勅修百丈清規 5.104

5.104

Every day after gruel, the postulant of the hall office first reports to the head seat. In front of the Sangha hall and in front of the communal dormitory, meditation-sitting placards are hung in both places to inform the assembly. He directs the offering attendant to set the incense and light the lamps inside the Sangha hall. First, strike the wooden board in front of the communal dormitory once. The great assembly returns to the hall and sits facing inwards. When they have all gathered in order, report to the prefects and strike the board a second time. Wait until entering the hall has eased slightly, then strike the board a third time. The assistant dormitory head shuts the door of the communal dormitory, and strikes the board in front of the head seat's dormitory three times. At the first stroke, he exits the door; at the second stroke, he should be halfway; at the third stroke, he enters the hall. The head seat burns incense before the sacred monk and patrols the hall, once around from the lower section to the upper section, and then goes to his bedding-place and sits. Next, report to the abbot. Strike the board of the abbot's quarters three times. The abbot enters the hall, burns incense, and patrols the hall, once around from the upper section to the lower section, returns to his position, and sits settled. After a long while, the assembly of monks may then rise in sequence to use the toilet. They must also observe the senior and junior ranks for the urgency and slowness of getting up and stopping, avoiding the appearance of consecutive individual places being left vacant. If there are those who leave their quilts in the hall and do not follow the assembly, or those who come briefly to follow the assembly but leave their kāṣāya on their bedding-place and indulge outside, all should be exposed and punished. The prefects and the great assembly all pass back and forth through the exit-and-entry board; only the front hall head seat is permitted to exit and enter before the abbot. The postulant of the hall office, waiting for the vegetarian meal's turn, reports to the head seat to release meditation; he turns and exits from the right behind the sacred monk, props open the curtain, takes down the placard, and rattles it lightly to make a sound. The abbot and the prefects exit the hall. The postulant of the hall office stands aside to the right, waiting to greet with folded hands. If at the mountain gate there are receptions, prayers, general requests, sutra reading and chanting, or escorting the deceased, or shaving the hair and washing robes in the communal dormitory, then there is no sitting in meditation, nor is there sitting for instruction. Sitting in meditation after instruction is as usual. The abbot and the head seat still patrol the hall. In the hall there is a duty-hall placard, inscribed: 'The shift on duty in the hall rotates and begins again; signed by the mountain-dweller on both sides.' According to the seniority of bedding-places, every day after the fifth-watch bell ceases, hand it over to the next person, who keeps watch all day. If anyone opens a cabinet, inserts an affiliation slip, takes down an alms bowl, or extracts a quilt, they must notify the person on duty in the hall. When the bell for releasing instruction rings, hand over custody to the sacred monk's attendant. By evening, all the monks keep to their bedding-places. The placard is handed over the next morning. In recent times, those on duty in the hall keep company in groups, distributing fruit and nuts, gathering to talk and joke, making it a common habit. This disturbs and confuses the tranquility of meditation. The abbot and head seat must strictly forbid it, and show punishment to violators.