Toh 336 — The Rite for the Protocols Associated with Carrying the Ringing Staff
Translated by the Sarasvatī Translation Team under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha
The Rite for the Protocols Associated with Carrying the Ringing Staff
F.274.a One who wishes to take up the ringing staff F.274.b should kneel before an honorable one and say three times, “Honorable one, I request your attention. Today, I, named so-and-so, request you, honorable one, to be my teacher for carrying the ringing staff.”
The honorable one then says, “Pay attention. Venerable one, after generating the mind aspiring for unsurpassed awakening, will you take up the ringing staff and utilize it properly?
“Do not hold it with dirty hands. When entering a dwelling of the saṅgha, do not rest it with its head and lower tip removed.[1] When entering the homes of householders, point the lower tip behind you.
“In the morning, when conditions are right for you to go to the home of a householder to beg for alms, rattle the staff three times at their door. If no one responds when you rattle it three times, you should rattle it five times. If no one responds when you rattle it five times, you should rattle it seven times. If no one responds when you rattle it seven times, you should proceed to another household and rattle it seven times. If you are satisfied after having gone to seven households, then in that case say three times, ‘I shall eat.’
“There are twenty-five rules associated with carrying the rattling staff:
1. “Carry it to guard against snakes on the ground.
2. “Carry it because you are elderly.[2]
3. “Carry it to collect alms.
4. “Should you see a buddha image when entering or exiting, make some sound with it.[3]
5. “Do not go among the saṅgha while carrying a rattling staff.
6. “Do not walk about carrying a ringing staff after noon.
7. “Do not rest it on your shoulders hanging on to its two ends.
8. “Do not carry it on your shoulders.[4]
9. “Do not turn it around with your hands.[5]
10. “Do not go into toilets carrying a rattling staff.
11. “Do not follow the preceptor or other ordination masters when they are carrying ringing staffs.[6]
12. “Do not take up a ringing staff and then follow a group of four or more persons carrying ringing staffs.[7]F.275.a
13. “Do not let your ringing staff be away from your body when visiting the home of a patron.
14. “Go to the door of a patron and rattle the staff three times. If no one responds, you should rattle it five times. If no one responds when you rattle it five times, you should rattle it seven times. If no one responds when you rattle it seven times, you should proceed to another household and rattle the staff there.[8]
15. “When the patron answers the door, lean the rattling staff against your right arm and rest it there.[9]
16. “Do not let it touch the ground when put in a dwelling.
17. “Always put it by your bed.
18. “Clean it from time to time.
19. “Keep the head of the ringing staff straight.
20. “During alms rounds, do not allow it to be taken away from you by novice monks or householders.[10]
21. “Take the ringing staff with you when spending the night in a place of sick people.
22. “Take the ringing staff with you when you go to see someone off on a long journey.
23. “Take the ringing staff with you when you go off to welcome someone from a long journey and you might need to go and stay there with them.[11]
24. “Take the ringing staff with you when you need to go to places unknown.
25. “In order to draw another person close to you, touch that person with it and make designs on the ground.”[12]
Notes
The Tibetan text permits more than one reading. It can also be read, “When entering the dwelling of the saṅgha, do not leave it with its head and lower tip sticking out.”
backTranslated in accordance with the Yongle, Kangxi, and Choné editions, reading rgas pa instead of rgal ba.
backTaishō 785 XVII 725c10–11: 為出入見佛像不得使頭有聲. “Do not make any sound with its head when you see a buddha image at the time of exiting and entering.” The version in the Phukdrak Kangyur agrees with the Chinese here. It reads, “Should you see a buddha image when entering or exiting, do not make any sound with it.”
backTaishō 725c13: 不得橫著膝上以懸兩頭. “Do not place it across your knees and hang things from its two ends.”
backTranslated in accordance with the Lithang, Narthang, Choné, and Zhol editions, reading skyog pa instead of dkyog pa.
backTaishō 725c14–15: 不得復持在三師前後﹐已杖出不得復杖隨. “Do not carry the rattling staff in front of or behind the three masters of an ordination ceremony. When they leave with ringing staffs, do not carry your ringing staff and follow them.”
backTaishō 725c16–17: 若四人俱行﹐一人已持﹐不得復持隨. “If four people are traveling together and one is already holding a ringing staff, do not follow them while carrying a ringing staff.” The list in the Chinese sūtra adds a specific point to this rule (Taishō 725b19–20): 四人共行除上座不得普持. “When four persons travel together, it is not permissible for anyone but the elder to hold the ringing staff.”
backTaishō 725c18–19: 至人門戶時﹐當三抖擻﹐不出應當更至餘家. “Rattle it three times at the door. If no one responds, you should proceed to another household.”
backTaishō 725c19–20: 主人出﹐應當杖著左肘挾之. “When the patron answers the door, you should clasp it in the crook of your left arm.”
backThe Tibetan text permits more than one reading. It can also be read as, “When going for alms rounds, do not be parted from a novice monk or a householder.” The two Chinese versions agree with each other on this rule. Taishō 725c22–23: 欲行當從沙彌若白衣受. “If you wish to go somewhere, receive it from novice monks or householders.” The item in the list found in the Chinese sūtra states the preference for receiving the ringing staff from a novice monk if a novice monk is available. Taishō 725c25–26: 杖欲出時當從沙彌邊受﹐若無沙彌白衣亦得.
backItems 23 and 24 are presented in reverse order in the Chinese. Taishō 726a1–2: 二十三者遠請行宿應得暮杖。二十四者遠迎來者應得暮杖.
backTaishō 726a2–3: 常當自近不得指人若畫地作字. “Always keep it close to you; neither point it at others nor use it to draw on the ground or write syllables.” See the corresponding item in the list in the Chinese sūtra at Taishō 725b17–18. The two Chinese versions agree with each other and present no problem to interpretation. The version in the Phukdrak Kangyur is closer to the Chinese here, insofar as it preserves the negation of the verb and therefore the prohibition on using the staff to “touch another person or make designs on the ground” (gzhal [sic] la reg cing sa la ri mo bri bar mi bya’o).
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