勅修百丈清規 1.29

1.29

For an Imperial Birthday, one must first inaugurate a Vajrāyus bodhimanda. For one whole month, monks and postulants are not granted leave, in order to demonstrate reverence. On the day prior to the inauguration, the hall office prepares the notice board and posts it to the right of the triple gate, together with the scripture roster for going up to the hall (the format appears below), both written on yellow paper. The monks' roster for rotational assignment follows the seniority of their precepts, each inscribed with their two-character ordination name. Five days in advance, the karmadāna, carrying paper in his sleeve and taking the hall office postulant along, goes to the scribe's dormitory (where the attendant announces him, the scribe comes out to receive him, and the karmadāna makes a prostration touching the mat), bows, and states: “For the inauguration of the Imperial Birthday, we trouble you to compose the words of the memorial. (If the scribe is absent, the correspondence attendant takes his place. If both are absent, use the ready-made memorial text; see below.)” When the scribe has finished composing it, he prepares a draft, first presents it to the abbot, and personally delivers it to the hall office, making one prostration touching the mat in return for the prior courtesy. The karmadāna writes out the memorial on yellow paper, and, taking an attendant servant carrying a tray, cloth wrapper, incense burner, candles, and incense box, goes up to the abbot's quarters to request that the abbot sign the memorial. He burns incense, makes one prostration touching the mat, and states: “For the inauguration of the Imperial Birthday, we request that the upādhyāya sign the memorial.” When the signing is completed, the postulant then reports to the abbot: “Tomorrow morning we will inaugurate the chanting of scriptures in the hall.” He also notifies the various dormitories to hang the scripture-chanting board. The incense-burning attendant reports to the abbot: “Tomorrow morning you will ascend the hall.” At the fifth watch, after the abbot has walked the incense and returned, he again reports: “After the gruel, you will ascend the hall,” and directs the guest prefect to hang the ascending-the-hall board. In the Sangha hall, after the striking of the mallet signaling the communal eating of morning gruel, the karmadāna strikes the mallet once more and says: “I announce to the great assembly: after the gruel, upon hearing the bell, each of you should fully adopt the dignified manners and proceed to the Great Buddha Treasure Hall to inaugurate the Heaven-Blessed Imperial Birthday. Respectfully announced.” He strikes the mallet once again, goes before the abbot, and offers a greeting with folded hands. Starting from the head seat's board, he circumambulates the hall once, going out from the lower section to the upper section of the outer hall, returning to the center of the inner hall, and departs after offering a greeting with folded hands. A short pause follows the gruel, waiting until the incense, candles, tea, hot water, cymbals, and hand-held censers are all arranged in the great hall. The hall office postulant notifies the abbot's guest prefect, first reporting to the abbot, and next reporting to the attendants. The abbot's quarters board is struck three times, and the drum is sounded. The hall office postulant strikes the board in front of the communal dormitory three times in advance to assemble the community to sit in the hall. They sit facing inward as in ordinary seated meditation; when the drum sounds, they turn their bodies to sit facing outward. The prefects first assemble outside the hall awaiting the sound of the drum; then they enter the hall. The head seat enters last and takes his seat. The west hall elders, retired officers, and residents of the infirmary hall and various dormitories all sit in the outer hall. At the first beat of the drum, the abbot comes out to sit in the sleeping hall. The attendant offers a greeting with folded hands and stands on the east; the postulant offers a greeting with folded hands and stands on the west. As the drum turns its tempo, the attendant proceeds to the left side of the dharma seat to stand and await the assembly's gathering. The prefects descend from their platforms, offer a greeting with folded hands before the Sacred Monk, and lead the assembly out of the hall. Arriving before the dharma seat, they line up in a single row, offer a greeting with folded hands, and return to stand in the western rank. The great assembly lines up behind them in wild-goose formation. If they do not wait for the prefects to arrive and instead take their places prematurely on their own, it is against the Dharma. The service hall also strikes its board three times when the drum sounds. The head postulant leads the postulants to line up facing each other before the storehouse hall, awaiting the drum's transition. When the administrators come out, they offer a greeting with folded hands and follow behind them. Waiting until the western rank has fully returned to its places, they likewise form a single row and offer a greeting with folded hands before the seat, with the senior administrator at the rear. The chief prior leads them to return and stand firmly in the eastern rank. The postulants line up behind the administrators, standing somewhat apart from them. The attending attendant enters to invite the abbot out, and the postulants offer a greeting with folded hands. When the abbot reaches the front of the dharma seat, the postulants step forward to stand close behind the administrators. In winter months, the assembly removes their caps and offers a greeting with folded hands. The abbot bows with joined palms and ascends the seat. The attendant follows him up to the dharma seat, holding up the incense in the lid of the incense box to present it. When the abbot has finished presenting the incense to pray for imperial longevity, the attendant receives the incense, inserts it into the censer with his left hand, and with his right hand takes a stick of attendant incense; after a brief greeting with folded hands, he descends from the seat and returns to his rank. Waiting until the abbot gathers his robes and sits cross-legged, the attendant first leads the rear rank past below the seat, where they line up in a single row and offer a greeting with folded hands; the incense-burning attendant leads the rank back to its position. Next, the head seat leads his rank forward, lines up before the seat, and offers a greeting with folded hands; the great assembly offers a greeting with folded hands along with him. The administrators turn their rank to line up before the seat and offer a greeting with folded hands; the postulants follow with a greeting with folded hands. The west hall and east hall elders come out below the seat and offer a greeting with folded hands. The attendant ascends the seat, offers incense with his left hand, turns around, raises his niṣīdana, and offers a greeting with folded hands (this is called “requesting the Dharma on behalf of the assembly”). He steps back to stand at the side of the seat. When the exchange of questions and answers concludes, the abbot proclaims the purpose of the occasion, saying: “On the such-and-such day of such-and-such month, reverently meeting the Heaven-Blessed Imperial Birthday, this monastery in advance on the such-and-such day of such-and-such month inaugurated a Vajrāyus bodhimanda. For one whole month, monks take turns daily going up to the hall to peruse the golden texts. This morning, upon commencing, the abbot, your servant-monk so-and-so, ascends this seat to expound the supreme truth of the noble reality. May the vast cause thereby accumulated be dedicated expressly to praying for the tens of thousands of blessings of the Imperial Longevity.” When the preaching of the Dharma is finished, the announcement is made: “Descend from the seats. Each fully adopt the dignified manners and proceed to the Great Buddha Hall to inaugurate the Heaven-Blessed Imperial Birthday. Respectfully announced.” On this day, even if officials are present below the seat, no formal words of thanks may be exchanged, out of respect for the sovereign. The great bell and the bell in front of the Sangha hall are rung to assemble the community, who line up in the hall facing the Buddha. The abbot presents tea and hot water, which the senior administrator hands up to him; the incense-burning attendant serves them before the Buddha's throne. When the presentation of tea and hot water is finished, the abbot returns to his position and stands firmly. The postulants sound the cymbals, and the karmadāna turns his body before the censer, bowing to the abbot to offer incense. The incense-burning attendant holds the incense box. Next, the east hall and west hall elders step out of rank to offer incense (if abbots of renowned mountains from various regions happen to arrive, the attendant is instructed to invite them to offer incense in front of the two ranks). Next, the two ranks step out facing each other and offer a greeting with folded hands toward the Buddha; when the incense offering is finished, they face each other in pairs, turn their bodies, and return to their positions. The great assembly joins in making three prostrations. The two ranks divide into rows facing each other. The abbot kneels, the guest master kneels and presents the hand-held censer, and the attendant kneels and presents the incense box. After the karmadāna addresses the Buddha and proclaims the memorial, the guest master kneels to receive the censer, and the abbot folds his niṣīdana. The karmadāna chants the Śūraṅgama Dhāraṇī and recites the dedication: “(We chant the secret chapters; may the vast cause thereby gathered be dedicated expressly to praying for the tens of thousands of blessings of the Imperial Longevity of His Majesty the Present Emperor, the Diamond Buddha of Immeasurable Life, and so forth.)” The assembly disperses. Daily, the hall office postulants must take the roster of rotational duty for the monks and, one day in advance, invite the abbot, prefects, and the monks of the assembly each to sign and seal it with their two-character ordination names. Estimating the size of the community, they write out the duty roster in full according to precept seniority, arranging the days to cycle continuously. They also list the titles of the scriptures, posting them facing each other on the pillars inside the hall. On the appointed days, all must observe strict solemnity. The great bell is struck to go up to the hall. The monks on rotational duty must be fully clad in dignified demeanor, and, with incense boxes, pay homage to the Buddha, return to their positions, and read the scriptures. The storehouse office solemnly prepares incense and candles and provides refreshments. The karmadāna burns incense, serves hot water, and looks after them. In the evening, the great bell is struck to descend from the hall. The hall office postulant and the hall-tending postulant must constantly attend to duties and not allow any negligence. If an official enters the mountain to present incense, the bell is struck to assemble the community; they chant the Dhāraṇī of Immeasurable Life and recite the epithets of the Medicine Master, after which the dedication is said: “(Official so-and-so of such-and-such place has entered the mountain to bow and offer incense; the assembly of monks has chanted the secret chapters. May the vast cause thereby gathered be dedicated expressly to praying for the tens of thousands of blessings of the Imperial Longevity of His Majesty the Present Emperor, the Diamond Buddha of Immeasurable Life, and so forth.)” When the third and eighth days of the lunar month occur during the festival period, chanting is performed in the Buddha Hall. On that day, after the midday meal, the hall office postulant reports to the abbot, the two ranks, and the various dormitories, and hangs the chanting board to notify the community. Before the evening assembly, he circumambulates the corridors striking the board to assemble the community to line up facing the Buddha. When the abbot arrives, the large board is struck three times, followed by the striking of the great bell. The abbot burns incense and returns to his position. The karmadāna steps out of rank and proclaims the chanting: “(May the imperial breeze blow forever and the sovereign's way flourish extensively. May the Buddha's sun shine with increased brilliance and the wheel of Dharma ever turn. For the above conditions, we recite: Pure Dharmakāya Vairocana Buddha—) After the ten epithets are concluded, the dedication is recited: ‘May the vast cause gathered by the foregoing chanting be dedicated expressly to praying for the tens of thousands of blessings of the Imperial Longevity of His Majesty the Present Emperor, the Diamond Buddha of Immeasurable Life, and so forth.’” The bell in front of the Sangha hall is struck three times, and the great assembly offers a greeting with folded hands and disperses. Alternatively, when the abbot returns from attending a bodhimanda in the commandery or county capital, the bell is rung to assemble the community to welcome him at the gate and proceed to the abbot's quarters to offer a greeting with folded hands.