Ch'an Guild of Hui Neng (CGHN)
慧能禅宗协会
(Huìnéng chánzōng xiéhuì)
After a year of discussion with members of the Buddhist Association of China, it was decided that a 'heart to heart' transmission would be acceptable as a 'supportive' measure for Guild of Hui Neng Dharma-Practice (as Hui Neng was both a layman and a monk). This is a transmission through the ICBI as an entity to humanity - rather than through myself although it is premised upon my lineage leading back to Master Xu Yun (1840-1959) - whose example continues to teach everyone in China through his Dharma-Words. My personal transmissions are separate and distinct and are considered 'mind to mind'. Of course, this is a play on words in English as the Chinese character '心' (xin) remains the same despite the change in emphasis (but not in quality). ACW (4.10.2020)
The Chinese Vinaya allows for the convention of ‘self-ordination’ should a man or woman find themselves in remote areas, or out of touch with Sangha. Later, when circumstances permit, the monk or nun should seek confirmation from a Master, although such a confirmation is not always available. Nevertheless, Chinese Ch’an Buddhism demands the strict observance of part of the Vinaya for the laity, and all the Vinaya for the monastics. On top of this commitment, everyone irrespective of status should take and keep the Bodhisattva Vow with the understanding that every monk or nun occupies a position in society less than that of the poorest lay-person. This observation (and attitude) sets the standard for the appropriate level of humility and strength of spirit. As the empty mind ground underlies the laity and the monastic community – it logically follows that outside of presumed social status – all manifestations are of the same essential foundation and value. To accept ‘transmission’ a person must have a mind free of greed, hatred and delusion – as a mind full of greed, hatred and delusion is not able to accept this task. Transmission is nothing less than the recognition of the empty mind ground recognised by the teacher in the mind of the student – the latter of whom ‘projects’ this understanding forward for the benefit of future generations! Greed, hatred and delusion must be given-up here and now in this exact moment. This is the essence of Dharma-Practice through the Guild of Hui Neng. Those who want to accept this transmission are invited to state that they have received a Cao Dong lineage through the Authority of the ICBI. ACW (4.10.2020) emphasis.
This initiative has been agreed by the China Office of the ICBI which is associated with the Buddhist Association of China and administered by a Collective of Lay and Monastic Ch'an Masters inaccordance with current Chinese Law. This transcends the outdated feudal practice of one person dominating many. The ICBI UK Office fully supports this initiative.
Definiton of the Ch'an Guild of Hui Neng
The Ch'an Guild of Hui Neng (CGHN) is a spiritual organisation (officially endorsed by the International Ch’an Buddhism Institute) that advocates the practice of Patriarch’s Ch’an as taught by the 6th Ch’an Patriarch Da Jian Hui Neng (大鑒惠能) 638–713 of the Tang Dynasty, whose mummified body is still upright in a temple in China today. The principle text for this study is the Altar (or Platform) Sutra. In this teaching Hui Neng describes the ‘sudden’ path to enlightenment, and explains that the six sense consciousnesses remain pure and clean even when interacting with the world. To achieve this, the hua tou must be used to discipline the mind and return all sensory data back to its origination in the mind. The Patriarch’s Ch’an is different from (but acts complimentary to) the Tathagata’s Ch’an of the teaching school. The Patriarch’s Ch’an does not set-up levels or distinctions, but like an arrow to the target, cuts through the veil of phenomena here and now, that obscures the empty mind ground from direct perception.
All vows have the mind ground as their origin. The CGHN advocates that the ‘mind precept’ be cultivated, that is the essence of all manifest vows – monastic or lay. This is why an old Ch’an master once said to a student that he does not care about daily activities – as long as the student’s mind is ‘straight’. The CGHN is an expedient device – a skilful means – designed to facilitate spiritual development; it is not an organisation or association in the conventional sense and every individual member is responsible for his or her own spiritual development. The emphasis of study is the combination of seated meditation with the reading of the English translations of important Chinese Ch’an Buddhist texts made by Charles Luk (1898-1978).
The CGHN is termed a ‘guild’ because its members make use of the same spiritual, developmental tools. These ‘tools’ are the Altar Sutra, the Diamond Sutra, and the Vimalakirti Sutra. The CGHN adheres to the principle of the ‘mind precept’ which is the essence of all other precepts. Members of the CGHN are adherents of the empty mind ground and can not be categorised as either ‘lay’, or ‘monastic’. The 6th Patriarch Hui Neng was a layperson when he inherited the Dharma from the 5th Patriarch Hong Ren – he only later became a monk – but this did not alter his teaching of sudden enlightenment and the importance of studying within a home environment. The ‘lay’ and ‘monastic’lifestyles are creations of the mind that serve as barriers to enlightenment. For expedient purposes, a CGHN member may use the description of ‘lay-monk/nun’, whilst remembering that any distinction is ultimately incorrect.
Questions– Email: [email protected]
Suggested Daily Seated Meditation Practice Schedule
Diet: Vegetarianism
Tea. Coffee, or Water – no fizzy drinks or alcohol.
Meditation: 600hrs– 800hrs
1000hrs – 1200hrs
1400hrs – 1600hrs
1800hrs – 2000hrs
2200hrs – 0000hrs
0200hrs – 400hrs
Sleep: No sleep during daylight hours – otherwise as required.
Clothing: Baggy and comfortable – with or without robe.
Incense: Burnt as required.
Sutra recitation: As required.
Gongfu and Qigong: As required.
Livelihood: As appropriate.
Questions - Email: [email protected]
Adaptability
This schedule may be adhered to very strictly, or adapted to suit local circumstance and ability. Training is not a punishment but a disciplined means of mind development. Each meditation session is 2 hrs long and serious meditators should seek to achieve this duration. However, the 2 hr session can be broken up into manageable sections. In this case a section of 25 mins meditation should be followed by a section of 5 mins rest. In the resting periods students should walk or run to encourage the generation of good blood circulation in the legs and relieve the feeling of pins and needles.
The Altar Sutra should be thoroughly and continuously studied, and its wisdom looked for during seated meditation. A human life of many years is often still not long enough for an individual to realise enlightenment, and there can be no assuredness of what might happen from day to day. Therefore, meditation practice must be approached with the utmost vigour and there can be no hesitation, or laziness. The mind ground underlies all phenomena and is evident in all circumstance; this is the enlightened message of 6th Patriarch Hui Neng.
Hui Neng lived as a manual labourer in a Ch’an Temple and was not considered worthy of instruction. He owned no material wealth and could not read and write, and yet his mind was pure as he went about his daily work. When he heard the Diamond Sutra being recited he instantly understood the enlightened message, and when he heard or read the comments of others, he intuitively knew if they were enlightened or not. Hui Neng’s example shows that enlightenment is not a matter of wealth, social rank, or intellectual achievement. This is the profound message of Hui Neng and the essence of the Ch'an Guild of Hui Neng.
Questions– Email: [email protected]
Membership of the Ch'an Guild of Hui Neng
1) Membership of the CGHN is subject to conditions:
a) Applicants must be a Member of the International Ch’an Buddhism Institute (ICBI), and demonstrated a committment to its Guiding Principles.
2) Applicants must own or acquire the following spiritual items:
a) One black robe – either Chinese or Japanese style.
b) A wooden begging bowl.
3) Applicants must own or acquire the following texts translated by Charles Luk and Juan Mascaro:
a) The Altar Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch (Ch’an and Zen Teaching – Third Series).
b) The Heart Sutra (Ch’an and Zen Teaching – First Series).
c) The Diamond Cutter of Doubts (Ch’an and Zen Teaching – First Series).
d) The Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra (Shambhala Dragon Editions).
e) The Dhammapada (Penguin Classics) – Juan Mascaro
Charles Luk’s translations available online on Richard Hunn’s Association for Ch’an Study website.
4) Applicants must present a well written and truthful signed and dated letter requesting entry into the Guild of Hui Neng containing the following information:
a) Full name, address, and date of birth.
b) A recent photograph.
c) Email and website address.
d) History of Buddhist practice.
e) Reason(s) for joining the Guild of Hui Neng.
f) Any previous Buddhist names and ordinations.
Application letters should be emailed to: [email protected]
5) Successful applicants must provide evidence of:
a) A black robe and wooden begging bowl.
b) Hair that is cut short (less than 2 inches) - optional
c) Access to study materials.
Photographic evidence should be emailed to: [email protected]
6) Failure to comply with disciplined instruction or to maintain correct behaviour in private, in public, or on the internet, will result in instant dismissal from the Ch'an Guild of Hui Neng.
7) All members of the Ch'an Guild of Hui Neng must control their words, thoughts and deeds at all times, and extol the highest practice of Dharma in their lives.
8) The Ch'an Guild of Hui Neng is a global organisation that links many individuals from around the world via the internet, which advocates the practice of meditation within the lineage of the Patriarch’s Ch’an.
9) Patriarch’s Ch’an is a direct path to the realisation of the empty mind ground that does not set-up levels or distinctions.
10) The Ch'an Guild of Hui Neng is neither ‘lay’ nor ‘monastic’, but combines elements of both modes of practice in accordance with the teachings of the 6thPatriarch.
11) All precepts have at their essence the empty mind ground and the CGHN advocates the maintaining of this mind precept in all situations.
12) The basic meditation method for the CGHN is the practicing of the hua tou ‘Who is hearing?’.
Questions–Email: [email protected]
The Chinese Vinaya allows for the convention of ‘self-ordination’ should a man or woman find themselves in remote areas, or out of touch with Sangha. Later, when circumstances permit, the monk or nun should seek confirmation from a Master, although such a confirmation is not always available. Nevertheless, Chinese Ch’an Buddhism demands the strict observance of part of the Vinaya for the laity, and all the Vinaya for the monastics. On top of this commitment, everyone irrespective of status should take and keep the Bodhisattva Vow with the understanding that every monk or nun occupies a position in society less than that of the poorest lay-person. This observation (and attitude) sets the standard for the appropriate level of humility and strength of spirit. As the empty mind ground underlies the laity and the monastic community – it logically follows that outside of presumed social status – all manifestations are of the same essential foundation and value. To accept ‘transmission’ a person must have a mind free of greed, hatred and delusion – as a mind full of greed, hatred and delusion is not able to accept this task. Transmission is nothing less than the recognition of the empty mind ground recognised by the teacher in the mind of the student – the latter of whom ‘projects’ this understanding forward for the benefit of future generations! Greed, hatred and delusion must be given-up here and now in this exact moment. This is the essence of Dharma-Practice through the Guild of Hui Neng. Those who want to accept this transmission are invited to state that they have received a Cao Dong lineage through the Authority of the ICBI. ACW (4.10.2020) emphasis.
This initiative has been agreed by the China Office of the ICBI which is associated with the Buddhist Association of China and administered by a Collective of Lay and Monastic Ch'an Masters inaccordance with current Chinese Law. This transcends the outdated feudal practice of one person dominating many. The ICBI UK Office fully supports this initiative.
Definiton of the Ch'an Guild of Hui Neng
The Ch'an Guild of Hui Neng (CGHN) is a spiritual organisation (officially endorsed by the International Ch’an Buddhism Institute) that advocates the practice of Patriarch’s Ch’an as taught by the 6th Ch’an Patriarch Da Jian Hui Neng (大鑒惠能) 638–713 of the Tang Dynasty, whose mummified body is still upright in a temple in China today. The principle text for this study is the Altar (or Platform) Sutra. In this teaching Hui Neng describes the ‘sudden’ path to enlightenment, and explains that the six sense consciousnesses remain pure and clean even when interacting with the world. To achieve this, the hua tou must be used to discipline the mind and return all sensory data back to its origination in the mind. The Patriarch’s Ch’an is different from (but acts complimentary to) the Tathagata’s Ch’an of the teaching school. The Patriarch’s Ch’an does not set-up levels or distinctions, but like an arrow to the target, cuts through the veil of phenomena here and now, that obscures the empty mind ground from direct perception.
All vows have the mind ground as their origin. The CGHN advocates that the ‘mind precept’ be cultivated, that is the essence of all manifest vows – monastic or lay. This is why an old Ch’an master once said to a student that he does not care about daily activities – as long as the student’s mind is ‘straight’. The CGHN is an expedient device – a skilful means – designed to facilitate spiritual development; it is not an organisation or association in the conventional sense and every individual member is responsible for his or her own spiritual development. The emphasis of study is the combination of seated meditation with the reading of the English translations of important Chinese Ch’an Buddhist texts made by Charles Luk (1898-1978).
The CGHN is termed a ‘guild’ because its members make use of the same spiritual, developmental tools. These ‘tools’ are the Altar Sutra, the Diamond Sutra, and the Vimalakirti Sutra. The CGHN adheres to the principle of the ‘mind precept’ which is the essence of all other precepts. Members of the CGHN are adherents of the empty mind ground and can not be categorised as either ‘lay’, or ‘monastic’. The 6th Patriarch Hui Neng was a layperson when he inherited the Dharma from the 5th Patriarch Hong Ren – he only later became a monk – but this did not alter his teaching of sudden enlightenment and the importance of studying within a home environment. The ‘lay’ and ‘monastic’lifestyles are creations of the mind that serve as barriers to enlightenment. For expedient purposes, a CGHN member may use the description of ‘lay-monk/nun’, whilst remembering that any distinction is ultimately incorrect.
Questions– Email: [email protected]
Suggested Daily Seated Meditation Practice Schedule
Diet: Vegetarianism
Tea. Coffee, or Water – no fizzy drinks or alcohol.
Meditation: 600hrs– 800hrs
1000hrs – 1200hrs
1400hrs – 1600hrs
1800hrs – 2000hrs
2200hrs – 0000hrs
0200hrs – 400hrs
Sleep: No sleep during daylight hours – otherwise as required.
Clothing: Baggy and comfortable – with or without robe.
Incense: Burnt as required.
Sutra recitation: As required.
Gongfu and Qigong: As required.
Livelihood: As appropriate.
Questions - Email: [email protected]
Adaptability
This schedule may be adhered to very strictly, or adapted to suit local circumstance and ability. Training is not a punishment but a disciplined means of mind development. Each meditation session is 2 hrs long and serious meditators should seek to achieve this duration. However, the 2 hr session can be broken up into manageable sections. In this case a section of 25 mins meditation should be followed by a section of 5 mins rest. In the resting periods students should walk or run to encourage the generation of good blood circulation in the legs and relieve the feeling of pins and needles.
The Altar Sutra should be thoroughly and continuously studied, and its wisdom looked for during seated meditation. A human life of many years is often still not long enough for an individual to realise enlightenment, and there can be no assuredness of what might happen from day to day. Therefore, meditation practice must be approached with the utmost vigour and there can be no hesitation, or laziness. The mind ground underlies all phenomena and is evident in all circumstance; this is the enlightened message of 6th Patriarch Hui Neng.
Hui Neng lived as a manual labourer in a Ch’an Temple and was not considered worthy of instruction. He owned no material wealth and could not read and write, and yet his mind was pure as he went about his daily work. When he heard the Diamond Sutra being recited he instantly understood the enlightened message, and when he heard or read the comments of others, he intuitively knew if they were enlightened or not. Hui Neng’s example shows that enlightenment is not a matter of wealth, social rank, or intellectual achievement. This is the profound message of Hui Neng and the essence of the Ch'an Guild of Hui Neng.
Questions– Email: [email protected]
Membership of the Ch'an Guild of Hui Neng
1) Membership of the CGHN is subject to conditions:
a) Applicants must be a Member of the International Ch’an Buddhism Institute (ICBI), and demonstrated a committment to its Guiding Principles.
2) Applicants must own or acquire the following spiritual items:
a) One black robe – either Chinese or Japanese style.
b) A wooden begging bowl.
3) Applicants must own or acquire the following texts translated by Charles Luk and Juan Mascaro:
a) The Altar Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch (Ch’an and Zen Teaching – Third Series).
b) The Heart Sutra (Ch’an and Zen Teaching – First Series).
c) The Diamond Cutter of Doubts (Ch’an and Zen Teaching – First Series).
d) The Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra (Shambhala Dragon Editions).
e) The Dhammapada (Penguin Classics) – Juan Mascaro
Charles Luk’s translations available online on Richard Hunn’s Association for Ch’an Study website.
4) Applicants must present a well written and truthful signed and dated letter requesting entry into the Guild of Hui Neng containing the following information:
a) Full name, address, and date of birth.
b) A recent photograph.
c) Email and website address.
d) History of Buddhist practice.
e) Reason(s) for joining the Guild of Hui Neng.
f) Any previous Buddhist names and ordinations.
Application letters should be emailed to: [email protected]
5) Successful applicants must provide evidence of:
a) A black robe and wooden begging bowl.
b) Hair that is cut short (less than 2 inches) - optional
c) Access to study materials.
Photographic evidence should be emailed to: [email protected]
6) Failure to comply with disciplined instruction or to maintain correct behaviour in private, in public, or on the internet, will result in instant dismissal from the Ch'an Guild of Hui Neng.
7) All members of the Ch'an Guild of Hui Neng must control their words, thoughts and deeds at all times, and extol the highest practice of Dharma in their lives.
8) The Ch'an Guild of Hui Neng is a global organisation that links many individuals from around the world via the internet, which advocates the practice of meditation within the lineage of the Patriarch’s Ch’an.
9) Patriarch’s Ch’an is a direct path to the realisation of the empty mind ground that does not set-up levels or distinctions.
10) The Ch'an Guild of Hui Neng is neither ‘lay’ nor ‘monastic’, but combines elements of both modes of practice in accordance with the teachings of the 6thPatriarch.
11) All precepts have at their essence the empty mind ground and the CGHN advocates the maintaining of this mind precept in all situations.
12) The basic meditation method for the CGHN is the practicing of the hua tou ‘Who is hearing?’.
Questions–Email: [email protected]