勅修百丈清規 7.109

7.109

When the chanting is concluded, the ritual is observed in the Sangha hall. After the midday meal is dismissed, the prior prepares the hot tonic notice in advance (see below). He immediately orders the guest prefect postulant to prepare the tray, cloth, censer, and candles, and go before the front hall head seat. Inserting incense and making one prostration touching the mat, he announces: 'This evening in the cloud hall, hot tonic will be served as special hospitality for the head seat and the great community; we humbly look to your compassion specially to grace us with your presence.' He presents the notice to the head seat. The head seat then orders the tea master of his dormitory to hand it over to the offering attendant to post in the lower bay in front of the Sangha hall. The storehouse guest prefect immediately reports: 'We invite you to take your seat for the medicine stone after the hot tonic.' The prior holds incense, goes to the abbot's quarters, makes one prostration touching the mat, and invites him, saying: 'This evening in the cloud hall, hot tonic will be served as special hospitality for the head seat and the great community; we humbly look to your compassion, upādhyāya, specially to grace us with your presence.' He also instructs the guest prefect to invite the retired officers, the infirmary hall, and the various dormitories, each of which hangs a hot tonic sign; after each has been invited, placards are set up in front of the Sangha hall, arranging seats facing each other for the head seat and the abbot, with seats for the great community in the upper and lower bays. Postulants are assigned specially to attend to the guests of honour. When the chanting concludes, the meal drum is sounded once. The great community returns to their bowl positions. The prefects return as a rank to the front clapper. The prior enters, bows to invite the head seat to leave his seat, then bows to invite the other prefects in sequence to step to the head of the clapper, and then escorts the head seat back to his seat. Going behind the sacred monk, he exits the hall to the right to welcome the abbot into the hall. The offering attendant strikes the bell in front of the hall slowly seven times, escorting the abbot to his seat. [The prior] goes before the head seat to bow and invite him to sit, exits as before, starts from the head seat's clapper, makes a circuit around the hall and the upper and lower bays of the outer hall, returns to the centre of the hall, stands, and greets the seated community with folded hands. He steps forward, burns incense, then goes to the upper and lower bays and outer hall, and returns the incense box to its original place. He then goes before the guests of honour to greet them with folded hands, exits to the right to greet the abbot with folded hands, again makes a circuit bowing in greeting, and after touring the outer hall, returns to the centre of the hall, bows in greeting, and stands to the side. The bell in front of the hall is struck twice. The hot tonic is first served to the guests of honour and the abbot, and then served to the great community throughout; when the pitchers are taken out, [the prior] goes before the guests of honour to greet them with folded hands, exits to the right before the sacred monk, and makes three grand prostrations. He again makes a circuit around the hall, completes the circuit of the outer hall, and leads the entire rank before the abbot to perform the courtesies. At the first unfolding of the mat he says: 'Today, for this coarse tonic, we especially receive your compassionate descent; our humble sentiments cannot bear our utmost gratitude.' At the second unfolding he says: 'At this present season, we respectfully wish that the hall head upādhyāya's health and daily life be endowed with abundant blessings.' Backing away, they make three prostrations touching the mat. Turning around, he leads them behind the sacred monk, exiting to the right to line up in front of the hall. The head seat then comes out, faces him, makes one prostration touching the mat in thanks for the hot tonic, and returns from the upper bay to his guest-of-honour seat. The prior returns to the centre, burns incense (for the sake of the medicine stone), and withdraws. The postulant of the hall director's office calls out: 'Great community, please take down your bowls.' The postulants bring tables to the abbot and the guests of honour. The great community unfolds their bowls (the prefects do not take down their bowls; the storehouse provides bowls and dishes). The medicine stone is served; when the meal is finished, the drum is struck three times, and they leave their seats. The abbot posts an exemption notice in advance, saying: 'For such-and-such festival, the etiquette of presenting greetings shall all be performed tomorrow in the dharma hall; personal visits to the abbot's quarters are exempted. I humbly hope the community will take note. The resident of this mountain, So-and-so, respectfully announces.' This is posted in the upper bay of the Sangha hall. The bell for dismissing the evening assembly is not struck (those from the same home district, in accordance with the posted notice, go to various places for group greetings). This is the same for all four festivals; only at the Winter Solstice, after the hot tonic, rice cakes and fruit are served before the medicine stone is taken.