勅修百丈清規 5.73

5.73

When the hall office receives the announcement notice from the attendant office, it immediately orders the postulant to invite the newly arrived monks to tea. Each carries his ordination certificate in his bosom. The travel leader prepares a small incense case in advance, ready for use upon entering the hall. He leads the assembly to the hall office facing [the karmadāna], makes one prostration touching the mat, and inquires about the cold and warm. After entering their seats and receiving tea, they rise and report, "We have just received the compassionate directive of the abbot's quarters, instructing us to rely upon your presence; we humbly pray you will evaluate and register us." The karmadāna replies, "It is great fortune; we are glad to guard the quietness together." The travel leader and the assembly each take out their ordination certificates and hand them to the karmadāna, again making one prostration facing him touching the mat. One by one, [the karmadāna] records them in the platform register, finishes, and returns them, retaining only the travel leader's ordination certificate. The postulant calls out, "Please, head seats, enter the hall for hospitality." The travel leader leads the assembly to enter the hall through the right side of the front door, standing in line before the sacred monk. The travel leader burns incense, and together with the assembly makes three grand unfoldings of the mat and prostrations. They circumambulate the hall once, from the upper hall to the lower hall, and stand in line and greet with folded hands as before. Stepping first from the end of the line, they withdraw and stand at the edge of the sacred monk's platform. The karmadāna enters the hall, burns incense, and stands in the upper bay. The hall office postulant uses a tray with a cloth wrapper to support the ordination certificates, and the karmadāna returns them. The travel leader and the assembly face him and make one prostration touching the mat. The travel leader sees the karmadāna out (before the midday meal, via the rear door; after the midday meal, via the front door), but the travel leader does not step beyond the threshold. The karmadāna issues the announcement notices for the various dormitories (the form appears below). The postulant leads them to the communal dormitory and strikes the inner board three times. The dormitory host receives them, and upon entering the doorway they face each other and make one prostration touching the mat. After exchanging pleasantries about the cold and warm, they sit apart and empty cups are offered. They immediately rise before the incense burner, greet with folded hands, and after thanking him, say, "We have just received the compassionate directive of the karmadāna, instructing us to return to your esteemed dormitory to rely upon your presence; we dare hope for your compassion." The dormitory host says, "Your coming is great fortune; let us be glad to guard the quietness together." Each then makes one prostration touching the mat. The newly accommodated monks move to the east side, the dormitory host moves to the west side, and they make another prostration touching the mat. The dormitory host leads the accommodated monks to line up, greet toward Avalokiteśvara with folded hands, leads them around the desks once, and again they greet toward Avalokiteśvara with folded hands and withdraw; he does not need to see them out. The postulant leads them to see the dormitory head, and facing him they make one prostration touching the mat, saying, "On this day, we respectfully hope that the seat head Chan master's health and daily life are blessed with abundant fortune. Having just received the compassionate directive of the abbot's quarters instructing us to rely upon your presence, we dare hope you will bestow compassion; our humble feelings cannot bear the height of gratitude." Next, they proceed to the dormitories of the various prefects and the monastery storehouse, facing each with one prostration touching the mat, and after exchanging pleasantries about the cold and warm, they are seen out. Nowadays, many do not receive them in person but merely relay messages, or some say that only at the head seat's quarters should there be prostrations, all of which is contrary to the rules; for when thanks are offered for hospitality, both ranks return the courtesy and generally make reciprocal prostrations.