勅修百丈清規 3.128

3.128

When the funeral matters are concluded, the funeral director requests an attendant or capable officer to serve as a special envoy, to travel in different directions and deliver the bequest letters to various monasteries, Dharma-kin, patrons, and government officials. Because the envoy must exchange words in meeting with venerable elders, an able person must be chosen to serve as special envoy. Arriving at the other monastery, the envoy first goes to the guest office to meet. The guest master leads him to meet the attendant office. A cloth wrapper is prepared in advance to hold the letters and articles. The attendant goes to the abbot's quarters to announce the visit. The abbot should immediately receive him and order the two ranks to be invited to open the letter together. The special envoy steps forward, greets with folded hands, and says: 'I invite the upādhyāya to sit cross-legged.' If the abbot delivers an opening statement, the envoy must exchange words, insert incense, and perform prostrations. If the abbot declines, the envoy makes prostrations touching the mat and exchanges ordinary greetings. After burning incense and taking tea, when the two ranks arrive, the special envoy rises before the brazier to thank him for the tea. He inserts another large piece of incense, performs prostrations, and reports: 'The upādhyāya of such-and-such place entered quiescence on such-and-such month and day; he instructed me to deliver his bequest letter and bequest articles.' He then presents the letters and articles. The abbot says: 'The Dharma gate has suffered decline; I cannot bear my sorrow.' The two ranks enter and greet with folded hands. The head seat divides positions and takes his seat. The special envoy sits facing the abbot, stepped back by one seat. When the tea is finished and they rise, the abbot announces: 'An unfortunate event has befallen the Dharma gate: the upādhyāya of such-and-such place has entered quiescence; I cannot bear my sorrow.' The attendant prepares letter scissors and a tray for the letter and articles. The attendant hands the letter to the abbot, who receives it, purifies it over the brazier, and hands it to the attendant, who delivers it to the karmadāna. A postulant hands the scissors, and the letter is unsealed and read aloud. The attendant bows to invite the special envoy to take the seat opposite the abbot (the west hall temporarily shifts down a seat to yield to the guest). The attendant burns incense and serves decoctions, and escorts the special envoy back to his lodging. First the abbot greets with folded hands, then the attendants and the two ranks greet with folded hands. The guest master leads him to make the rounds of the dormitories: first the storehouse, then the prefects' quarters, the infirmary hall, and the four dormitories. The attendant announces an invitation for a special decoction. After the decoction, the evening medicine stone is taken. In the evening, decoctions and fruits are served. If a bequest letter from a major monastery arrives, the two ranks accompany the guest; the senior members of the two ranks, the karmadāna, and the attendants accompany him. The secretary is requested to compose a funeral eulogy; the abbot's quarters eulogy is either composed by the abbot himself, or prepared by traveling Dharma-kin officers, all of whom should prepare incense and make memorial offerings. The attendant oversees each detail. The next morning, the abbot's quarters serves tea. In the lower bay of the dharma hall, a spirit table is set up and offerings are arranged. The attendant announces the ascent to the hall; the postulant announces it to the assembly and hangs the ascent placard. Below the seat, a covered table is prepared to hold the letters and articles. To the left of the seat, the abbot's place is arranged. The drum is beaten and the assembly gathers. The abbot comes out and stands before the lower position of the dharma seat. When the drum ceases, he approaches the incense table. The guest master leads the special envoy. The envoy performs the ritual before the abbot and inserts incense. At the first unfolding of the mat, he says: 'I respectfully present the bequeathed calligraphy, gazing up with utmost trepidation toward your venerable compassion.' At the second unfolding of the mat, he says: 'At this season and time, I respectfully consider the venerable health and daily life of the hall head upādhyāya to be endowed with great fortune.' Making three prostrations touching the mat, he presents the bequest letter. The abbot receives the letter, purifies it over the brazier, hands it to the attendant, and passes it to the karmadāna to read aloud. When the special envoy finishes greeting the abbot with folded hands, he stands behind the guest master's row. The abbot ascends the seat, then descends and approaches the spirit table, offers incense, serves decoctions, makes memorial offerings, serves tea, and prostrates. The special envoy bows in return to the right of the seat. The karmadāna steps out of the row to bow to the abbot. The incense-burning attendant holds the incense box. After the two ranks finish offering incense, the abbot and two ranks perform prostrations, and the karmadāna proclaims the eulogy. The abbot prostrates again, and the special envoy bows in return. They intone the Śūraṅgama Mantra, dedicating the merit: 'May the merit of the scriptures respectfully recited above be dedicated to the upādhyāya of such-and-such place to elevate his spiritual rank. All Buddhas of the ten directions and the three times, and so on.' The two ranks, four dormitories, traveling officers, and fellow-countrymen all offer sacrifices, and the special envoy bows in return. For the disciples and officers among the Dharma-kin below, the special envoy does not bow in return. When finished, they intone the Great Compassion Dhāraṇī and dedicate the merit. The special envoy steps before the spirit table, unrolls his mat twice and performs three bows to thank the abbot; if declined, he touches the mat in prostration, and then makes the rounds of the dormitories to offer thanks. Afterward, the monastery entertains the special envoy, inviting the two ranks to accompany him. If he was a former abbot of this monastery, his tablet is simultaneously installed in the Patriarchs' Hall. After scriptures are chanted, the tablet is immediately escorted. At the Patriarchs' Hall, the abbot burns incense, installs the tablet, and delivers Dharma words. Once installed, the special envoy bows in thanks to the abbot. If it is the current abbot who is installed in the Patriarchs' Hall, the bones are enshrined in the living quarters with scripture chanting for three days, awaiting the new abbot's arrival before entering the Patriarchs' Hall. If there are no bequest letters or bequest articles given to the current abbot, and his disciples themselves come to install the tablet in the Patriarchs' Hall: upon first arriving at the monastery, they meet the attendant, who leads them to see the abbot; they insert incense, prostrate, exchange greetings, burn incense, drink tea, rise, and state their intention. When finished, they are escorted to their lodging. Next, they visit the prefects, the storehouse, the individual dormitories, the infirmary hall, and various places to exchange greetings, decide on a date, prepare offerings, distribute monetary gifts, make offerings in the dharma hall, chant scriptures, and install the tablet in the Patriarchs' Hall, where the abbot delivers Dharma words, with etiquette identical to the preceding.