Xuanzang pressed his palms together and inclined his head slightly to Yongde, returning his greeting.
With his greeting acknowledged, Yongde straightened a little. He turned toward the square, drew a deep breath, and proclaimed, "Silence, everyone! The Dharma assembly begins!"
As his words fell, the great bell in Baolin Temple's Bell and Drum Tower boomed.
"Dong-dong-dong-"
The Dharma drum sounded immediately afterward.
Amid the ringing of bells and drums, the monks of the two ranks filed out from either side of the main hall, carrying hand bells and wooden fish, and formed two lines before the Dharma platform.
Yongde stood at the top of the steps, his hands tucked into his sleeves. Once the bells and drums fell silent, he spoke again, raising his voice another notch. "Sound the hand bells! Welcome the Dharma master!"
The chant leader walked at the front, holding a hand bell.
The monks of both ranks emerged from the hall in formation and came before Xuanzang, offering sincere greetings and respectfully inviting him forward.
Xuanzang stepped out slowly, prayer beads in hand, and calmly entered with the welcoming procession.
As Xuanzang entered, everyone stood solemnly, pressed their palms together, and bowed.
Yongde began the chant. His voice was aged yet full of strength as he led the "Incense Praise":
"Incense kindles in the censer, its fragrance pervades the Dharma realm; the oceanic assembly of All Buddhas hears it from afar. Auspicious clouds gather everywhere; with sincerity at its fullest, All Buddhas manifest their whole forms. Homage to the Incense Cloud Canopy Bodhisattva Mahasattva!"
The praise echoed above the square. Xuanzang stood upright before the Dharma seat facing the Buddha, took up three sticks of incense, and offered a sincere prayer.
Then he spread his bowing cloth, sincerely prostrated three times before the Three Treasures, gathered