勅修百丈清規 6

English (machine translation) 6

Language: English

6.1

Recompiled by Imperial Order by the Abbot of Dazhi Shousheng Chan Monastery, the Subject Monk Dehui.

6.2

Collated by Imperial Order by the Abbot of Dalongxiang Jiqing Monastery, the Subject Monk Dasu.

After the vegetarian meal, the postulant of the hall office reports to the head seat. In front of the Sangha hall and the communal dormitory, sitting-for-instruction placards are hung respectively. Approaching dusk, incense is set and lamps are lit inside the Sangha hall. Strike the board in front of the communal dormitory: at the first stroke, the great assembly enters the hall; at the second stroke, the prefects enter in order; at the third stroke, the head seat enters (the board in front of the head seat's dormitory is not struck; however, during the grand sitting for instruction, it is struck three times). Then report to the abbot and strike the board of the abbot's quarters, the same as for sitting in meditation. In some places they do not wear the kāṣāya, which is contrary to the Dharma. The postulant of the hall office waits until the evening gruel is cooked, reports to the head seat, saying: 'Instruction is released,' turns behind the sacred monk, exits to the right, takes down the placard, and strikes the bell in front of the hall three times. The assembly, at their places, universally greets with folded hands. The abbot and the prefects exit the hall in sequence. The assembly steps down from the platform, and each pulls out half their bedding. In the past, the abbot and the prefects also returned together to the communal dormitory for the evening medicine-meal. For in ancient times, every evening they were required to seek instruction from the abbot to obtain instruction; therefore, leading the assembly, they gathered together and sat, waiting for the drum to sound before going to seek instruction, which was called 'sitting for instruction.' Because the land of Fenzhou was cold, Master Zhao abolished it, and subsequently there was the practice of 'releasing instruction.'

6.5

Grand Sitting for Instruction

6.6

Nowadays, in monastic groves where there are large assemblies, they still specially conduct evening instruction to preserve the ancient meaning; this is called the 'grand sitting for instruction.' It is the same as the regular sitting for instruction, but when the head seat enters the hall he does not burn incense, but immediately returns to his position to await the abbot entering the hall and sitting settled. The postulant of the hall office strikes the board in front of the head seat's dormitory three times. The great assembly turns their bodies to sit facing outwards. The head seat steps down to the ground, exits through the rear door, turns and enters through the front door again, burns incense before the sacred monk as usual, patrols the hall, returns to his bedding-place, and sits for a short while. If the abbot gives evening instruction, the bell in front of the hall is not struck; the guest prefect of the abbot's quarters strikes the dharma drum three times. The abbot exits the hall; the head seat leads the assembly, following him to the dharma hall or the back hall. The abbot takes his seat; the attendants, the two ranks, and the western and eastern halls each step forward from their ranks, greet with folded hands, and when the instruction is finished, the assembly disperses and returns to their dormitories for the medicine-meal. If there is no evening instruction, the postulant of the hall office advances before the head seat, greets with folded hands, and says: 'The hall head upādhyāya releases instruction this evening.' He turns behind the sacred monk, exits to the right, and directs the food-announcing postulant to stand in the center, greet with folded hands, and call out in a drawn-out voice: 'Instruction is released!' Strike the bell in front of the hall three times. The great assembly steps down to the ground and universally greets with folded hands. The head seat exits the hall first, then the abbot exits, and the prefects exit. The assembly each pulls out their full bedding and returns to the communal dormitory for the medicine-meal. When conducting this practice, one must practice one instruction and one release, so that later learners will know of it. Every day, if for some reason there is no sitting for instruction, the offering-attendant postulant pulls out half the bedding on behalf of the head seat, together with the great assembly. At evening, strike the board in front of the communal dormitory three times. The assembly exits the dormitory and returns to the hall. When the dusk bell rings (if residing in a city, wait for the drum to sound), the prefects enter the hall. The head seat waits for the bell to ring, enters, burns incense, and patrols the hall. Next, the abbot enters, burns incense, and patrols the hall. Waiting for the settling bell to ring, the abbot exits the hall, and next the prefects exit. If sitting in meditation is requested again, the abbot enters through the rear door, returns to his place, and does not patrol the hall. The prefects follow the assembly. Those who use the toilet return immediately to their bedding-places. In the depth of the night, the abbot exits. Hearing the sound of the head seat unlocking the pillow, the assembly only then lies down to rest; brothers in the Way are not bound by this. The next morning, when the three strokes of the board sound, the assembly rises. The sacred monk's attendant pulls the towel-pulley inside the hall to startle those sleeping soundly. Having risen and washed faces, the assembly has already returned to the hall. The head seat enters, burns incense, and patrols the hall. Next, the abbot enters, burns incense, and patrols the hall. When the fourth drum sounds, the abbot exits; when the bell rings, the head seat exits. Next, the prefects and the great assembly temporarily exit through the rear door, change robes and head-sleeves, use the toilet, and immediately return to guard their bedding-places. Or the head seat re-enters the hall to patrol the bedding-places. When the bell ceases and the board for releasing quiet sounds, the assembly only then folds their quilts. Only the head seat's quilt is folded by the offering attendant. The assembly each exits the hall as they please; bowing and chanting are also cultivated alongside.

6.7

Requesting Instruction

6.8

Whenever wishing to request instruction, first report to the attendant, who conveys it to the abbot: 'Elder So-and-so wishes to go to the abbot's quarters this evening to request instruction.' If the request is granted, go to the attendant's office after the settling bell. Wait until candles are lit and incense is set in the abbot's quarters; the attendant leads him in to greet with folded hands before the abbot and insert incense. He spreads [the mat] fully and makes nine prostrations, gathers the niṣīdana, advances, and says: 'Because the matter of birth and death is great and impermanence is swift, I humbly hope the upādhyāya, out of compassion and skillful means, will bestow instruction.' Standing respectfully aside, he listens attentively to the bestowed instruction. When finished, he advances, inserts incense, spreads [the mat] fully, and makes nine prostrations; this is called 'thanking for the conditions.' If excused, he makes prostrations touching the mat. Next, he goes to the attendant's office to express thanks.

6.9

Attending Vegetarian Meals and Gruel

6.10

In the early morning, upon hearing the board for releasing quiet, and later at the time of the vegetarian meal when the fire-patrol board sounds, first return to your bowl-place. When entering the hall, greet with folded hands before the sacred monk, then with palms joined return to your place. When ascending the platform, greet the neighboring place with folded hands. First, with the right hand gather the left robe-sleeve and press it under the armpit; then, with the left hand gather the right robe-sleeve. After that, press the platform with both hands, slide both shoes under the platform with your feet, first withdraw the left foot, next pull in the right foot, raise the body onto the platform about one foot towards the inside, and sit properly. Spread the kāṣāya to cover the knees; do not expose undergarments, and do not let the robes drape over the edge of the platform (detailed in Daily Standards). The places of the prior, karmadāna, duty officer, attendant, and so forth are in the upper section of the outer hall; the places of the guest master, bath master, shrine master, fundraiser, hall master, and so forth are in the lower section of the outer hall. According to ancient rules, whenever the abbot attends the hall daily, at the morning gruel he first sits outside the hall; waiting for the bell in front of the hall to ring, he then enters the hall. For the vegetarian meal, the great assembly steps down from the platform, universally greets with folded hands, and sits. In recent times, in various places, when the great bell rings, the abbot first enters the hall and sits; when the bell in front of the hall rings, he then steps down to the ground and universally greets with folded hands. Only on days ending in five and on the full and new moons is it practiced once, so new entrants to the assembly do not know where it originated. Seniors have discussed that stepping down from the platform to greet with folded hands means the various dormitories and the great assembly universally greet one another with folded hands. Judging from this, wherever there is an assembly, stepping down from the platform to greet with folded hands every morning is certainly appropriate.

6.11

Attending Tea and Soup

6.12

Whenever the abbot or the two ranks offer tea and hot water with special hospitality, the protocol is diligent and grave; it should not be treated with negligence or ease. Having accepted the invitation, one must attend according to the scheduled time. First look at the illuminated board and clearly note your seat in order to avoid fluster and confusion when the time comes. If there are those who are afflicted with illness or pressed by internal urgent needs and cannot make it in time, they should entrust a fellow attendee to inform [the host]. Only the abbot's tea and hot water cannot be excused. Those who arrogantly fail to attend may not dwell together [with the community].

6.13

Universal Invitation

6.14

The method of universal invitation is indeed for superiors and subordinates to equalize their labor. Wherever the assembly resides, if there are tasks that must rely on the assembly's collective strength to accomplish, the monastery storehouse first reports to the abbot, and then instructs a postulant to convey the message to the head seat and the karmadāna. They instruct the Sangha hall postulant to announce to the assembly and hang the universal invitation board, additionally using a small slip of paper written and pasted on the board saying: "(At such a time, in such a place)." When hearing either the wooden fish or the sound of the drum, each person holds their sleeve-binding cord, drapes it over the left arm, and hurries to the place of the universal invitation to apply their strength. Except for those guarding the dormitories, on duty in the hall, or the aged and sick, all should attend together. One should reflect upon the ancient's admonition: "A day without work is a day without food."

6.15

Standards of Daily Conduct

6.16

Chan Master Wuliangshou's preface states: To escape the dust and leave the secular world, shaving the crown and donning square robes, one generally passes through monastic groves, where it is of crucial importance to comprehend the regulations clearly. If one's conduct is unversed in the standards and one's movements do not accord with the vinaya rules and deportment, even if there are good friends and virtuous companions, how would they be willing to offer deep piercing and painful prodding? When following habits forms abuses, reform is certainly difficult, causing the monastic assemblies to become desolate and turning people's minds toward negligence. Having frequently observed the faults and perils occurring before one's eyes in ordinary times, I have collected Baizhang's established rules and models from beginning to end, from morning to evening. To avoid failing at every turn, one must directly observe and follow them one by one. Only then may one dare speak of examining oneself, clarifying the mind, and understanding birth while penetrating death. Mundane phenomena are themselves supramundane phenomena. Those who wander on pilgrimage may bequeath this to those who have not yet wandered on pilgrimage, so that they might not betray their body and mind in renouncing the household life, and also collectively repay the benevolent virtue of the buddhas and patriarchs. They are respectfully set forth below.

6.17

The method for dwelling in the assembly: when sleeping, do not precede others; when rising, do not fall behind others. Before the bell of the fifth watch strikes, gently raise your body and get up first. Place your pillow at your feet; do not yet shake it out, lest you startle the adjacent sleeping platform. Rouse your energy and sit up straight in your body. You must not fan a breeze to stir up others' thoughts. If you feel sluggishness coming on, push the quilt behind your feet, take your towel, turn around, and step down to the floor. Hang the towel over your left hand and recite the verse: / 'From dawn at the yin hour until dusk, / All sentient beings naturally preserve one another. / If under my feet any should lose body or form, / May you instantly be born in the Pure Land.' / Gently lift the curtain and go out to the rear platform. Do not drag your shoes, cough, or make noise. The ancients said: 'Lifting the curtain, you must drop your trailing hand; stepping out of the hall, strictly avoid dragging your shoes.' Gently take a basin to wash your face; the hot water should not be too much. Dip tooth powder with your right hand and wipe the left side; dip with your left hand and wipe the right side. You must not dip a second time, lest bad gums and breath be passed on to others. When rinsing the mouth, you must lower your head; spitting water, guide it downward with your hand, or spit water while keeping your waist straight, lest it splash into the neighboring bucket. You must not wash your hair; there are four disadvantages to oneself and others: first, it soils the bucket; second, it makes the towel greasy; third, it withers the hair; fourth, it harms the eyes. Do not make noise in your nose; do not spray water splashing on your face; do not vomit or retch loudly; do not soil the washbasin with saliva or snot. The ancients said: 'Washing the face at the fifth watch was originally for cultivation; vomiting and dragging shoes disrupt the hall and clamor the assembly.' When wiping the face, do not struggle over and yank the towel; do not wipe your head with the towel. When finished, hang it spread out, or dry it over a fire. Entering the upper hall, step with your left foot first; entering the lower hall, step with your right foot first. Go up to the bed space; fold the sleeping quilt in half and sit stably. If changing into a robe (zhiduo), you must cover yourself with the new one and pull away the old robe; do not expose your undergarments, and do not fan a breeze. If you wish to burn incense and bow, you should do so when the bell sounds: conceal the kāṣāya inside your sleeve, go out outside the rear door, and put it on. In ordinary circumstances, you also leave the bed space to put on the kāṣāya, join the palms, raise it to your head, and mindfully recite the verse: / 'O wonderful robe of liberation, / Formless garment of the field of merit! / I now receive it reverently upon my head; / Lifetime after lifetime, may I always wear it. / Oṃ siddhaye svāhā.' / In folding the kāṣāya, first fold where the hands rest, then unfasten the ring. Do not hold the kāṣāya in your mouth; do not catch the kāṣāya with your chin. When folded, you must also greet with folded hands before departing. When bowing in the halls, do not occupy the center so as to obstruct the arrival of the abbot. Do not chant the Buddha's name aloud; do not walk past the heads of those who are prostrating; you must walk behind them in the empty space. When the fifth watch bell strikes, mindfully recite the verse: / 'May this sound of the bell transcend the Dharma realm; / May all in the darkness of the Iron Encircling Mountains hear it. / May the three destinies be freed from suffering and the wheel of swords cease; / May all sentient beings attain right awakening.' / When the abbot and head seat are sitting in the hall, do not enter or exit through the front door. Only after the minor meditation period opens may you fold the quilt and turn over the pillow. The method of folding the quilt: first find the two corners, smooth them out forward with your hands, fold half first, and then fold the half in front of your body. Do not horizontally occupy the adjacent platform, nor shake it making noise, nor fan a breeze with the quilt. Either return to the communal dormitory to drink decoctions and medicinal tea, or walk mindfully in the tea hall, and then successively return to your bowl place, turning clockwise in accord with the upper shoulder (that is, the left shoulder). If entering through the front door, enter from the southern jamb; do not walk through the northern jamb or the center, as this honors the abbot. When the wooden fish sounds, you must not enter the hall; either have a postulant bring your bowl and sit outside the hall, or return to the communal dormitory to receive food. Entering the hall and returning to your bowl place, you must bow your head and greet the upper, middle, and lower seats with folded hands; if you are already seated and the upper, middle, or lower seats arrive, you must join your palms. The ancients said: 'Not respecting the upper, middle, and lower seats is no different from a gathering of brahmans.' Hearing the sounding of the long board after the wooden fish, bring down the bowl, raise your body, stand up straight, and only then turn your body; you must also follow the upper shoulder and join your palms before taking the bowl. Unfasten the hook with one hand and lift the bowl with the left hand; turn your body upright, squat down, and set the bowl down, avoiding bumping others with your waist or back. When the bell before the hall strikes, descend from the platform to welcome the abbot entering the hall; the whole assembly greets together with folded hands. Do not swing your hands left and right. When descending from the platform, you must step forward close and greet; do not let the kāṣāya drape over the edge of the platform; you must remain gentle and refined. When getting onto the platform, do not jerk your body; take your bowl and place it before your seat. Hearing the mallet strike, mindfully recite the verse: / 'The Buddha was born in Kapila, / Attained the Way in Magadha, / Preached the Dharma in Vārāṇasī, / And entered extinction in Kuśinagara.' / The method of unfolding the bowls: first join the palms and mindfully recite the verse: / 'The Tathāgata’s vessel corresponding to capacity, / I am now able to lay out and open. / I vow that together with all beings, / We may equally realize the emptiness and stillness of the three wheels.' / Then untie the wrapping cloth, spread the clean cloth to cover your knees, and fold the wrapping cloth into three corners, not letting it extend outside the platform. First spread the bowl mat; turn your left palm upward, take the bowl, and place it on the mat. Using the thumbs of both hands, push and take out the nested bowls, spreading them out successively from small to large; do not knock or clatter them together to make noise. Furthermore, protect the fourth and fifth fingers, which are unclean fingers, and do not use them. Fold the bowl-wiping cloth small, and place it horizontally close to your body alongside the pouch for spoons and chopsticks; when putting them in, the spoon goes first, and when taking them out, the chopsticks go first. The handle end is the pure end, oriented toward the upper shoulder. Place the bowl brush in the gap of the second nested bowl, protruding about half an inch. Offer the raw-grain portion; you must not use the spoon or chopsticks to offer the raw grain. It should not exceed seven grains; too few constitutes stinginess with food. Whenever receiving food, make the offering of raw grain; if not receiving food, you may not scoop rice from the bucket or ladle to make the offering. When the karmadāna chants the Buddha's name, join your palms; your fingers must not be uneven, and they must be positioned at an appropriate height before the chest. Do not prop your mouth with your hands. The ancients said: 'Uneven joined palms not kept before the chest, crossing both hands and thrusting them into the nose, dragging slippers and lifting curtains without heed or refinement, vomiting loudly and releasing breath to display heroism.' Holding the bowl with both hands to receive food, mindfully recite the verse: / 'When receiving food, / I vow that all sentient beings / Shall take dhyāna joy as food, / Filled with the joy of the Dharma.' / Whether receiving more or less, signal to stop with your right hand. Hearing the mallet signaling that food has been served everywhere, look toward the upper and lower shoulders, face each other, and make a bow over the food; do not face straight while waving your hands to both sides. Having bowed, engage in the five contemplations, mindfully saying: / 'First, measure the amount of labor and weigh where it came from. / Second, evaluate whether one's own virtuous conduct is complete or deficient to receive this offering. / Third, guard the mind against faults, taking greed and the like as the root. / Fourth, take it properly as good medicine to heal the withered body. / Fifth, to accomplish the karma of the Way, one should receive this food.' / Next, offering the raw grain, mindfully recite the verse: / 'O multitude of ghosts and spirits, / I now bestow this offering upon you; / May this food pervade the ten directions, / An offering to all ghosts and spirits.' / The method of eating: do not bring your mouth to the food, nor bring the food [flying] to your mouth. Picking up and putting down the bowl, spoon, and chopsticks must not make noise; do not cough; do not twitch your nose and sneeze. If you sneeze of yourself, you must cover your nose with your sleeve. Do not scratch your head, lest dandruff fall into the bowl of the adjacent platform; do not pick your teeth with your hand; do not chew rice or sip soup loudly; do not pick rice from the center of the bowl; do not take large mouthfuls of food; do not open your mouth waiting for food; do not drop food; do not hold and scatter food with your hands. If there are vegetable scraps, place them behind the bowl in a hidden spot. Do not fan a breeze at neighboring seats; if you yourself are afraid of draft, report to the karmadāna to sit outside the hall. Do not rest your hand upon your knee. Receive food according to your capacity; do not ask for it to be reduced [after taking it]. Do not put wet food into the main head bowl; do not pour soup broth into the head bowl to mix and eat rice; do not pick greens into the head bowl to mix with rice and eat. When eating, observe the upper and lower shoulders; do not be too slow. Before being offered seconds, do not brush your bowl; do not suck on the bowl brush to make noise. If food has not yet arrived, do not sit in vexation. The ancients said: 'Stupidly glancing all around, giving rise to sorrow and anger; craving food and swallowing saliva, coughing repeatedly; scooping gruel and slurping soup, stuffing the mouth full; opening the platform and spreading the bowls, making noise to all the neighbors.' Washing the bowl, fill the head bowl with water and wash the nested bowls in succession; do not wash the spoon, chopsticks, and nested bowls inside the head bowl. Still bend your fourth and fifth fingers; do not make noise rinsing your mouth; do not spit water into the bowl; do not first wash the bowl with hot water before emptying the bowl water; do not first take back the knee-covering cloth; do not wipe sweat with the knee cloth; do not drip leftover water on the floor. Emptying the water, mindfully recite the verse: / 'This bowl-washing water of mine / Is like the taste of heavenly amṛta; / I bestow it upon the ghosts and spirits, / May all obtain full satisfaction. / Oṃ mahurāsye svāhā.' / In packing the bowls, use the thumbs of both hands to press and hold them steadily, nesting them in succession; when finished nesting, join the palms and, having finished eating, mindfully recite the verse: / 'Having finished eating the meal, physical strength is abundant; / Awe shakes the ten directions, a hero of the three periods of time. / Turning causes and shifting effects without lingering thought, / May all sentient beings attain supernatural powers.' / When the board before the dormitory sounds, return to the dormitory; if you bow without returning to your place, it is considered disrespecting the assembly. Entering the door and returning to your place is like the rule of the Sangha hall: stand firmly and await the dormitory host to finish burning incense, then bow to the upper and lower [ranks]. If tea is served, take your seat and do not let your robes hang down; do not gather heads and laugh or talk; do not bow to people with a single hand; do not hide away tea powder. The ancients said: 'Ascending the platform to sit at ease, do not let your robes hang down; bowing to someone with a single hand, what sense does that make? Privately hoarding tea powder draws laughter from bystanders; constantly avoid putting heads together and whispering in the ears of the practitioner at the neighboring desk.' When tea is over, you may read scriptures; do not spread the scripture out long (meaning three folds); do not walk in the dormitory holding scriptures in your hand; do not let the scripture ribbons dangle; do not make noise; do not read scriptures leaning your back against the headboard. The ancients said: 'Reciting aloud disturbs the crowd; leaning your back against the headboard disdains the great assembly.' You must leave the dormitory in advance; do not wait until the meditation board is struck. When undressing, by ancient precedent wear the five-strip robe (that is, the guasuo); hang a clean towel over the left hand; untie the sash and tie it to the drying pole. Take off the five-strip robe and zhiduo neatly, tying them secure with a towel to serve as a marker. Do not laugh or talk; do not urge others from outside. Carry water in the right hand into the latrine; when changing shoes, do not place them unevenly. Set the clean bucket in front; snap your fingers three times to warn the excrement-eating spirits. Squat down straight; do not strain and make noise; do not spit or blow your nose; do not converse with anyone across the wall. The ancients said: 'When the door is latched, one should only gently snap fingers; when people are crowded, how can one make noise recklessly? Entering the latrine, use wiping chips to distinguish the unclean from the clean; when exiting, taking off slippers, strictly avoid placing them haphazardly.' Do not splash water on both sides; use the left hand to cleanse, protecting the thumb, second, and third fingers; do not use too many wiping chips. The ancients said: 'Use little bath water, and do not casually pick up wiping chips.' If there are reusable ones, wash them with water after use and place them in the empty space beside the latrine. If there are many people, it obstructs the assembly; it is not suitable to take long. Place the clean bucket in its original place; with dry hands, tuck in your inner garments and put on your trousers; with dry hands, open the door; carry the bucket out with your left hand. Do not grasp the door panel or jamb with wet hands. Use your right hand to scoop ashes, then scoop earth; do not grasp ashes and earth with wet hands; do not spit saliva to make mud. Wash hands, and then use soap beans; wash up to before the elbows, and recite the dhāraṇī for each step. According to the Garland Sūtra in the Great Canon: 'If one who uses the privy does not recite these dhāraṇīs, even if washed with ten Gaṅgā rivers of water down to the Vajra limit, one cannot become clean; entering halls to gaze upon and worship [the Buddha] will be entirely without benefit.' It is earnestly advised to uphold them, reciting each seven times, and thus spirits and deities will constantly fold their hands and protect you. Entering the latrine: 'Oṃ kurudhāya svāhā.' Cleansing: 'Oṃ hāna-mṛtye svāhā.' Cleansing hands: 'Oṃ cugāraya svāhā.' Cleansing the body: 'Oṃ śrīye sahye svāhā.' Removing filth: 'Oṃ vajra-nakha-caṭa svāhā.' Finally, rinse the mouth with water; according to the vinaya, one must also wash clean after urinating, and chew a willow branch before returning to the hall to sit in meditation. Before the fire board strikes, do not return to the dormitory early. Do not wash clothes before the noon meal; before gruel, before the noon meal, and after the release of consultation, do not open chests or cabinets. If there is an urgent matter, inform the administrator; in the dormitory, inform the dormitory host; in the Sangha hall, inform the attendant to the Sacred Monk. After the meal, do not gather heads and chat in the Sangha hall; do not read scriptures or booklets in the Sangha hall; do not cross straight through the hall walking between the upper and lower sections; do not string coins upon the mat; do not sit on the platform with legs dangling down. The one foot in front of the bed serves as the three pure heads: first, for unfolding the bowl; second, for placing the kāṣāya; third, the direction toward which the head faces. Do not walk on the bed; do not kneel to open chests or cabinets; do not step on the bed rail to step down to the floor. Wearing straw sandals and the five-strip robe when roaming the mountains, do not walk through the Buddha hall or Dharma hall. The ancients said: 'Wearing open robes when entering the privy, or straw sandals when roaming the mountains, do not tread into the Dharma hall, and yield to elders.' Do not wear monastic shoes with bare feet; do not walk hand-in-hand discussing worldly right and wrong. The ancients said: 'Bidding farewell to both parents and leaving one's original master, what was the intention in seeking out spiritual friends? If one never speaks of the matter of the ancestral school, who is to blame when white-headed and accomplishing nothing?' Do not lean against the railings in the halls; do not dash and run frantically. The ancients said: 'Walking, one must step slowly, modeling oneself on the deportment of Aśvajit; speaking, one must lower one's voice, learning the standards of Upāli.' Do not wander idly in the Buddha hall. The ancients said: 'Without business, one must not ascend the Buddha hall; casually, do not walk into the stūpa; unless sweeping the ground or adding incense and water, even if one possessed blessings as numerous as the sands of the river, they would be spilled.' Washing clothes after the noon meal, do not expose yourself; do not pour a pitcher of hot water to soak clothes; having used bamboo poles and irons, return them to their original places. When the foot-washing board strikes, do not scramble for the foot bucket; those with sores or scabies should wash afterward, or wash in a secluded spot, each exercising accommodation to avoid stirring up thoughts in the assembly. Do not wait for the board to strike: return in succession to the hall, and after sitting in consultation, each monk steps halfway off the platform onto the floor to deliver the great release from consultation. When the board before the head seat's dormitory sounds, immediately turn outward; you must promptly proceed to the hall; after the board sounds, you may not enter the hall, nor stand outside the hall. When the abbot and head seat leave the hall, step off the platform, greet with folded hands, and return to the dormitory. For the evening medicine-stone meal, each goes to their designated desk place; do not rise first to take food; do not shout loudly demanding gruel, rice, salt, vinegar, or the like. After eating, leave the dormitory; do not go out through the triple gate; do not enter minor dormitories; do not return to the Sangha hall or walk in the corridors with clothes disheveled; do not wait for the striking of the board before leaving the dormitory. When the dusk bell sounds, immediately join palms and silently recite the verse: / 'Hearing the sound of the bell, afflictions become light; / Wisdom grows, and bodhi is born; / Leaving hell, departing the pit of fire; / Vowing to become a Buddha and deliver sentient beings.' / You must first return to your unit space to sit in meditation; do not scratch your head upon the platform; do not fiddle with rosary beads making noise on the platform; do not converse with the adjacent platform. If the adjacent platform is a stranger, guide them with kind words; do not harbor aversion in your heart. After the stillness-fixing bell is struck, do not enter or exit through the front door. Wait until the head seat unfolds the pillow, and only then may those who are drowsy and weary go to sleep. Sleeping must be on the right side; do not lie on your back. Lying on the back is corpse-sleeping; lying face down is prone sleeping, which brings many bad dreams. Wrap your kāṣāya in the quilt cover and place it in front of the pillow; modern people often place it behind their feet, which is inappropriate in principle. When the bath opens, carry the bath utensils in your right hand; enter through the lower door, bow, go to an empty space, and bow to the persons on your left and right. First, hang the five-strip robe and towel on the drying pole; spread the bath cloth, take out the bath utensils, place them to one side, and unfasten your upper clothes. Before removing the zhiduo, first take off the lower skirt and trousers; wrap the body with the foot cloth, and only then tie the bath apron; roll up and fold the trousers, placing them inside the cloth. Next, remove the zhiduo and put it together with the five-strip robe, tying them with a towel. The ancients said: 'When the three rolls of the drum sound and one enters the hall, the unclean and clean must be distinguished between upper and lower garments.' Wrapping the removed clothes into a bundle and turning it over, only then change into slippers; do not enter the bath barefoot. You must wait your turn to bathe in the empty area in the lower section; do not occupy the seats of the prefects and senior elders (meaning the upper section). Do not splash hot water onto other people's bodies; do not soak your feet in the bucket; do not urinate in the room; do not rest your feet on the bucket; do not laugh and talk; do not scrub your feet over the tub; do not bail water; do not stand up to pour the bucket over your body. If there are people in front or behind, you must cover yourself; the foot cloth must not leave your body. Those whose feet do not go into the bucket must not use too much hot water. If someone has sores, or is washing moxibustion sores, or using scabies ointment, they should enter the bath later and not push ahead. Do not use the communal towels on both sides to wipe your head or face; the communal towels are for wiping hands clean after putting on clothing, in order to wear the five-strip robe. Coming out of the bath, bow to those on your left and right; ascend the platform, face the wall, and sit for a moment. First put on the upper garment and zhiduo; having covered everything, step down to the floor, and then put on your lower skirt. Untie the bath apron, folding it inside the foot cloth, lest it wet the bath bundle. Carrying the towel in your left hand, bow to left and right, and exit. Look at the names of the donors providing the bath, and casually recite scriptures and dhāraṇīs to dedicate the merit. During the cold months, when warming by the fire, first sit upon the hearth ring, and then turn your body to sit upright; bow to the upper and lower shoulders. Do not fiddle with the incense spoon or fire tongs; do not poke the fire to scatter ashes; do not put heads together to speak; do not roast snacks or other items; do not toast shoes, dry sandals, or bake clothes; do not hike up the zhiduo to expose the trouser openings; do not spit saliva or flick grime and dirt into the fire. The deportments among the assembly for daily affairs collected above are by no means dared to be proclaimed to the seasoned and mature, but are merely to instruct beginners. Ascending the hall, entering the abbot's room, minor consultations, chanting scriptures, recitations, inspecting the dormitories, opening and closing retreats, personal etiquette, packing bundles, donning bamboo hats, conducting funerals, and auctioning robes—all such subtle and detailed regulations are already fully contained in the pure rules, and the venerable elders each have their explicit writings; repeating them in detail would merely be superfluous words.

6.18

Text of the Tortoise Mirror

6.19

Composed by Master Cijue, the venerable Ze. Now, two cassia trees cast their shade, and a single flower displayed its auspiciousness. From then on, the establishment of monastic groves was essentially and fundamentally for the assembly of monks. Therefore: to instruct the assembly of monks, there is the elder; to serve as an exemplar for the assembly of monks, there is the head seat; to bear responsibility for the assembly of monks, there is the prior; to harmonize the assembly of monks, there is the karmadāna; to make offerings of food to the assembly of monks, there is the chief cook; to manage labor for the assembly of monks, there is the director of affairs; to handle revenues and expenditures for the assembly of monks, there is the storehouse head; to manage correspondence for the assembly of monks, there is the secretary; to guard the sacred teachings for the assembly of monks, there is the keeper of the canon; to welcome and attend to donors for the assembly of monks, there is the guest master; to convey invitations for the assembly of monks, there is the attendant; to guard the robes and bowls for the assembly of monks, there is the dormitory host; to serve decoctions and medicines for the assembly of monks, there is the infirmary head; to wash and launder for the assembly of monks, there are the bath master and water master; to ward off cold for the assembly of monks, there are the charcoal head and stove head; to solicit alms for the assembly of monks, there are the city district fundraisers; to perform heavy manual labor for the assembly of monks, there are the garden head, mill head, and manor prefects; to sweep and clean for the assembly of monks, there is the latrine head; to serve and attend upon the assembly of monks, there are the pure men. Therefore, the conditions for practicing the Way are provided in full from the ten directions; the requisites for supporting the body are completely ready in a hundred varieties. Having no worries about worldly affairs, they devote their minds solely to the Way. Among worldly nobility and transcendent leisure, the assembly of monks is foremost in pure non-action. Reflecting upon the strength of so many people, how could one not recognize kindness and repay kindness? Attending morning consultations and evening instructions without squandering an inch of time: this is how one repays the elder. Senior and junior being in proper order, and deportment being composed and dignified: this is how one repays the head seat. Externally complying with the monastic regulations and internally adhering to the monastic code: this is how one repays the prior. Dwelling together in the six harmonies, blending like milk and water: this is how one repays the karmadāna. Receiving this meal in order to accomplish the practice of the Way: this is how one repays the chief cook. Staying quietly in the monks' quarters and cherishing the common utensils: this is how one repays the director of affairs. Not violating a single hair of the permanent property: this is how one repays the storehouse head. Not taking up the brush with one's hands, as if saving one's head from burning: this is how one repays the secretary. With bright windows and clean desks, illuminating one's mind with the ancient teachings: this is how one repays the keeper of the canon. Concealing one's light and hiding one's traces, without engaging in worldly socializing: this is how one repays the guest master. Having a fixed place of residence and always being the first to arrive when summoned: this is how one repays the attendant. With a single water jar and a single bowl, residing among the assembly as steadfast as a mountain: this is how one repays the dormitory host. Calming one's mind during the pains of sickness and taking gruel and medicine as appropriate: this is how one repays the infirmary head. Being gentle, unhurried, and quiet, without losing sight of the karmic causes of water: this is how one repays the bath master and water master. Holding one's tongue with hands folded, withdrawing oneself and deferring to others: this is how one repays the charcoal head and stove head. Considering one's own virtuous conduct, whether complete or deficient, to receive offerings: this is how one repays the city district fundraisers. Calculating the amount of labor and measuring where it comes from: this is how one repays the garden head, mill head, and manor prefects. Dipping water and wielding tally chips with shame and remorse: this is how one repays the latrine head. Being lenient and easy to follow, simple and easy to serve: this is how one repays the pure men. Thus, within a monastic grove, the practice of the Way is ever renewed; individuals of superior capacity accomplish liberation within a single lifetime; those of middling ability nurture the holy embryo; and as for those who have not yet awakened to the source of the mind, their time is also not wasted in vain. They are the true Sangha jewel and fields of merit for the world; in the short term, they serve as bridges in this degenerate age, and ultimately they attain the supreme fruit of the two adornments. If the monastic grove is uncultivated and the wheel of Dharma does not turn, that is not how an elder serves the assembly. If the three karmas are not harmonized and the four postures are not solemn, that is not how a head seat leads the assembly. If the capacity to accommodate the assembly is not broad and the mind of loving the assembly is not generous, that is not how a prior protects the assembly. If practitioners find no peace and those who disrupt the community are not expelled, that is not how a karmadāna brings joy to the assembly. If the six flavors are not refined and the three virtues are not provided, that is not how a chief cook serves the assembly. If dormitories and cottages are not repaired and utensils are not provided, that is not how a director of affairs settles the assembly. If one hoards the permanent property and cheats or deprives the assembly of monks, that is not how a storehouse head supplies the assembly. If writings and letters are unskilful and texts are sloppy, that is not how a secretary embellishes the assembly. If desks are disordered and noisy disturbances do not cease, that is not how a keeper of the canon serves the assembly. If one despises the poor and loves the rich, valuing the laity and disdaining the monks, that is not how a guest master assists the assembly. If etiquette is disrespectful and proper order between seniors and juniors is lost, that is not how an attendant summons the assembly. If packing and cleaning are not diligent and guarding is not careful, that is not how a dormitory host houses the assembly. If one is unskilled in serving and disturbs sick persons, that is not how an infirmary head cares for the assembly. If hot water is insufficient and cold and warmth are not regulated properly, that is not how a bath master and water master wash the assembly. If preparations are not made in advance, causing distress to everyone's minds, that is not how a stove head and charcoal head warm the assembly. If one is unfair in handling wealth and does not exert oneself fully, that is not how city district fundraisers make offerings to the assembly. If land yields unused resources and men do not work to full capacity, that is not how a garden head, mill head, and manor prefects labor on behalf of the assembly. If one is lazy in cleaning up so that conditions are incomplete, that is not how a latrine head serves the assembly. If prohibitions cannot restrain them and orders are not carried out, that is not how pure men obey the assembly. If the assembly of monks disdains the master, shows disrespect to the Dharma, and acts willfully according to personal inclinations, that is not how they repay the elder. If their sitting and lying are irregular and their deportment is perverse, that is not how they repay the head seat. If their minds disdain the king's law and disregard the monastic grove, that is not how they repay the prior. If superiors and inferiors are discordant and disputations are persistent, that is not how they repay the karmadāna. If they are greedy for fine food and revile coarse meals, that is not how they repay the chief cook. If they enjoy their living accommodations without thought for those who come after, that is not how they repay the director of affairs. If they are greedy for gain and offerings without sparing thought for the permanent property, that is not how they repay the storehouse head. If they occupy themselves with brush and inkstone and indulge in literary writing, that is not how they repay the secretary. If they treat the golden scriptures with disrespect and casually search through non-Buddhist books, that is not how they repay the keeper of the canon. If they flatter laypeople and consort with the nobility, that is not how they repay the guest master. If they forget summonses and invitations and keep the monastic assembly waiting long, that is not how they repay the attendant. If they judge others by themselves, hiding things sloppily and thereby encouraging theft, that is not how they repay the dormitory host. If they have much anger and little joy, failing to comply with the circumstances of illness, that is not how they repay the infirmary head. If buckets and ladles make loud noises and water is used without restraint, that is not how they repay the bath master and water master. If they seek only warmth for their own bodies to the detriment of the assembly, that is not how they repay the stove head and charcoal head. If they do not think of cultivating practice and complacently receive offerings, that is not how they repay the city district fundraisers. If they eat their fill all day long without applying their minds to anything, that is not how they repay the garden head, mill head, and manor prefects. If they spit on the walls and litter the latrines, that is not how they repay the latrine head. If they only care about outward prestige and have never offered good instruction, that is not how they repay the pure men. Now, a whirlwind turning a thousand times still leaves places untouched; one need only discard shortcomings and follow merits to jointly accomplish the work of leaving home. We hope that within the lion's den, all will become lions; beneath the sandalwood grove, it will be purely sandalwood; causing this assembly at Vulture Peak to be seen once again in the five hundred years that follow. Thus, the flourishing or decline of the Dharma-gate depends on the assembly of monks. Monks are the field of merit and should be revered and honoured. When monks are honored, the Dharma is honored; when monks are disdained, the Dharma is disdained. When internal protection is strict, external protection will surely be careful. Even if the host of porridge and rice temporarily exercises governance, and the officers of the monastic grove occasionally hold power, they should always treat their fellow robes with respect and must not arrogantly aggrandize themselves. If one is arrogant and haughty, taking private vengeance through public power—all conditioned things are impermanent; how could one preserve this forever? When one day one returns to the ranks of the assembly, with what face will they meet one another? Cause and effect do not err, and it will be difficult to escape. Monks are sons of the Buddha, and their worthiness to receive offerings is no different [from his]; both heaven and the human realm revere them. The two daily meals of porridge and rice ought by rights to be refined and abundant; the requisites of the four provisions must not be allowed to run short. The World-Honoured One's legacy of two thousand years shelters his sons and grandsons; a single fraction of the merit from the curl of white hair between his brows can never be exhausted in use. Simply know to serve the assembly; do not worry about poverty. Monks are neither ordinary nor holy, but congregate from the ten directions. Since it is called an open monastic residence, all have a share in it; how could one give rise to false distinctions and lightly show aversion to visiting monks? In the passing-the-night dormitory, they may stay provisionally for three days, received and served with utmost propriety. Before the Sangha hall, when they temporarily seek food, make offerings with an equal mind. If lay guests are still looked after, how could a monk's home bear not to welcome [fellow monks]? If one has no limiting mind, one will naturally possess boundless blessings. The gate of monks being harmonious, superiors and inferiors of one mind, having mutual shortcomings and strengths, they should cover for one another. Do not let family ugliness be heard outside. Although it may cause no real harm to matters, it ultimately diminishes people's reverence. For example, the worms inside a lion's body eat the meat of the lion's body; it is not something that heavenly demons and non-Buddhists can destroy. If you wish that the style of the Way not decline,

First 19 of 50 passages. Read on

Translations (1)

The Baizhang Zen Monastic Regulations — Shohei Ichimura 2006, English

Linked texts (1)

勅修百丈清規 — Classical Chinese