勅修百丈清規 3.56

3.56

Whenever officials, donors, and monks from various monasteries have escorted the abbot into the monastery, etiquette requires that he pay visits of thanks. He should also pay courtesy calls on the local commandery and county government offices. If he resides in a forest monastery and travels far, he orders a postulant to convey word to notify the monastery storehouse, the head seat, and the karmadāna. If he has been away for a long time, the administrators inquire and look out for his return date, ordering the hall office to hang the board for welcoming the upādhyāya to notify the assembly. The bell is sounded, and they welcome him at the gate. The abbot sends word beforehand to dispense with this. He proceeds immediately to burn incense at the Buddha hall and the earth spirits hall. The head seat leads the assembly to the abbot's quarters to greet him with folded hands. The assembly withdraws, and the two ranks and retired officers are retained; after hot tonic is served, they disperse. The attendants and the duty postulants of the abbot's quarters insert incense and make prostrations. Next, the head postulant leads the postulants to make prostrations. When finished, the abbot must make rounds of the dormitories to return the courtesy. If the monastery is in a city or adjacent to the suburbs, where comings and goings in the morning and evening have no set time, these rites need not be carried out. Or, if he returns quietly to the abbot's quarters, the two ranks and retired officers should all go to the abbot's quarters to inquire after his health. When Upādhyāya Wuzhun resided at Mount Jingshan, his fundraising tasks entailed frequent comings and goings. Whenever he caught the time of the noon meal or morning congee, he went straight back to the Sangha hall. Having eaten alongside the assembly, the abbot's quarters guest prefect waited until the sacred monk's attendant struck the gavel for leaving the hall; as the assembly was about to step down from the platforms, he called out: "Assembly, please stand for a moment while the upādhyāya of the abbot's quarters inspects the hall." The abbot burned incense, made one circuit around the hall, and left the hall. The guest prefect called out again: "The upādhyāya conveys word that the assembly need not trouble themselves to visit him." The two ranks and retired officers should likewise go to the abbot's quarters to greet him with folded hands.