Schedule of the seven-day renunciation includes rising at 4 a.m.,

morning liturgy in the main hall, sitting meditation following breakfast,

prostration to the Buddha, making of offerings (to the Buddha), guo-tang

(literally, going to the refectory for meal, lunch), break followed by prostration

to the Buddha, evening liturgy, the Dharma masters kai-shi

(literally, opening up the treasury of truth and indicating its meaning)

in proclamation of the sutras, aligning in class and seeking attendance,

and bedtime.

The seven-day renunciation comes in two parts, the first being the eightgate

precepts and fasting, in which participants are required to observe

eight precepts as stipulated: first, no killing; second, no stealing; third,

no engaging in sexual activity; fourth, no lying; fifth, no consumption of

intoxicants; sixth, no donning of accessories, no applying of cosmetics

and fragrances, no wearing of fancy clothing, no viewing and partaking

of music, dance, or recreations; seventh, no sleeping and lying on high

beds and soft pillows; and eighth, no eating in irregular hours, that is,

no eating past noon. The second part includes precepts for a

sramanera and those for a sramanerika.

Other things to note are that participation in the eight-gate precepts

and fasting does not require shaving of the head and reception of

the precepts for the sramanera and those for the sramanerika does,

with both male and female participants having to shave heads, whilst

practitioners in the seven-day renunciation must have own hai-qing,

black garment, and man-yi, unpatched robe.