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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Having accessed the Chinese-language webpage of the 'China Daoist Association' - I thought I would translate a guiding article typical of Daoist practice within modern China. In many ways - this text mirrors the Vinaya Discipline of Chinese Buddhism. There is a tradition within Daoism that Laozi travelled to India and either 'taught' the Buddha - or 'became' the historical Buddha!
Richard Hunn (1949-2006) once stated that the underlying (empty) mind ground is the essence of ALL phenomena. This is the same today (in the contemporary UK) as it was during the Court of King Henry VIII as it was in the time of Confucius! When the surface mind is free of all 'klesa' - that is all taints of greed, hatred and delusion (that is the 'asava' or 'effluence') - then all thought and behaviour is automatically an expression of the 'Dao' (道)! Perfecting the ability of 'turning' the mind back to its 'empty' essence in ALL circumstance is what Richard Hunn referred to as 'abiding by the Mind Precept'! The 'Mind Precept' is the essence of all Vinaya and Bodhisattva Vows! Although the mind and body can be disciplined with regard to every single thought and action (one at a time in an endless precession) - the Chinese Ch'an tradition considers it a much more effective (and 'advanced') practice to immediately 'return' the mind (as advocated in the Lankavatara Sutra). This (existential) 'turning' of the mind is the essence of the Caodong School of Ch'an as transmitted by Master Xu Yun (1840-1959). The London Peace Pagoda was built in 1984 by the Greater London Council (GLC) and is situated to the North of Battersea Park (itself constructed during the 1850s). It was designed and founded by a Japanese Buddhist monastic but involves no other commitment than to relinquish ALL inner and outer notions of 'conflict'! This idea aligns exactly with uprooting ALL taints of greed, hatred and delusion in the mind (as 'thoughts') and in the body (as 'actions'). Of course, in a world full of injustice, contradiction and violence - as Buddhists - this burden falls entirely upon ourselves. The world may be 'violent' around us (and even against us) but we must proceed without fear. Doing 'nothing' with a clear and calm mind is far easier than committing all kinds of violent actions - but the habits of delusion are entrenched and very powerful as traits or patterns of cyclic manifestation! It is 'breaking' these cycles of 'action' and 'reaction' which is the most difficult undertaking. And yet it is an undertaking that ALL must take and be successful in applying. Therigatha - Groups of Five Verses A Certain Unknown Bhikkhuni (67) It is 25 years since I went forth. Not even for the duration of a snap of the fingers have I obtained stilling of mind. (68) Not having obtained peace of mind, drenched with desire for sensual pleasures, holding out my arms, crying out, I entered the vihara. (69) (That same) I went up to a bhikkhuni who was fit-to-be-trusted by me. She taught me the doctrine, the elements of existence, the sense-bases, and the elements. (70) Having heard her doctrine, I sat down on one side. I know that I have lived before; the deva-eye has been purified; (71) and there is knowledge of the state of mind (of others); the ear-element has been purified; supernormal power too has been realised by me; I have attained the annihilation of the asavas; (these) six supernormal knowledges have been realised by me; the Buddha's teaching has been done. KR Norman (Translator) - The Elders' Verses II Therigathha, Pali Text Society, Oxford, (1991), Page 11
Master Xu Yun (1840-1959) certainly understood the paradox of looking into the fabric of our minds – to ‘see’ beyond that which we look with and that which we look at and through. This process, for a Ch’an Master at least, was not considered a contradiction. This Chinese Ch’an method was and still is viewed as the true essence of the message of the historical Buddha (born in India)! Furthermore, the Chinese Ch’an School considers itself unique in preserving the ‘true’ transmission of the historical Buddha free of all the later modifications, distractions and pollutions that entered the various Buddhist communities. Contemporary Western scholars, of course, consider this attitude to be flawed and its assumption to be wrong. According to Western scholarship (which takes its cue from Japanese Buddhism), this ‘Chinese’ attitude is ‘ahistorical’ and nothing but a culturally bias fabrication. According to Japanese researchers (whose work stems from the 1868 Meiji Restoration) - genuine Buddhism ‘died-out’ centuries ago in China and has never recovered! How strange it must seem to them then, when they encounter Master Xu Yun’s biography (amongst many other eminent Masters) who assert the exact the opposite! Indeed, Master Xu Yun considered many practices associated with Lamaism to be ‘corrupt’, and repeatedly asserted that the immorality and barbarity of the Imperial Japanese Army in China (1931-1945) was the product of the moral corruption of Buddhist practice in Japan. As most Westerners cannot read either the Japanese or Chinese script, they remain unaware of the War Crimes advocated and committed by various Japanese Zen teachers before and during WWII (much of it anti-Western in nature as well as being anti-Chinese) - who later became very famous in the US and lived lives of relative luxury after the War! How strange it seems that very few people have read of how Master Xu Yun heavily criticised a group of Chinese Buddhist monks who had been to Japan and returned home eating meat, drinking alcohol and with wives and children in tow! Although it is true that our minds should be that distracted by worldly matters, at the same time it is equally true that when engaging in worldly matters, the engaging itself must be morally pristine. Of course, there are people living in Japan who are aware of these contradictions and who do seek to make amends and put historical wrongs right. In the heart of those dojo that teach genuine Zen-Ch'an all of it ‘dissolves’ into irrelevance when the correct Dharma is cultivated. I remember how respectful a delegation of Shaolin monks was treated in Japan a few years ago – particularly when they visited a small dojo whose founding ancestor had visited the Shaolin Temple on Song Mountain many hundreds of years ago! The visiting Shaolin Master studied the Chinese Transmission Documents carefully stored away and guarded in Japan – and finally declared them entirely genuine! The name and location of the dojo – together with its historical details – were taken back to the Shaolin Temple and entered in the Records of Genuine Transmission! Although truth maybe difficult to attain at times, this does not mean that we give-up the task of pursuing it. Truth must prevail over falsehood and that is all there is to it!
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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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