Master Xu Yun (1840-1959) Memorial Photographic Library
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0041
During the year 1952/53, Master Xu Yun received a Theravada delegation from Sri Lanka at the Guang Ji Temple in Beijing. At this time Master Xu Yun was in his 113th year of life. On page 147 of the 1988 Element Books edition of Charles Luk’s English translation of the Chinese biography entitled ‘Empty Cloud The Autobiography of a Chinese Zen Master Xu Yun’ (edited by Richard Hunn), it states the following:
‘On the thirteenth of the eighth month, the Master welcomed the Ceylonese Buddhist delegation (to the) Guang Ji Monastery on behalf of the Chinese Buddhist Association. The delegation was headed by Bhikkhu Dhammaratna who came to present a relic of the Buddha, a Pali Sutta written on pattra (palm-leaves) and a Bo-tree sapling. Over two thousand devotees were present at the reception.’
This picture depicts Bhikkhu Dhammaratna (达马拉塔纳法师) presenting a stupa in a glass case to Master Xu Yun, (possibly containing the relic of the Buddha), who graciously accepts this Dharma-gift on behalf of the Chinese Buddhist Association. This is possibly the only photograph of Xu Yun’s back in existence. The accompanying Chinese text confirms these basic details.
虚云和尚代表中国佛教界向前来我国访问的锡兰代表团团长达马拉塔纳法师赠送舍利塔
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0042
‘On the thirteenth of the eighth month, the Master welcomed the Ceylonese Buddhist delegation (to the) Guang Ji Monastery on behalf of the Chinese Buddhist Association. The delegation was headed by Bhikkhu Dhammaratna who came to present a relic of the Buddha, a Pali Sutta written on pattra (palm-leaves) and a Bo-tree sapling. Over two thousand devotees were present at the reception.’
This picture depicts Bhikkhu Dhammaratna (达马拉塔纳法师) presenting a stupa in a glass case to Master Xu Yun, (possibly containing the relic of the Buddha), who graciously accepts this Dharma-gift on behalf of the Chinese Buddhist Association. This is possibly the only photograph of Xu Yun’s back in existence. The accompanying Chinese text confirms these basic details.
虚云和尚代表中国佛教界向前来我国访问的锡兰代表团团长达马拉塔纳法师赠送舍利塔
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0042
Master Xu Yun is sat to the right, with Master Yuan Ying sat to the left. It is 1952/53 and Xu Yun is attending the Asia Pacific Regional Peace Conference at the Guang Ji Temple in Beijing. The accompanying Chinese text also states that both masters are attending a Preparation Council to discuss the re-establishing of the Chinese Buddhist Association. The Chinese text under each master in the photograph states their ages as; Master Yuan Ying = 75 – Master Xu Yun = 113.
1952年10月虚云和尚在北京广济寺与前来参加亚太和平会议和中国佛教协会筹备会的圆瑛法师合影
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0043
1952年10月虚云和尚在北京广济寺与前来参加亚太和平会议和中国佛教协会筹备会的圆瑛法师合影
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0043
The Chinese text across the top of this picture states that Master Xu Yun is in his 118th year of life. This was a troubled year for the Zhen Ru Monastery on Mount Yunju. Although repairs to the buildings and grounds were going well, the local governmental authorities cancelled the 1953 agreement allowing the monks to reclaim land, and sent their officials to confiscate it yet again. In the process Master Xu Yun was thrown out of his cowshed. Master Xu Yun complained to the government in Beijing who immediately ordered the local authorities to stop harassing the monks. This they did, but caused so much trouble locally that in the end Xu Yun had no choice but to hand over the land. In the meantime, Master Hai Deng had taken over the temporary Abbotship of Zhen Ru and expounded the Lotus Sutra and founded a Buddhist Study Centre.
虚云老和尚一百一十八龄寿像
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0044
虚云老和尚一百一十八龄寿像
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0044
In 1946/47, Master Xu Yun was in his 107th year, when he was asked to travel to the Six Banyans Temple in Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong province, to organise a ceremony involving sutra reading for the welfare of the spirits of those killed in the war. In this photograph, Master Xu Yun is stood outside the Zou Lu Mansion in Guangzhou, next to Master Zhi Ding.
1947年虚云和尚和知定法师合影于广州邹鲁公馆门前
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0045
1947年虚云和尚和知定法师合影于广州邹鲁公馆门前
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0045
The Chinese text accompanying this photograph suggests that this picture of Master Xu Yun - standing and meditating whilst using a mala (Buddha beads) – dates from around 1946/47, and was taken in Guangzhou city, Guangdong province. This was probably at the Six Banyans Temple where Xu Yun was visiting to hold a ceremony for the welfare of the dead.
1947年虚云和尚于广州
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0046
1947年虚云和尚于广州
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0046
What is interesting about this photography is that it features Master Xu Yun and vinaya Master Hong Yi together at the Bai Yi Temple situated in Ningbo, Zhejiang province. The date is given as the 19th year of the Republic (founded in 1912), this would equate to 1930/31, as a Chinese lunar year overlaps with two Western solar years. The date is given as 1930 and this corresponds with the traditional recording of the date in the Chinese text as ‘Geng Wu’ (庚午). This meeting occurred during midsummer. The Chinese calendar is comprised of 12 lunar months, with each month associated with a particular zodiac animal. The 12 animal signs repeat 5 times over a period of 60 years – this is 1 cycle of the Chinese calendar. The Geng Wu designation is the 7th year (1930) of the 77th cycle since the Chinese calendar began - when Yellow Emperor ruled China – well over 4000 years ago. This is curious because Xu Yun’s biography (in English translation) states that at this time Xu Yun was initially in Shanghai before heading to Mount Gu monastery to assume the Abbotship there. Xu Yun was in his 90th year at this time, and very busy with improving things on Mount Gu. The biography, however, does record that in 1928/29, Xu Yun visited the King Ashoka Monastery at Ningbo to worship the Buddha-relics held there.
民国十九年(1930)“宁波白衣寺欢迎虚云老和尚暨弘一法师,摄影以志纪念,岁在庚午仲夏。
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0047
民国十九年(1930)“宁波白衣寺欢迎虚云老和尚暨弘一法师,摄影以志纪念,岁在庚午仲夏。
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0047
According to the Chinese-language description accompanying this photograph - this is an image of Master Xu Yun taken when was aged between 70-72-years-old, (that is between 1910 and 1912). He had just returned from Penang in Malaya in 1909-1910, and spent much of the time between 1910-1912 in the Yunnan area. He had vowed to purify the Sangha in the Yunnan area from around 1903-1904 and would be active in this region until around 1929 when he would relocate to the Nanhua Temple in Guangdong province. If the dating associated with this photograph is correct, then this close-up image demonstrates that Master Xu Yun was 'old' during this time of his existence - adding credence to his birth-year being '1840'! However, I have come across another Chinese-language reference which says '云居山方便开示 四月二十八日(1955年6月18日)' , or 'The 'Head Monk' on Mount Yunju gave a "Dharma-Talk" on the 28th day of the fourth lunar month (18.6.1055).' If this is correct - then the earlier picture of Xu Yun dates to 1926.
虚云老和尚七十多岁时法像(摄于1910至1912年之间)
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0048
虚云老和尚七十多岁时法像(摄于1910至1912年之间)
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0048
In 1947, Master Xu Yun was invited to Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong province, to perform a ritual for the welfare of those who had died during China’s war with Japan. In this year Master Xu Yun was in his 107th year of life. He performed the ceremony of welfare for spirits on the water and land at the Temple of the Six Banyans. After this he went to the Kai Yuan Temple situated in the city of Chaozhou (situated in eastern Guangdong), where he transmitted the precepts. The accompanying Chinese text says that he performed the purification ritual after transmitting the precepts, but does not give the name of the temple. The English translation of his biography –Empty Cloud (translated by Charles Luk) – states that the ceremony of purification occurred at the Six Banyans Temples, whilst the precepts were transmitted at the Kai Yun Temple.
虚云老和尚1947年在戒期毕业水陆法会上洒净
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0049
虚云老和尚1947年在戒期毕业水陆法会上洒净
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0049
Master Xu Yun at the Zhen Ru Monastery situated on Mount Yunju in Jiangxi province. The year is 1955/56 and the picture is dated as the 25 day of the 12th lunar month. Master Xu Yun is in his 116th year of life. The monk stood behind and (slightly to the left) is Xu Yun’s student – Master Jing Hui. Late in that year many hundreds of monks came to Mount Yun Ju to receive ordination from Xu Yun. This picture probably shows Xu Yun transmitting the precepts to the monks, or is a symbolic representation of the ceremony.
净慧:虚云老和尚的禅风
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0050
净慧:虚云老和尚的禅风
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0050
‘On the 10th day of the 6th lunar month of 1956, Master Hai Deng travelled from Shanghai to the monastery on Yunju to be near to Master Xu Yun. At the end of the 9th lunar month of 1957, he returned to Shanghai, meaning that he spent around a year and a half at Zhen Ru. Now at this time, Master Hai Deng had risen above and beyond all suffering. After arriving, a few people had harsh thoughts toward Master Hai Deng, mistakenly assuming that his life of martial training (武功– Wu Gong), and his reputation of martial brilliance was a distraction or form of pollution. However, Master Xu Yun (disagreed with this criticism) and asked Master Hai Deng to permanently remain at Zhen Ru. At the same time, the then abbot – Master Xing Fu (性福和尚) – decided to step-down and retire from this role, leaving the post vacant. Master Xu Yun requested that Master Hai Deng assume this role, and following the appropriate ceremonial ritual, Master Hai Deng was appointed abbot of Zhen Ru Temple. Soon after, both Master Xu Yun and Master Hai Deng both lectured to the monks for around 4 months upon the Surangama Sutra (楞严经 – Leng Yan Jing).’
Extracted from my translation of Master Hai Deng’s Biography: Ch'an Master Hai Deng (1902-1989)
The English translation of Master Xu Yun’s biography (Empty Cloud translated by Charles Luk and edited by Richard Hunn) states that in the year 1957/58 – Xu Yun’s 118th year of life – the following occurred;
‘Abbot Hai-deng of the monastery expounded the Lotus Sutra, after which he selected thirty young monks to form a Buddhist Study Centre to train the novices.’ (Page 204)
Extracted from my translation of Master Hai Deng’s Biography: Ch'an Master Hai Deng (1902-1989)
The English translation of Master Xu Yun’s biography (Empty Cloud translated by Charles Luk and edited by Richard Hunn) states that in the year 1957/58 – Xu Yun’s 118th year of life – the following occurred;
‘Abbot Hai-deng of the monastery expounded the Lotus Sutra, after which he selected thirty young monks to form a Buddhist Study Centre to train the novices.’ (Page 204)