勅修百丈清規 7.114

7.114

When the day arrives, at the fifth watch, the two ranks, senior and junior retired officers, traveling officers, fellow provincials, Dharma-relatives, and disciples should all proceed to the abbot's quarters to insert incense and perform the prostrations. If they see a notice posted in front of the Sangha hall excusing personal greetings, they need not go. The attendant reports to the abbot and instructs the postulants to notify the community and hang the board for ascending the hall. When congee is finished, after the abbot has preached the Dharma, he explains in detail the sequence of the ceremony, saying: (Descending from the seat, first exchange greetings and prostrations touching the mat with the west hall, bowing once. Next, exchange greetings with the administrators with two unfoldings and three prostrations. Next, exchange greetings with the head seat and the great assembly with two unfoldings and three prostrations. The administrators first return to the monastery storehouse. The head seat leads the great assembly to proceed to the monastery storehouse, exchanging greetings with prostrations touching the mat, bowing three times. The head seat returns to the upper section in front of the Sangha hall. The rear hall leads the great assembly back to the lower section of the Sangha hall, exchanging greetings with the head seat with prostrations touching the mat, bowing three times. They then stand according to the diagram for reciting the names of the Buddhas. The head seat leads the assembly on a circuit into the hall and takes their standing positions. The head seat leaves his place and burns incense before the sacred monk, making three prostrations with full unfoldings. He circumambulates the hall once and returns to his place. The postulant calls out: 'The head seat bows in gratitude to the great assembly with prostrations touching the mat, bowing three times.' Next, the administrators enter the hall, burn incense, and make three prostrations with full unfoldings. They circumambulate the hall once and line up at the end of the sacred monk's dais. The postulant calls out: 'The administrators make prostrations touching the mat to the great assembly, bowing three times,' and they do not leave the hall. The abbot enters the hall, burns incense, and makes three prostrations with full unfoldings. He circumambulates the hall once and returns to his place. The postulant calls out: 'The hall head upādhyāya exchanges greetings with the great assembly with prostrations touching the mat, bowing three times.' He calls out again: 'The great assembly makes prostrations together, bowing three times touching the mat.' Then they inspect the dormitories in sequence.) As [the abbot] descends from the seat, the postulants bring forward the incense table, candle stands, incense burner, and flower vase, arranging them in a straight line. The west hall steps forward to greet him. Next, the administrators step forward and insert incense. At the first unfolding, [the prior] says: ('At this time of the retreat, having the privilege of attending your towel and water jar, we rely solely on the power of the Dharma to assist and uphold us, wishing that there may be no difficulties.') At the second unfolding, he says: ('On this day at the beginning of summer, respectfully observing the season, we reverently pray that the hall head upādhyāya will enjoy abundant good fortune in his daily activities.') They step back and make three prostrations touching the mat. The abbot returns one prostration. Next, the head seat leads the assembly to insert incense. The retired officers and the various dormitories all follow behind, inserting incense in turn. The ceremony of unfoldings and the spoken words are all the same as before. The assembly withdraws, the abbot sits cross-legged, and the attendants and disciples insert incense and perform prostrations. Next, the postulant leader leads the assembly of postulants to insert incense and make prostrations. Next, the work foreman leads the senior servants, various hall attendants, sedan-chair carriers, and household servants to pay respects. The head seat leads the assembly to proceed to the monastery storehouse, exchanging greetings with prostrations touching the mat, bowing three times. The rear hall head seat leads the assembly back to the lower section in front of the Sangha hall and stands firm. The front hall head seat stays in the upper section. The hall office postulant calls out: ('The great assembly exchanges greetings with the head seat!') Facing each other, they make three prostrations touching the mat. When finished, they stand according to the diagram for reciting the names of the Buddhas. The head seat leads the assembly on a circuit into the hall, returning to their places to stand. The attendant and the newcomers patrol half the hall. The attendant stands behind the niche of the sacred monk; the newcomers stand facing the attendant. The head seat leaves his place, steps forward before the sacred monk, burns incense, and makes three prostrations with full unfoldings. He circumambulates the hall once, returns to his place, and [the postulant] calls out: 'The head seat bows in gratitude to the great assembly.' Facing each other, they make three prostrations touching the mat. The administrators enter, burn incense, unfold [their niṣīdanas], bow, circumambulate the hall, and line up at the end of the sacred monk's dais. [The postulant] calls out: ('The administrators bow in gratitude to the great assembly!') Facing each other, they make three prostrations touching the mat, and do not leave the hall. The abbot enters the hall, burns incense, unfolds [his niṣīdana], bows, circumambulates the hall, and returns to his place (disciples and junior monks must withdraw and exit through the back door, waiting until the ceremony is finished to return to their places for tea). [The postulant] calls out: ('The hall head upādhyāya exchanges greetings with the great assembly!') All make three prostrations touching the mat. He calls out: ('The great assembly makes prostrations together!') They make three prostrations touching the mat. (The old rules recorded: 'After the administrators leave the hall, the abbot enters the hall; thus he did not return the administrators' prostration.' However, in etiquette, no bow is left unreturned. Recently, Upādhyāya Xisou and Upādhyāya Yishan have both practiced it in this manner, and those with understanding approve of it.) The administrators step back and exit the hall; the attendant and the newcomers follow behind them out. The great assembly takes their seats. The attendant returns to the center, greets with folded hands, and invites them to sit. He steps forward to the central burner, goes through the upper and lower sections to the outer hall, and burns incense. He returns the incense box to its original place, steps back to the center, and greets with folded hands. Having greeted with folded hands in the upper and lower sections and the outer hall, he returns to the center and stands. The bell is struck twice. Tea is served all around. When the water pitchers exit, he greets with folded hands in the center as before. The bell is struck once, and the cups are gathered. The bell is struck three times, and they leave the hall; the assembly disperses. The abbot inspects the dormitories in sequence. Each dormitory prepares seats, chairs, and incense tables, and waits for the abbot outside the doors. The inspection begins from the first dormitory in the eastern corridor. Coming before the incense table of each dormitory, the dormitory host together with the assembly inserts incense and says: ('On this day, we should properly pay our respects and congratulations; instead, we have received your gracious condescension.') [The abbot] inserts incense in reply, saying: ('Having just received your courteous congratulations, I have come especially to express my gratitude.') They accompany the abbot for a few paces, then stand sideways to the right of the incense table, clasp their hands, and greet with folded hands, waiting until the assembly has completely passed. They then follow at the end and proceed to inspect in sequence. The people from each dormitory follow behind and join the inspection. Reaching the Dharma hall, the abbot stands in the middle within the incense tables. The great assembly passes by in groups of three, led forward, greeting with folded hands. They inspect until they reach the side of their own dormitory's incense table, each standing in order with clasped hands. Having inspected all around, they disperse. The four seasonal nodes are all the same.