The function that has fallen to myself is to exist whilst being neither attached to the void - nor hindered by phenomena. This is nothing special - but it is essential. I must have no wealth, no reputation, and no influence in the material world. This part is easy – as it is a casual rejection of the cultural norms of the time within which I happen to exist. Having attained to a full understanding of Chinese Ch’an through the Caodong lineage – my personal life is insignificant (it is merely a vehicle for the perfection of others). What is important is that a living individual has realised the void and integrated this realisation into the material world. As I get older the physical body is changing – surely a preparation for death. Again, this is not a difficult undertaking – as all things age, cease to function and dissipate. As I enter a deep samadhi during long periods of meditation - the mind is expansive, embracing of the entire environment – with all things arising and passing away within the void. All is a boundless inner and outer bright light - imbued with pure compassion and transformative wisdom. The physical body that defines me is in the midst of dissolving into this realisation. This is the reality that I am experiencing. A dead body might well result – but this is an ordinary vision of dull understanding experiemced by those left behind. It is a situation after the fact of realising enlightenment. The expanded conscious awareness breaks the barrier between physical matter and ethereal spirit. On occasion, such is the power of this process that the material body literally dissolves and disappears. Whatever the case, it seems that I will enter Parinirvana whilst sat upright in seated meditation. I do not know exactly when this will happen – but instructions have been left for a photograph to be taken. Although I have never met you – pure loving kindness is continuously emitting from the centre of my being. All are embraced without discrimination. Bath in the light of this experience, clear the surface of the mind, still its functionality and clearly perceive the underlying (empty) mind ground. Through further training – this awareness will stabilise and expand. May all beings be happy and free from suffering.
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This is a matter of human perception. The Ch’an Masters of old new a thing or two about this subject. When we look at the empty mind ground (void) – we are always approaching this subject the wrong way around – and we are all seeking a radical re-orientation of perception. The Caodong Masters preserve the tradition of the Lankavatara Sutra – within which the Lord Buddha discusses the ‘turning about’ that must occur in the deepest levels of the mind. It is important to remember that Bodhidharma (the 28th Indian Patriarch) brought the Lankavatara Sutra to China around 520 CE and this Sutra – when interpreted correctly – is the foundational text of the Chinese Ch’an tradition. Furthermore, it is also important to avoid falling into the traps of pure idealism (avocated by DT Suzuki) and pure materialism (advocated by those modern schools of Buddhism that encourage and normalise ‘greed’ over ‘transcendece’). It is very clear that the historical Buddha stated that the mind is impermanent, and that the material world exists independent of human perception. This means that the act of perceiving the material world should not be mistaken as an act of ‘creating’ the material world that is being perceived. As the Buddha identifies the internalised cultural traits of greed, hatred, and delusion as comprising the interactive origin of all forms of human suffering – it is precisely these ‘taints’ (klesa) which must be permanently ‘uprooted’ from the surface and deeper mind if the empty mind ground is to become apparent. The material world is internalised as a myriad of obscuring thought patterns and emotions which crowd the mind so that contact is lost with a pre-perceiving mind. A pre-perceiving mind is a functioning construct that is unhindered by a) the material world, and b) the internalisation of all experiences, thoughts and feelings accrued through body and environment interaction. In other words, a pre-conceiving mind free of obscuration is precisely how the Buddha (and his lineal descendants) described what is now routinely referred to as the ‘empty mind ground’. Through reversing the flow of sensual perception, all the data received through the six senses is retutned to its collective empty essence. This is the purpose of all genuine forms of Buddhist meditation, particularly the Hua Tou and Gongan methods. 1st Rank of Prince and Minister (Host [Void] Obscured within Guest [Form] - Ignorance) (Unenlightened): The Minister does not know where the Prince is, has never heard of the Prince, and possesses no knowledge of how to establish communication with the Prince. 2nd Rank of Prince and Minister (Guest [Form] Stirred to Find Host-[Void]) (Training): The Minister receives instruction and is told that the Prince exists and how he might go about locating him! Although the Prince is still not fully seen – a vague notion of where he might be now exists! All training methods seek to exploit this knowledge and find the Prince! 3rd Rank of Prince and Minister (Host [Great Resurgence] – [Void Rediscovered]) (Relative Enlightenment): When one sensory-stream is returned to its empty essence (not an easy achievement) then ALL the other five senses in the Buddhist schematic are automatically returned to exactly the same empty mind ground. The empty mind ground (or ‘Prince’) can now be perceived – but only from the perspective of the Minister. The functioning mind has not yet experienced the radical ‘turning about’ as described in the Lankavatara Sutra. Many mistake this stage as full enlightebment. 4th Rank of Prince and Minister (Host [Void]-Guest [Form] - Reunited) (Collective Attainment): The surface mind is quietened through its association with the empty mind ground (the deep mind). Furthermore, the surface mind (and the environment it perceives) comes into alignment with the empty mind ground – but there is still no integration of the ‘form’ and the ‘void’ (as dominant perception resides in the surface mind). Neither attached to the void nor hindered by phenomena is the way to proceed. Many mistake this stage as full enlightenment – even though no ‘turning about’ has occurred. 5th Rank of Prince and Minister (Host [Void]-Guest [Form] Fully Integrated) (Absolute Attainment): The Host and Guest fully integrate so that form is void and void is form (a realisation termed "Host-in-Host" in Ch'an Texts). This corresponds to the centre of perception permanently shifting from the surface mind into the deep (empty) mind. From this point forward, reality is perceived from the empty mind ground through a surface mind that reflects the outer world whilst remaining fully detached from outer world which it perceives. As the mind is now non-attached to externals, the agencies of greed, hatred, and delusion which govern attachment nolonger exist as there is no place for such entities to arise or function.
Although eulogised more or less the world over today – Master Xu Yun attracted his fair share of criticism. Although completely indifferent to worldly affairs he was accused of being a ‘rightest’ and a ‘leftist’ at different times in his existence. Those jealous of his spiritual power (and seniority) within the Chinese Buddhist System – accused Master Xu Yun of breaking the very Vinaya Discipline he fervently enforced upon his disciples. Quite often this involved the rules surrounding sexual self-control and celibacy – with Master Xu Yun accused of participating in relations with male acolytes. Of course, there was never any material evidence to substantiate these rumours. At one time a young woman took her clothes-off in front of a meditating Master Xu Yun on a boat packed with witnesses – and he never reacted. It is speculated that this woman was paid to do this in an attempt to secure material evidence regarding Master Xu Yun breaking the Vinaya Discipline. Part of the reason inspiring these baseless attacks involved the Imperial Japanese presence in China between 1931-1945 – which saw an attempt at manipulating the Chinese Sangha into adopting the Japanese Zen practice of NOT following the Vinaya Discipline and allowing Buddhist ‘monks’ to be married, eat meat and drink alcohol. There were some collaborative elements within a rapidly modernising Chinese culture that viewed Master Xu Yun’s attitude as being old fashioned and behind the times. Master Xu Yun, despite this pressure from without and within Chinese culture, nevertheless, refused to buckle and instead reacted with an ever-greater vigour in calling for the upholding of the Vinaya Discipline! When told what others were negatively saying about him, Master Xu Yun would laugh and brush the insult aside. What others said was viewed by Master Xu Yun as being a product of greed, hatred, and delusion – and the very ignorance that following of the Vinaya Discipline sought to uproot and dissolve into the three-dimensional emptiness of the empty mind-ground. Just as following the Vinaya Discipline represented the pure ‘host’ position – the impure ‘guest’ position represented the dirtiness of the ordinary, mundane world and its machinations. Why follow the latter when the former offered safety, sanctuary, and a relief from human suffering? Pretending to be a ‘monk’ when immersed in the filth of the ‘guest’ position of lay-existence is NOT correctly following the Buddha-Dharma as taught by Master Xu Yun. Master Xu Yun shuffled-off his mortal coil 64-years ago (in 1959) – on October 13th (when the Chinese Lunar Callender is converted into the Western Solar equivalent). He was in his 120th-year and had lived nearly two of the 60-years cycles that define the Chinese Zodiac. Although born in the Year of the Rat – and obviously a survivor – Master Xu Yun had no patience for superstition. Indeed, his biography is strewn with accidents, injuries, and the occasional monastic disciplining (involving corporal punishment). None of this bothered him psychologically (as he was ‘detached’ from his feelings) – even if the experience damaged him physically. The question is - how many Buddhist practitioners today are prepared to be like this?
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AuthorAdrian Chan-Wyles (釋大道 - Shi Da Dao) is permitted to retain his Buddhist Monastic Dharma-Name within Lay-society by decree of the Government of the People’s Republic of China, and the Chinese Buddhist Association (1992). A Buddhist monastic (and devout lay-practitioner) upholds the highest levels of Vinaya Discipline and Bodhisattva Vows. A Genuine Buddhist ‘Venerates’ the ‘Dao’ (道) as he or she penetrates the ‘Empty Mind-Ground' through meditative insight. A genuine Buddhist is humble, wise and peace-loving – and he or she selflessly serves all in existence in the past, present and the future, and residing within the Ten Directions – whilst retaining a vegetarian- vegan diet. Please be kind to animals! Archives
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