勅修百丈清規 3.113

3.113

When the appointed time arrives, seats for the assembly are arranged in front of the Sangha hall or in the upper and lower bays of the dharma hall. In the middle, facing inward, a long table is set up, upon which writing brushes, inkstones, and a large sounding bowl are placed. The Sangha hall bell is rung to gather the assembly. The head seat and the funeral director divide positions, and the two ranks and the assembly take their seats in order. The funeral office karmadāna, the guest master, and the sacred monk attendant sit facing the funeral director's position. The karmadāna recites: 'Bequeathing robes to represent faith was the model handed down by the lineage patriarchs; using the Dharma to eliminate greed accords with the bequeathed standard of former adepts. Now evaluating and auctioning them serves to manifest impermanence. We rely on the assembly to recite: Pure Dharmakāya Vairocana Buddha, and so on.' When this is finished, the chests are opened and the robes and bowls are brought out, arranged on the mats according to their item numbers. When the Buddhist ceremony for holding up the robes is finished, the karmadāna strikes the sounding bowl once and announces: 'The procedure for holding an auction of robes relies on customary rules. You should personally examine the condition and size of the new and old items; after the strike of the sounding bowl ceases, no one may retract or regret their bid. Respectfully announced.' If there are many Dharma robes, extra instructions from the bequest may be added. The robes are presented in sequence. When the karmadāna selects and calls out the items, it is crucial that the funeral office and concerned parties conduct it with fairness and impartiality. The karmadāna sets the price and strikes the sounding bowl. The postulants watch front and back, and call out the determined names. The guest master enters the names on the roster. The attendants distribute the tags according to the names. When the robe auction is finished, the total amount of paper money is settled, and the funeral director signs the roster. Paper money is handed over and the robes are claimed; one must not indulge favoritism or lower the prices. The funeral director firmly oversees the matter. Nowadays, casting lots is often used, which greatly calms clamor and disputes. Its method uses small slips of paper, inscribed in sequence with characters from the Thousand Character Classic. Each number is made into three sections, written above and secured with a seal for verification. Depending on the size of the assembly, they are sealed by the funeral office and concerned parties. When the time comes, they are presented to the funeral director. The two ranks and the head seat break the seals; the guest master distributes them; the hall office postulants carry the tray and follow the attendants. The attendants cut and take half of each slip, placing them in the tray. When finished, they set the tray beside the head seat, and place a water basin below with a dipper. After the karmadāna picks up a robe and calls out the price, the head seat calls on a novice to casually draw half a slip from the tray and hand it to the head seat. The head seat inspects it to clearly see the number, and tells the hall office postulant to call out the specified number. The members of the assembly each open the half-slip they hold; whoever has the matching number responds. If one does not wish to purchase the robe or item under that number, one does not respond. If after three calls there is no response, the head seat casts that half-slip into the water basin, and again instructs a half-slip to be drawn and called out again. When someone responds, the hall office postulant goes to collect their matching half, brings it to the head seat to verify the match, and reports to the karmadāna, stating: 'Such-and-such item is auctioned to such-and-such person.' The sounding bowl is struck once. The guest master enters it on the roster; the attendant issues the tag; the offering attendant postulant hands it to the purchaser. The robes and items are put back into the chests as before, and the auction proceeds in sequence to the end. The karmadāna strikes the sounding bowl once and makes the dedication, saying: 'May the merit of the preceding robe-auction recitations be dedicated to the deceased hall head upādhyāya to elevate his spiritual rank. All Buddhas of the ten directions and the three times, and so on.' The assembly disperses, and each person presents the tag and claims the robes according to the price. For items not claimed after three days, they are sold at value. An account ledger is compiled. For the ancient method of auctioning robes, see the chapter on the Great Assembly.