勅修百丈清規 3.39

3.39

In ancient times, when an imperial decree to open the hall came down, an official was either dispatched to urge and invite, or an envoy from a ministry, or a commandery or prefecture sent gifts and ceremonially invited [the master] to a certain monastery; or the monastery itself was given funds by officials to provide a meal and open the hall. Each official had his own invitation missive and notices for tea, soup, and so forth, as seen in the collected writings of famous personages. In recent times, opening the hall is mostly provided by each monastery itself. When the time comes, the attendant for entering the monastery instructs the postulants to set up the dharma seat, and notifies the assembly by hanging the board for ascending the hall, fully writing the names and titles of officials and those of other mountains. He presents it beforehand to the abbot. To the left of the seat, a place is arranged, with a table cloth, incense burner, and candles spread out, and the missives and placards lined up. He confers in advance with the karmadāna to proclaim the official documents, with the head seat to proclaim the monastery's missive, and with the lower-ranking prefects or prominent guests from other mountains and the broader monastic community to proclaim the remaining missives, and invites in advance one person from another mountain to strike the mallet. Before the seat, facing it, the places for the officials are arranged. The attendant notifies the abbot's quarters. The drum is struck, and the assembly gathers. The attendant, together with the special envoy, enters to invite the abbot out, escorted and led by cymbals, banners, flowers, and carrying lanterns. He stands before his place in the dharma hall. If he did not take up his robe when he accepted the invitation, he should now speak dharma words. After donning the robe, the special envoy steps forward, inserts incense, and performs the ritual. In the first opening [of the mat], he says: 'Today, we are humbly blessed that the upādhyāya has already taken possession of the dharma seat; our humble sentiments cannot bear our supreme gratitude.' In the second opening, after inquiring after his health, he makes three prostrations touching the mat. The abbot returns one prostration. [The envoy] first presents the official documents, and after [the abbot] has spoken dharma words, they are handed to the karmadāna to proclaim aloud. Next, the missives of the monastery, other mountains, and the broader monastic community are handed up one by one with dharma words, and distributed to be proclaimed and read. If an incumbent official who requested the opening of the hall has a missive, he personally presents it, and after dharma words are spoken, it is proclaimed. [The abbot] points to the dharma seat with dharma words, ascends the seat, and offers incense to felicitate the emperor. Next, he offers incense for the Imperial Preceptor, the Secretarial Council, the Bureau of Buddhist and Tibetan Affairs, the Censorate, and the civil and military officials of the commanderies and prefectures. The attendant hands him the incense sticks one by one. Only the incense for his Dharma transmission does the abbot take out from his bosom and insert into the burner himself. He gathers his robes and sits cross-legged. The attendant burns incense, descends from the seat, and greets with folded hands. When the two ranks have stepped out from their rows and greeted with folded hands, the attendant ascends the seat again, burns incense, and greets with folded hands, the ritual being the same as for ascending the hall on the new moon and full moon. The abbots of other mountains who escorted him into the monastery also step forward and greet with folded hands. The abbot should have the attendant invite the officials to be seated. The senior person from another mountain steps forward to strike the mallet; striking the mallet once, he says: 'Assembly of dragons and elephants at the dharma banquet, contemplate the foremost truth!' The abbot delivers his discourse, engages in questions and answers, summarizes the essential teachings, and expresses thanks to the officials and those from other mountains, saying: 'Today's opening of the hall is solely for felicitating the emperor; I dare not use many words to discourse at length.' The special envoy, the two ranks, and the retired officers are briefly mentioned; a detailed discourse is reserved for the small convocation. Concluding the session, the person who strikes the mallet strikes it once again and proclaims: 'Clearly contemplate the Dharma of the Dharma King; the Dharma of the Dharma King is like this!' Descending from the seat, [the abbot] first receives the congratulations of the officials. The administrators receive and escort them to the guest quarters. The guest prefect postulant immediately brings forward the incense burner and candles, lining them up in a row before the seat. The special envoy inserts incense, makes two open-mat prostrations, and three bows. The hall office postulant calls out: 'Greetings from other mountains!' Next he calls out: 'Greetings from the west hall!' After open-mat rituals, he calls out: 'Greetings from the administrators!' with two open-mat prostrations and three bows. He calls out again: 'Greetings from the head seat and the great assembly!' The retired officers, the infirmary hall, former officers, and the various dormitories insert incense together, and together with the assembly make two open-mat prostrations and three bows. When those from the manors, storehouse, hermitages, and stupas, Dharma relatives, fellow provincials, and temporary visitors have completed their open-mat congratulations, [the abbot] takes his seat. The attendants and disciple novices insert incense and make three prostrations with fully spread mat. Next, the office postulants insert incense and bow. Next, the chief postulant leads the assembly of postulants to insert incense and bow. Next, the hall attendants, sedan-chair bearers, manor heads, foremen, veteran workers, and servants pay their respects. When finished, the abbot immediately goes to the guest quarters to express thanks to the officials and those from other mountains. Subsequently, he makes the rounds of the dormitories. The various dormitories should arrange incense tables, burners, candles, and seating, each maintaining proper decorum, waiting outside the dormitory for the abbot to arrive. The dormitory host first stands at the lower position before the door, welcomes him in, invites him to sit cross-legged, and inserts incense. The abbot returns the incense, briefly inquires after his health, expresses thanks, and is escorted out. The infirmary hall, former officers, and communal dormitory all line up at the lower position outside the doors, welcoming and escorting him together.