater with bare feet. You should wait your turn to bathe at an empty spot in the lower-ranking section and must not occupy the space reserved for the training officials and senior-ranking practitioners (called the higher-ranking section). Be careful not to pour hot water over another’s body. Do not dip your foot inside the bucket, nor urinate inside the bathing room, nor prop your feet up on the bucket, nor exchange laughter and conversation with others. Do not rest your feet over the trough, nor bail water out. Do not pour water over your body with a bucket while standing. If there are other practitioners nearby, you must prevent any water from splashing upon them. Do not let the loincloth drop from your body. Do not dip your feet into the water bucket to wash them, nor use too much hot water. Those who have wounds should wash the wound with moxa cautery or use medicinal materials. Those with itching sores must bathe last and not try to enter into the bath any earlier by hassling \[others\]. Do not use the public washcloths for cleaning your head or face, because these are used for hand-cleaning after wearing the undergarment, and thereby you put the robe made of five strips of cloth on over it. After coming out of the bath, greet those on the right and left, ascend the raised platform, and sit cross-legged for a while facing the wall. Then, first donning the robe and the one-piece robe, descend to the ground, take down your bathing trousers while bundling up the loincloth into it. This is because the wrapping cloth may have become wet. Holding the handkerchief in your left hand, greet \[those on\] the right and left, then leave the hall. Find the names of the donors and chant sutras or intone mantras as you wish, concluding with an invocation of merit transference. 8. The Rules for Being at the Fireside During the winter months, when approaching the fireside, you must first sit on the fireside board, then turn around to the back, and, sitting properly, greet \[those on\] the right and left. You must not play with the fire shovels and pok- ### [6.18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk.6.18) ers, nor should you blow on the fire or let ashes fly up. Do not exchange conversation by putting your head together \[with others\], and neither should food items be placed in the embers. Do not dry your sandals to the point of scorching, nor burn your shins or clothing. Do not expose your underwear by rolling up the one-piece robe. Do not spit or toss filth into the fire. 9. Conclusion of the Daily Rules of Conduct The rules of daily conduct as previously collected are concerned with the major events that take place in the lives of practitioners and are not intended to be heard by established senior practitioners. It is hoped that these rules may be helpful to those who are junior in their religious careers. There are many more intricate and detailed rules concerned with the major categories of monastic events, such as the ascent to the Dharma hall, admission to the instructional room, the supplementary session, sutra chanting, prayer invocation, making rounds through the practitioners’ quarters, the commencement and completion of retreats, interpersonal proprieties, packing and traveling, and funeral rites and auctions. These regulations have already been introduced \[elsewhere\] in detail. Since renowned senior masters have written their respective elucidations in great number concerning the rules and regulations, I shall refrain from bringing up their words here again in order to avoid unnecessary excess. VIII. An Exposition on the Model Zen Principles of Conduct (Guijingwen) The following was written by Great Master Cijiao, the honorable Zongze (ca. twelfth century): Representing the fragrant dual trees (i.e., Bodhidharma and his mas- ter Prajñātāra), Bodhidharma transmitted the \[benevolent\] shade to the eastern land and produced a single flower as its auspicious manifesta- tion. Ever since the coming of the patriarch from the west, the facil- ity of the Zen monastic institution was destined to evolve fundamen- tally for the community of practitioners. \[1. The Normative Principles for the Community of Practitioners\] Thus came to be the position of senior head official (abbot) to teach the community of practitioners in the Zen religion. So did the position of primary seat official to provide model lead- ership for the community of practitioners. So did the position of the head administrative official to support the community of practitioners. So did the position of the director of practitioners’ affairs to har- monize the community of practitioners. So did the position of kitchen official to prepare daily provision for the community of practitioners. So did the position of maintenance official to engage himself in various tasks for the community of practitioners. So did the position of treasury official to keep accounts of revenues and expenditures on behalf of the community of practitioners. So did the position of secretarial official to deal with recording and correspondence for the community of practitioners. So did the position of Tripiṭaka hall official to preserve the sacred scriptures for the community of practitioners. So did the position of guest reception official to receive and attend patron donors on behalf of the community of practitioners. So did the position of \[abbot’s\] assistant to communicate requests and invitations between the abbot and the community of practitioners. So did the position of the master of the quarters to guard the personal possessions, clothing, and almsbowls for the community of practitioners. So did the position of infirmary master to provide care and medicine for the community of practitioners. So did the positions of bath master and water supply chief to provide sanitary bathing and laundry for the community of practitioners. So did the positions of charcoal supply chief and fireplace chief to shield the community of practitioners from cold weather. So did the positions of alms campaign leader and fundraising master to make appeals for monetary and alms donation for the community of practitioners. So did the positions of farmyard chief, mill operator chief, and estate management master to devote themselves to the tasks of labor for the community of practitioners. So did the position of cleaning task chief to sweep and scrub on behalf of the practitioners. So did the position of meal servers to wait upon the community of practitioners in serving them food. As given before, the practitioners’ career of pursuit of the path is perfectly equipped with all kinds of assistance in every dimension, and the provision that supports their physical health is manifest in all varieties of realization. The community of practitioners has no worry whatsoever and can devote themselves singlemindedly to the pursuit of the path. The community of practitioners is honorable and precious to human society and enjoys leisurely freedom from the work of \[securing one’s\] material needs. Thus, the community of practitioners, which is immaculate and transcendent, is the highest. Reflecting upon the assisting works of the multitude, shouldn’t we know and discharge our indebtedness? \[2. The Practitioners’ Adherence to the Normative Principles\] From morning zazen to the evening Zen session, the practitioners should exert effort in the pursuit of the path, without losing one moment. This is the way to discharge one’s indebtedness to the senior head of the monastic community. The practitioner should learn the propriety of the order of high and low, and be firmly in command of the decorum whether in movement or stationary. This is the way to discharge one’s indebtedness to the primary seat official. The practitioner should respect the external regulations and adhere to the inner rules. This is the way to discharge one’s indebtedness to the head administrative official. The practitioner should be harmonious, like milk and water, with the other practitioners in six ways (i.e., physical harmony, in sharing the same residence; verbal harmony, in the absence of disputation; volitional harmony, in sharing the same action; disciplinary harmony, in sharing the same practice; harmony of thought, in sharing the same understanding; and harmony of receiving benefit, in sharing equal amounts). This is the way to discharge one’s indebtedness to the director of practitioners’ affairs. The practitioner should receive the food that is offered for the sake of realizing the goal of the practice. This is the way to discharge one’s indebtedness to the kitchen official. The practitioner should carefully use and look after the household items of his current quarters. This is the way to discharge one’s indebtedness to the maintenance official. The practitioner should refrain from misusing public items (i.e., things belonging to the monastic temple). This is the way to discharge one’s indebtedness to the treasury official. The practitioner should refrain from taking and carrying pens (i.e., so as to engage in writing and intellectual abstraction) but diligently exert effort in the practice, as if putting out a fire burning on top of their head. This is the way to discharge one’s indebtedness to the secretarial official. The practitioner should examine his mind of understanding in reference to the ancient teachings under bright windows and on a clean desk. This is the way to discharge one’s indebtedness to the Tripiṭaka hall official. The practitioner should \[be humble about\] his accomplishments, \[not brag of\] his career, and speak no adulation. This is the way to discharge one’s indebtedness to the guest reception official. The practitioner should always be available and punctual in presenting himself prior to the appointed time when requested. This is the way to discharge one’s indebtedness to the abbot’s assistant. In dealings with his colleagues, the practitioner should be firm, like a mountain, regardless of whether it is a vase (i.e., a minor item) or a bowl (i.e., an important item) that is missing. This is the way to discharge one’s indebtedness to the master of the quarters. The practitioner should keep his mind calm as to his sickness and suffering, and willingly take the \[prescribed\] rice gruel and medicine. This is the way to discharge one’s indebtedness to the infirmary hall master. The practitioner should maintain gentleness and quietude while taking a bath and not be unmindful of the various labors that have gone into the preparation of the bathwater. This is the way to discharge one’s indebtedness to the bath hall master and the water supply chief. The practitioner should keep his mouth shut, his hands together, and withdraw from the fireside in order to let others have a chance \[to warm themselves\]. This is the way to discharge one’s indebtedness to the charcoal supply chief and the fireplace chief. The practitioner should reflect upon whether his virtue and practice are deserving when receiving almsfood. This is the way to discharge one’s indebtedness to the alms campaign leader and the fundraising master. The practitioner should realize the innumerable labors and benevolent conduct that have brought food to him. This is the way to discharge one’s indebtedness to the farmyard chief, the mill operator chief, and the estate management master. The practitioner should bail water, carry used bamboo spatulas, and have a sense of shame and repentance. This is the way to discharge one’s indebtedness to the cleaning task chief. The practitioner should be easy to follow and simple to serve. This is the way to discharge one’ indebtedness to the meal-serving personnel. If these normative principles are well understood, there will be a perpetual renewal of life in the Zen monastic institution. Those who are endowed \[with superior qualities\] may realize the goal within one lifetime. Those who are endowed \[with mediocre qualities\] will nourish and develop Buddha-nature in themselves \[for future realization\]. There are those who, though not yet possessing insight into the mind’s origin, are nevertheless determined not to discard the foregoing principles in vain. The community consisting of these practitioners indeed constitutes the true treasure and most worthy field of merit in this world. It is \[like\] a ferry or a bridge that immediately leads to the goal of our religion during the current latter-day period, and, at last, one will experience the twofold ultimate fruit of wisdom and blessedness attributed to the Buddha. \[3. The Officials’ Failure to Follow the Normative Principles\] If the monastic institution is not reformed and if the wheel of the Dharma does not turn well, this is not the way for the senior master (abbot) to teach the religion to the practitioners. If the three forms of karma (i.e., acts of body, speech, and mind) are not well regulated, and if the four manners of conduct (i.e., walking, standing, sitting, and lying down) are not respectfully accomplished, this is not the way for the primary seat official to provide model leadership for the practitioners. If the head administrative official is not broadminded enough to accept every practitioner and does not possess a generous heart with love toward each one, this is not the way for the administrative head to support the practitioners’ careers. If the practitioners feel no peace nor any sense of security, and if those who are demoralized do not leave, this is not the way for the director of practitioners’ affairs to please \[the community of\] practitioners. If the food lacks the six kinds of tastes (i.e., sweet, hot, salty, bitter, sour, and mild), and if it is not served with the three qualities (i.e., plain, clean, and consistent), this is not the way for the kitchen official to prepare food for the practitioners. If the buildings and quarters are not well maintained, and if there is a lack of various kinds of household items, this is not the way for the maintenance official to provide the practitioners with secure accommodation. If the practitioners’ basic needs are insufficiently provided for while public property increases, this is not the way for the treasury official to look after the practitioners’ well-being. If the secretarial official is poor in his art of composition and clumsy in calligraphy, this is not the way for the secretarial official to enhance the status of the practitioners. If the desks and chairs are not well kept and if noises are not contained, this is not the way for the Tripiṭaka hall official to help and wait upon the practitioners. If the guest reception official disdains the poor, favors the rich, and entertains the laity while slighting his fellow practitioners, this is not the way for the guest reception official to assist the practitioners. If decorum and respectful appearance are absent and if the order of high and low is \[not followed\], this is not the way for the abbot’s assistant to help the practitioners communicate \[with the abbot\]. If household items are not diligently looked after and personal possessions are not diligently guarded, this is not the way for the master of the quarters to perform his duty to help the practitioners abide in peace. If the infirmary hall master does not learn how to care for and serve and if he disturbs the sick, this is not the way for the infirmary master to \[care for\] the practitioners. If sufficient hot water is not available and if hot and cold water is not supplied in good balance, this is not the way for the bath hall master and the water supply chief to help the practitioners cleanse their bodies. If charcoal and firewood are not sufficiently reserved beforehand and if an inadequately maintained room temperature disturbs the practitioners, this is not the way for the fireplace chief and charcoal chief to serve the practitioners. If the alms campaign leader and the fundraising master are not public-minded toward donations or have not done \[their best to secure funds\], this is not the way for them to serve the practitioners. If the land, despite being sufficiently profitable, and the applied manpower do not fully make ends meet, this is not the way for the farmyard chief, the mill operating chief, and the estate management master to perform their tasks on behalf of the practitioners. If the cleaning task chief is not diligent in cleaning the lavatory and so forth, and if all necessary items are not fully provided, this is not the way for him to perform his duty to serve the practitioners. If the meal-serving personnel do not heed even when prohibited nor act for what is in order, this is not the way for them to attend the practitioners at mealtimes. \[4. The Practitioners’ Failure to Follow the Normative Principles\] If the practitioners slight the senior master, the abbot of the monastery, ignore the Dharma, and follow their own natural inclinations in various circumstances, this is not the way for them to discharge their indebtedness to the abbot. If the practitioners have no unified manner of action, whether in sitting or lying down, and if their comings and goings are obtrusive, this is not the way for them to discharge their indebtedness to the primary seat official. If the practitioners ignore the secular laws and are not concerned with the monastic regulations, this is not the way for them to discharge their indebtedness to the head administrative official. If the practitioners are not harmonious with each other, whether higher or lower in rank, and if they obstinately dispute with one another, this is not the way for them to discharge their indebtedness to the director of practitioners’ affairs. If the practitioners covet fancy meals and \[complain about\] humble dishes, this is not the way for them to discharge their indebtedness to the kitchen official. If the practitioners misuse their current quarters, without caring about those who will reside there after them, this is not the way for them to discharge their indebtedness to the maintenance official. If the practitioners abuse benefits they have gained from public property (i.e., items owned by the temple) and if they \[are wasteful\] in using public goods, this is not the way for them to discharge their indebtedness to the treasury official. If the practitioners misuse writing brushes and inkslabs and show off their writing talent, this is not the way for them to discharge their indebtedness to the secretarial official. If the practitioners treat the scriptures lightly and look into non- Buddhist books, this is not the way for them to discharge their indebtedness to the Tripiṭaka hall official. If the practitioners speak flatteringly to lay notables and try to associate themselves with members of the nobility \[to gain favor\], this is not the way for them to discharge their indebtedness to the guest reception official. If the practitioners forget invitations or requests and thereby cause others to wait for their delayed appearance, this is not the way for them to discharge their indebtedness to the abbot’s assistant. If the practitioners hoard things and if \[they accuse others of theft\], this is not the way for them to discharge their indebtedness to the mas- ter of the quarters. If the practitioners anger easily and are difficult to please, and if they do not \[patiently\] follow the \[prescribed treatment\] for their illness, this is not the way for them to discharge their indebtedness to the infirmary hall master. If the practitioners make noise when using ladles and use water with no consideration for others whatsoever, this is not the way for them to discharge their indebtedness to the bath hall master and the water supply chief. If the practitioners \[selfishly sit at the fireside\] to warm themselves and refuse others the opportunity to do so, this is not the way for them to discharge their indebtedness to the charcoal supply chief and the fireplace chief. If the practitioners have little intent toward practicing the path but receive almsfood with no ill conscience, this is not the way for them to discharge their indebtedness to the alms campaign leader and the fundraising master. If the practitioners eat for no purpose all day long and make no effort toward \[practice\], this is not the way for them to discharge their indebtedness to the farmyard chief, the mill operating chief, and the estate management master. If the practitioners spit on walls and mess up the lavatory, this is not the way for them to discharge their indebtedness to the cleaning task chief. If the practitioners, while advocating for themselves the importance of demeanor, yet do not offer good instruction to the meal-serving personnel over past faults, this is not the way for them to discharge their indebtedness to the meal-serving personnel. \[5. The Prime Importance of the Practitioners\] In general, no matter how fast one may run about like a whirlwind thousands of times, there are always some cases in which it is just never enough. Therefore, one must simply know how to discard what is deficient and follow what is advantageous and must deal with the matter of practitioners in similar ways. It is hoped that whoever is reared in the lion’s den will become a lion, and whatever grows under a forest of sandalwood trees may become another member of that forest. Five hundred years from now (i.e., at the beginning of the latter-day period), let there be seen another grand gathering like that once held on Vulture Peak (Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa in Rājagṛha, India). As has been indicated, what will determine the rise and fall of the Zen school lies in the hands of the practitioners. The practitioners are the field of merit \[in which laypeople find fortune by cultivating\] and must be the object of people’s respect. When the practitioners are well respected, the Dharma is also well respected, but when they are slighted, the Dharma is also slighted. When a person’s commitment to his inner rules is rigorous, he is also respectful toward the external rules. Regardless of whether an abbot or a provider of rice gruel and \[rice\] meal (i.e., a lay donor) is engaged in the role of religious conversion during his lifetime, or whether an administrative official of a temple happens to be _First 4 of 11 passages. [Read on](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk.6)_ ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-mt.6.7) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [勅修百丈清規](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025.6.7) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk.6) · Pramāṇa