勅修百丈清規 7.91

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the local spirits, and incense, candles, a table, incense burner, and water jar

are arranged there. The practice hall office attendants post a wooden tablet

announcing the scheduled prayer chanting to notify the practitioners. The

manner of striking the wooden sounding blocks located throughout the cor-

ridors of the temple is identical with that of the three monthly days ending

in eight (i.e., the eighth, eighteenth, and twenty-eighth day of each month).

The practitioners assemble and stand facing each other at the practice hall.

The abbot first visits the patriarchal shrine hall and then the Buddha hall to

burn incense and perform three prostrations, at which time the kitchen hall

metal gong is sounded three times and the large bell is tolled. When the abbot

arrives [at the practice hall] he offers incense and returns to his place. (At

the abbot’s arrival, the practitioners stand with palms together and heads

slightly down; the assistant official follows after the abbot with his hands

clasped over his chest [chashou].) The novice attendants play the cymbals.

Thereupon, the director of practitioners’ affairs steps forward to greet the

dual order officials and burn incense. He leads the prayer chanting and con-

cludes with the appropriate invocation of merit transference (given below).

Invocations of Merit Transference for the

Prayer Chanting of the Four Celebration Days

On the Inauguration Day of the Summer Retreat

We earnestly reflect that a fragrant wind blows over the field, while

the blazing sun commands the entire world, and we have today arrived

at the first day, as prescribed by the Lord of our religion (i.e., the

Buddha), of the summer retreat period, that of restraint from activi-

ties. As this is the first day for Buddhist followers to shelter and protect all living creatures, we have respectfully gathered at this shrine of the local spirits to intone steadfastly the sacred names endowed with innumerable virtues and to dedicate the merit thereby accrued to all the spirits enshrined in this hall. We humbly pray for their protection, so that the present retreat may be fulfilled without interruption. May the practitioners intone the prayer, and so on.

On the Fulfillment Day of the Summer Retreat

We earnestly reflect that a golden wind blows over the field, while the bright sun commands the entire world, and that we have arrived today at the last day of the summer retreat as prescribed by the Lord of Enlightenment. As this day begins the fulfillment of another year of Buddhist ordination, we rejoice that there has been no problem throughout the ninety-day period, and peace and ease have prevailed with us. By intoning the sacred names endowed with innumerable virtues, we wish to respond to the spirits of this hall to express our thanks. May the practitioners intone the prayer, and so on.

On the Winter Solstice Day

We earnestly reflect that the time of the year’s end approaches, while the chapter [of the year] has arrived at the day of the winter solstice (i.e., the page of fortune-telling [shuyun]). As this is the day when the sun begins its return course, it is the beginning of the birth of ten thousand classes of beings. Having respectfully assembled the practitioners at the shrine of the local spirits, we intend to intone the sacred names endowed with innumerable virtues and to dedicate the merit thereby accrued to the spirits enshrined in this hall. May the practitioners intone the prayer, and so on.

On New Year’s Day

We earnestly reflect that the workings of nature have invisibly carried out their course, while the calendar year once again has renewed itself, and we pray that the four kinds of order be secured in peace, and cel-

ebrate New Year’s Day. Having respectfully assembled the practi-

tioners at this shrine, we intend to intone the sacred names endowed

with innumerable virtues and dedicate the merit thereby accrued to the

spirits enshrined in this hall. May the practitioners intone the prayer,

and so on.

The Invocation of Merit Transference

Common to All Four Days

We dedicate the merit accrued by the foregoing prayer to the local spir-

its of the temple environs and the guardian gods of the temple build-

ings, all enshrined in this hall. We earnestly wish that their supernat-

ural power be well accorded in manifesting advantageous assistance,

that the monastic institution become ever more prosperous as granted

with everlasting impartial blessing. Once again, may the practitioners

intone the prayer: Veneration to the Buddhas of the ten directions and

the three periods, and so on.

3. The Administrative Office’s Special Serving

of Sweet Hot Water for the Primary Seat Official

and the Practitioners on the Four

Annual Celebration Days

When the prayer chanting has concluded, a special serving of sweet hot water should be conducted at the practice hall. The head administrative official must prepare a note of invitation for this reception beforehand (format given below), and after the noon meal he visits the front hall primary seat official, accompanied by the guest reception attendant carrying a crepe-wrapped board equipped with an incense burner and candle stand. Burning incense and performing a prostration with unopened sitting cloth, the official says:

We are pleased to announce that a special reception for a serving of

sweet hot water will be conducted in honor of the venerable primary

seat official and the practitioners at the practice hall this evening. May

the venerable, with due compassion, be present at this reception.

The head administrative official presents the written invitation to the

primary seat official, who, in turn, instructs the tea master of the practitioners’ quarters to give it to the alms-serving master, to be posted on the wall of the lower-ranking section of the outer practice hall. Following the notice of this special serving, the guest reception master of the administrative office announces:

After the sweet hot water reception, an evening meal will be served.

Next, the head administrative official, with an incense case in his sleeve, visits the abbot’s office and, after performing a prostration with unopened sitting cloth, invites the abbot:

We are prepared to serve this evening at the practice hall especially in

honor of the primary seat official and the resident practitioners. I earnestly

wish that the venerable master, with due compassion, be present at this

occasion.

Thereupon, the guest reception master of the administrative office is instructed to extend the same invitation to the retired officials of both orders as well as all the other quarters, all of whom respectively post a tablet indicating the event at their quarters. When each official has been individually