勅修百丈清規 6.10

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.