Dear N Following further investigtion - I received today a quote of clarification from a Chinese language thread also investigating this matter. It would seem that the recording of the Surangama Sutra being chanted online appeared during Spring 2022 (at least the full the YouTube edition is dated to May 2022) and has gone viral since - spreading incorrect historical data: '应该是忏云法师,而非虚云老和尚,我对照了佛弟子网站忏云法师的读诵和传说中虚云老和尚读诵的那个音频是一样的,不知道为何被误传是虚云老和尚读诵了' (2022-07-17 19:53) 'This recording is probably of Dharma Master Chan Yun (忏云法师 - Chan Yun Fa Shi) - and is not the Venerable Old Monk - Xu Yun (虚云). I compared this recording with the audio of Master Chan Yun’s recitation of the Surangama Sutra - as preserved on the Buddhist Disciples (佛弟子 - Fo Di Zi) website - and the two recordings are identical. Therefore, this is NOT Venerable Old Monk Xu Yun - and I cannot understand why it has been misreported that it is!' Of course, the Dharma-Names of 'Xu Yun' (虚云) and 'Chan Yun' (忏云) share an identical second ideogram of '云' (yun2) - but looks can be deceptive - as this ideogran possesses a double-meaning. The key lies in the exact interpretation of the two names: 1) 'Xu Yun' (虚云) = 'Empty Cloud' - with '云' in this case being a simplification of '雲' (yun2) - the older ideogram used to denote 'cloud'. 2) 'Chan Yun' (忏云) = 'Repentence Speech' - with '忏' being a simplification of '懺' (chan4). However, in this case, the ideogram '云' (yun2) does not refer to a 'cloud' - but instead to the act of 'speaking'. Therefore, despite a superficial resemblance between the two names, in reality they are not directly related or connected in meaning. Incidently, a further complication can added by the fact that the ideogram 忏' is usually read as 'qian1' unless otherwise qualified - and refers to the state of being 'angry' or feeling 'anger'! On the face of it, I find it hard to believe that ethnic Chinese language speakers would make such an elementary mistake. Perhaps this disinformation has its roots outside of China - as is evidenced by the fact that a YouTube version was readily available more or less off the bat. Thanks Adrian Chan-Wyles
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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?
What about the dishonest, the the lying and the deceptive? What happens when such people 'pretend' to seek Ch'an instruction, guidance or clarification? Generally speaking, this is not a problem. If the Ch'an Teacher, Master or Guide has realised the (enlightened) 'host' position, that is the 'empty mind ground', then the questioner - regardless of their apparent 'honesty' or 'dishonesty' - simply represent the (deluded) 'guest' position, and no further explanation is required. The 'honesty' and/or 'dishonesty' of the enquirer means absolutely nothing as the moral-tone of the words such individuals use are all subject (without exception) to being 'returned' to their essential source. The Hua Tou method does not discriminate or support any form of dualistic thinking or acting. The 'enlightening' function is performed by all genuine Ch'an Masters automatically turn ALL words, regardless of the moral orientation of the enquirer, back to their empty essence. When the enquirer is subjected to this process in an appropriate manner, then all delusive constructs 'drop-away' never to arise again.
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
Zhusheng Temple - which was formerly known as the Yingxiang (迎祥) Temple, and also as Bo Yu'an (钵盂庵) - is a huge complex of Buddhist monastic buildings situated on Jizu (鸡足) Mountain. The venerable old monk ‘Xu Yun’ (虚云) used his pure influence near and far to raise funds and materials to re-build and enlarge this structure. The Qing Emperor ‘Guangxiu’ (光绪) gave the temple the name ‘Hu Gou Zhu Sheng’ (护国祝圣) Temple or ‘Guard Country Pray Sage’. It is part of the far larger ‘Ten Directions Forest Tradition Great Monastic Residence’ (十方丛林大刹 - Shi Fang Cong Lin Da Sha). With a total area of 13,350 square meters, in 1984, The State Council designated Zhusheng Temple as a ‘key’ national Buddhist Temple in the Han tradition, and a prime Buddhist open event venue.
During the Jiajing (嘉靖) period of the Ming Dynasty, the temple was abandoned and eventually re-built as the Yingxiang ((迎祥) Temple. During the reign of the late Ming Dynasty Emperor ‘Chongzhen’ (崇祯) - between the end of the eleventh and the beginning of the twelfth-lunar month (from the end of December 1638 to the beginning of the first solar-month of 1639), is the time when ‘Xu Xaike’ (徐霞客) and his extended family went on a tour of the Jizu Mountains. In his book entitled ‘徐霞客游记’ (Xu Xia Ke You Ji) - or ‘Xu Xiake’s Travel Journal’ - he records that he only toured the Jizu Mountains to specifically visit the ‘Yingxiamg’ (迎祥) or ‘Welcome Auspicious’ Temple! During the Ming Dynasty the Yingxiang Temple was famous and a favourite place for the ordinary people to congregate and the great Buddhist monastics to abide within! During the reign of the Qing Dynasty Emperor ‘Guangxu’ (光绪) the ‘Yongxiang’ Temple was already in a dilapidated state! Master Xu Yun (虚云) took-on the task of repairing and extending this Buddhist monastic construction – a task which was completed during 1909 – when the complex was granted the name ‘Zhusheng’ (祝圣) Temple! Attraction Name: Zhusheng Temple Alias: Yingxiang Temple, Boyu'an Location: Binchuan County, east of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province Climate type: low-latitude plateau monsoon climate Opening hours: 07:30-19:00; Chinese statutory holidays are open all day; ropeway, sightseeing car business hours: 08:30-17:00 Affiliated Scenic Area: Jizu Mountain Scenic level: AAAA level Bus: Jizu Mountain is located in Jizushan Town, Binchuan County, 33 kilometers away from the county seat and 103 kilometers away from Dali. To Jizu Mountain, you can take a direct coach from Kunming to Binchuan County, or take a minibus from Dali Bus Station (500 meters next to Dali Railway Station) to Binchuan County. Jinniu Town, where the county seat is located, has several minibuses to and from Jizu Mountain every day. The ticket is 15 yuan and the journey takes about 1 hour. Self-Driving: Self-driving from Xiaguan, you can continue along the Jizu Mountain tourist highway from Haidong via Dali Airport, passing the Yinerlubin Tunnel, the historical and cultural village of Bai nationality in Liaocun, the wild duck pond natural scenic spot, Shangcang wetland, Xiacang pastoral Scenery, high-quality grape base, ten thousand acres of orange orchard, Huaqiao Reservoir scenic spot, etc., finally arrive at the Jizu Mountain tourist scenic spot. Original Chinese Language Text: http://www.tanluxia.com/24495/ 关于祝圣寺 来自:读者投稿 发表于 2018-5-8 祝圣寺原名迎祥寺,又名钵盂庵, 是鸡足山一座庞大的建筑群,系虚云和尚亲自在国内外募化功德创建,清光绪赐名“护国祝圣寺”,为十方丛林大刹,总面积1.335万平方米,1984年,国务院确定祝圣寺为汉族地区佛教全国重点寺院、佛教开放活动场所。明朝嘉靖年间废庵建成迎祥寺。明末崇祯十一年底至十二年的正月(公元1638年12月底至 1639年正月),大旅行家徐霞客云游鸡足山后,在《徐霞客游记》的有关鸡足山部分中,只简单地点到迎祥寺。可见在明代时,迎祥寺在鸡足山众多寺庙中的地 位还远未体现出来。迎祥寺到清朝光绪年间时,已破败不堪,到宣统六年(公元1909年)后才得以重修,并改名为祝圣寺。 景点名称:祝圣寺 别称:迎祥寺、钵盂庵 地理位置:云南省大理白族自治州东部宾川县境内 气候类型:低纬度高原季风气候 开放时间:07:30-19:00;中国法定节假日 全天开放;索道、观光车营业时间:08:30 - 17:00 所属景区:鸡足山 景区级别:AAAA级 交通指南: 公交车: 鸡足山在宾川县鸡足山镇,距县城33公里,距大理103公里。到鸡足山可从昆明乘直达宾川县的长途汽车,或在大理汽车站(大理火车站旁五百米)乘中巴车到宾川县城。县城所在地金牛镇每天都有数班中巴车往返于鸡足山。车票15元,行程大约1小时。 自驾车: 自驾车从下关出发,可自海东经大理机场后继续沿鸡足山旅游公路行驶,途经引洱入宾隧道、萂村白族历史文化名村、野鸭塘自然景区、上沧湿地、下沧田园风光、优质葡萄基地、万亩桔园、花桥水库景区等,最后到达鸡足山旅游景区。 ‘(74) Whatsoever Bhikkhu, being angry or displeased with another Bhikkhu, shall give a blow – that is a Pakittiya. (75) Whatsoever Bhikkhu, being angry or displeased with another Bhikkhu, shall make use of any threatening gesture – that is a Pakittaya. (76) Whatsoever Bhikkhu, being angry or displeased with another Bhikkhu shall harass a Bhikkhu with a (charge of) Samghadisesa without ground – that is a Pakittiya. (77) Whatsoever Bhikkhu shall intentionally suggest difficulties of conscience to a Bhikkhu, with the idea of causing him uneasiness, - even for a moment; if he does it to that end – that is a Pakittaya. (78) Whatsoever Bhikkhu shall stand by overhearing when Bhikkhus are quarrelling, or making a disturbance, or engaged in a dispute, hoping to hear what they shall utter; if he does it to that end alone – that is a Pakittiya. (79) Whatsoever Bhikkhu, when he has declared his consent to formal proceedings conducted according to the Dhamma, shall thereafter grumble (about these proceedings) - that is a Pakittaya.’ Vinaya Texts: Trans, By TW Rhys Davids and Hermann Oldenberg, Part I – the Patimokkha – The Mahavagga I-IV, Sacred Books of East (Edited by Max Muller), Motilal, (1982), Page 51 – Rules 74-79 of the 92 Rules retained in the ‘Pakittiya Dhamma’ Section of the ‘Patimokkha’ - or those transgression which the Buddha states demand ‘Require Repentance’ to purify the mind and body of the corrupting kamma of mind and body (influenced by the residual taints of greed, hatred delusion). My role model is Master Xu Yun (1840-1959) - primarily because virtually all the other Masters I have had as excellent teachers have also treated the reputation of Master Xu Yun with the utmost respect. Master Xu Yun is the immense river of ‘Dharma’ within which we all flow into and from which we all emerge empowered and invigorated. Important to this respect is the understanding of the depth and importance of the Vinaya Discipline – the body of work establish by the historical (Indian) Buddha as a guide for monastics and lay-people as they traverse the vicissitudes of life! If the Dharma is a raft which carries all living-beings from this shore to the other – the Vinaya Discipline signifies the rudder and the oars which are used to stabilise the structure and direct it in the correct direct. If the raft heads in the wrong direction – the other shore will never be reached! The raft could spend years traversing the centre of the river and flowing with the tide – unable to breakout of the cycle and reach the other shore. For many people exploring spiritual paths – this is a common experience and hindrance to achieving the final objective of ‘liberation’. ‘(6) Now at that time the Khabhggiya Bhikkhus, on the ground that three robes had been allowed by the Blessed One, used to frequent the village in one suit of three robes, and in another in another suit to rest in the Arama, and in another to go to the bath. Then those Bhikkhus who were modest were annoyed, murmured, and become indignant, saying, “How can the Khabbaggiya Bhikkhus wear extra suits of robes.” And those Bhikkhus told the matter to the Blessed One. Then the Blessed One on that occasion, when he had delivered a religious discourse, addressed the Bhikkhus, and said: “You are not, O Bhikkhus, to wear an extra suit of robes. Whosever does so, shall be dealt with according to law.” (The waist cloth [Samghati] was wrapped round the waist and back, and secured with a girdle. The under garment (antaravasaka); was and reached below the knee, being fastened wrapped round the loins and reached below the knee, being fastened round the loins by an end of the cloth being tucked in there; and sometimes also by a girdle. The upper robe (uttarasanga) was wrapped round the legs from the loins to the ankles, and the end was then drawn, at the back, from the right hip, over the left shoulder, and either (as is still the custom in Siam, and in the Siamese sect in Ceylon) allowed to fall down in front, or (as is still the custom in Burma, and in the Burmese sect in Ceylon) drawn back again over the right shoulder, and allowed to fall down on the back. From the constant reference to the practice of adjusting the robe over one shoulder as a special mark of respect – the Burmese custom would seem to be in accordance with the most ancient way of usually wearing the robe). Vinaya Texts: Trans, By TW Rhys Davids and Hermann Oldenberg, Part II – The Mahavagga V-X – The Kullavagga I-III, Sacred Books of East (Edited by Max Muller), Motilal, (1982), Page 212-213 – The MahaVagga – Eighth Khandhaka – Section Thirteen. The ‘MahaVagga’ or ‘Great Path’ contains accounts of Buddha's attainment of Enlightenment and the Enlightenment of ten other senior monks, as well as rules for Uposatha days and monastic ordination. Of course, in theory a ‘raft’ is not required to traverse a river from one shore to the opposite – but this is an option that is very dangerous and exposes each aspirant to death by drowning! In the realm of spiritual practice this symbolises the utter failure of a spiritual method used in the wrong way. Quite often, this is the expenditure of energy in a completely deficient and incoherent manner that leaves the practitioner exhausted and perhaps totally unable to recover adequately. In extreme cases it can mean ‘death’. The reality is that the raft of ‘Dharma’ is required which is directed by the ‘Vinaya Discipline’ as no other viable option remains open to the average student. Master Xu Yun understood this reality in a precise manner and was very strict upon insisting that each student should be brutally honest with themselves and others. Lying cannot and does not work when an individual is seeking to traverse the rivers of the suffering of existence! Telling the truth and remain ‘quiet’ when no vocalisation is required is the essence of the Vinaya Discipline! As a raft with no rudder or oars is unable to fulfil its function of safely transporting its passengers to the other side of the river! ‘(1) Now at that time the Blessed One was staying at Ragagaha in the Veluvana, in the Kalanaka Nivapa. And at that time no permission had been given to the Bhikkhus by the Blessed One with respect to dwellings. So the Bhikkhus dwelt now here, now there – in the woods, at the foot of trees, on hill-sides, in grottoes, in mountain caves, in cemeteries, in forests, in open places, and in heaps of straw. And at early morn they came in from this place or from that place – from the woods and where have you – decorous in their walking and turning, in their looking on or lokking round, in stretching out their arms or in drawing them back, with eyes cast down, and the dignfified in deportment. (2) Now at that time the Setthi of Ragagaha went at early morn to his garden. And the Setthi of Ragagaba saw those Bhikkhus coming in from this place and from that place – and on seeing them he took pleasure therein. And the Setthi of Ragagaba went up to the Bhikkhus and said to them: “If, Sirs, I was to have dwellings erected for you, would you take up your abode in these dwellings?” “Not so O householder. Dwellings have not been allowed by the Blessed One.” “Then, Sirs, ask the Blessed One about it, and let me know.” “Very well, O householder,” said they, in assent to the Setthi of Ragagaba. And they went up to the Blessed One, and saluted him, and took their seats on one side. And when they were so seated, they said to the Blessed One: “The Setthi of Ragagaba, Lord, wishes to have dwellings erected for us. What, Lord, should be done?” “Then the Blessed One, on that occasion and in connection, when he had delivered a religious discourse, addressed the Bhikkhus, and said: “I allow you, O Bhikkhus, abodes of five kinds – Viharas, Addhayogas, storied dwellings, attics and caves.”’ Vinaya Texts: Trans, By TW Rhys Davids and Hermann Oldenberg, Part III – Kullavagga IV-XII, Sacred Books of East (Edited by Max Muller), Motilal, (1982), Pages 137-138 – Sixth Khandhaka – On Dwellings and Furniture. The ‘Kullavaga (Cullavagga) records details of the First and Second Buddhist Councils and the establishment of the community of Bhikkhunis (Buddhist Nuns), and further rules for addressing various offenses within the Sangha (monastic community). for addressing various offenses within the Sangha (monastic community).
Remaining ‘silent’ like a broken gong is as important as using expressed words in a timely and precise manner. Indeed, remaining silent at the right moment is exactly what is required to ‘free’ an individual from the habits of their deluded mind and deficient patterns of behaviour. Although viewed with a great respect today – even during his lifetime (when he was in his hundreds) jealous members of the monastic and lay communities often made false and malicious allegations against him. These complaints evolved around false accusations that Master Xu Yun a) routinely broke the Vinaya Discipline rules, and b) did so in the most delinquent and outrageous of manners! He was accused of drinking alcohol and eating meat, as well as sexually exploiting the bodies of young monks who were sent to him for ordination and training! Although not common allegations – when they did manifest – Master Xu Yun would just smile and return to his cowshed for deep meditation – advising that all beings must be automatically forgiven for the delusion that manifests within (and dominates) their minds! Sitting quietly and manifesting compassion, loving-kindness and wisdom is the way that the Vinaya Discipline guides all living-beings to react to environment disturbances! Author’s Note: The battle against greed, hatred and delusion in the human mind (and body) is ongoing and eternal. Within Buddhist self-cultivation there must be a rigid and uncompromising ‘honesty’ with yourselves and others. Furthermore, such ‘honesty’ must also be ‘impartial’ and ‘indifferent’. As it is the expected ‘norm’ within the practice of ‘Dhamma’ - it is not considered anything ‘special’ once established and maintained. If a practitioner either mistakenly (or purposely) believes themselves ‘Enlightened’ when still held firmly in the grip of the three taints – then hellish inner and outer karma is not just generated but is magnified through its association with a malfunctioning Dhamma! This form of destructive self-delusion (and pseudo-enlightenment) is exactly what the Buddha and his disciples warned about through their teaching! This means that the empty mind ground only underlies good, bad and neutral conditions when it is directly experienced as doing so – and NOT before. For a person whose mind is still clouded by these three taints – then the empty mind ground is NOT yet known to be a) present and b) underlying all conditioned and non-conditioned states. Without first DIRECTLY experiencing and merging with the empty mind ground – a practitioner cannot claim to be ‘Enlightened’ simply by intellectually ‘knowing’ and ‘understanding’ that the empty mind ground exists in theory behind ALL material states. For a genuine experience of ‘Enlightenment’ to occur, the Dhamma must be properly followed and its fruits of practice gathered in a honest manner. Only strict discipline on the psychological and physical planes will gather enough purified inner energy for a genuine breakthrough in understanding to take place. The Mahasiddhis in the Tantric tradition, for instance, often dedicate their lives to nearly impossible tasks of spiritual discipline and purification that take twelve, twenty-four (or even longer) years to achieve! Many Mahayana practitioners ‘delay’ their entry into Nibbana over many lives in order to ‘rescue’ and ‘sae’ as many beings as possible from suffering! Those of the Theravada Scholl often dedicate decades of their lives quietly sitting in the depths of the forest until their individual minds are cleared of all impurities! Again, ‘honesty’ is the key to progression. ACW (31.8.2021) As a follower of the Dharma, I see no contradictions in any of three contemporary schools – the Theravada, the Mahayana and Vajra (Tantra)-yana – methods of achieving Enlightenment. The Dhammapada Sutta is a prime example of the Buddha’s early (and over-all) teaching – which sees the conservative Theravada School quote frequently from it (see the Visuddhimagga) - whilst completely ignoring its Mahayana and Vajrayana content – most of which contradicts the central tenants of the ‘Hinayana’ movement! Certainly, this type of ‘Sutta’ preserved in the old Pali Cannon appears to contain the seeds of both Mahayana and Vajrayana practice. This means that these pathways cannot be ‘later’ diversions from the Buddha’s orthodox teachings – but must have been present in his ‘original’ expression of the Dhamma. This suggests that there were other trends or traits of Buddhist teaching that existed side by side with the Theravada and which taught far broader and more comprehensive Dhamma-theories. As these schools did not compete or seek worldly influence and power – and given their practitioners often withdrew for years (or decades) from the world of common interaction – their presence in the historical record did not develop until much later on, when the dialectical conditions within society favoured a more comprehensive definition of the Dhamma and what it means to be ‘Enlightened’. Although sound academic claims have been made which present the Mahayana and Vajrayana as being ‘corruptions’ of the Buddha’s original teaching – suggesting that Hinduism, Jainism and even Islamic ideas infiltrated the interpretation of the Dhamma – this model does not hold when the Dhammapada Sutta is taken into account. As the Dhammapada Sutta emanates from the ‘Word of the Buddha’, then it is his solemn expression of the Dhamma with no outside influences. Of course, the Theravada ideologues often counter this assertion by stating extracts from ultra-conservative Suttas – with each implying that only monks can achieve enlightenment who live in a forest – and no one else! The problem here, is that much of this material is now proven as being the product of additions, omissions and clever monkish editing to justify the ethos of the Theravada School. The Theravada School could get away with this in a time-period when only Buddhist monastics could read and write and the laity had to take their word for what the Buddha taught. Today, through the science of ‘Philology’, it is clear that the Dhammapada Sutta contains unaltered (ancient) content which has proven to be an embarrassment to the conservatism of the Theravada School! Indeed, evidence suggests that the Dhammapada Sutta was a much more prominent Buddhist text until the laity started using its content to ‘doubt’ the ‘conservativism’ of the Theravada School – whose editors ‘hid’ the Sutta away and started to emphasis more one-sided Dhamma-expressions. Even at the time of the Buddha’s Parinibbana (all-round and thorough ‘extinction’) - not all the elder monks (or groups of monks) who had learned directly from him - accepted the Theravada School as being entirely correct. This is not to say that the Theravada School is ‘wrong’ - but that its claim to an ‘exclusive’ legitimacy is not fully supported by the known facts. The conservative approach of the Theravada School is suitable for those individuals who require that type of approach to learning the Dhamma. However, it is also true that the Buddha also taught a number of other interpretations of his path – each extending the depth and broadness of the concept of ‘Enlightenment’ and how it is to be applied to the world. All pathways are of equal validity and it is probably the case that most people will at one time or another in their lives – explore all three pathways. For the Theravada School a Buddhist monastic living deep in the forest (away from ALL worldly contact) occupies the ideal situation for Dhamma-study. The six senses are ‘purified’ by ‘breaking’ ALL contact with worldly interaction whilst living in a meditation hut and following the Vinaya Discipline. Overtime, the six senses are thoroughly cleaned-out as the ridge-pole of ignorance is broken through a continuous practice of seated meditation. This is achieved by permanently uprooting greed, hatred and delusion. Once nibbana is attained, no more volitional karma is produced, but the continued existence of the physical body symbolises the accumulative effects of past karma – although after the realisation of ‘Enlightenment’ - all previously bad karma is greatly reduced. When the karmic force that powers each physical existence is exhausted – then the five aggregates (physical matter, sensation, perception, thought formation and consciousness) dissolve and fall away never to ‘re-combine’. Interestingly, the Theravada model implies that only monks can realise ‘Enlightenment’ even though numerous Pali Suttas clearly state that a number of lay-men and women also realised complete ‘Enlightenment’ during the Buddha’s lifetime. This openly contradicts the Theravada School – which suggests that if an ‘Enlightened’ monk were to return to lay-life – then his ‘Enlightened’ state would regress as his six senses would once again be ‘sullied’ through interaction with the world. The Pali Suttas that the Theravada School preserve contradict most of the accrued dogma that this school preserves. Obviously, men and women can attain ‘Enlightenment’ even if they live within the pollution of everyday society, and according to the Dhammapada Sutta - ‘Enlightenment’ can be attained in places other than a forest – with the realisers not suffering any regression by changing their living conditions. This does not mean that the over-all methodology of the Theravada School is ‘incorrect’ - but rather that as a method it fits into a broader scheme designed by the Buddha. Somewhere along the line a group of monks seeking political (worldly) power established a number of outrageous claims that have gone unchallenged. The Mahayana School (which is a collection of Sects all teaching a variant upon a theme), also states that it might be in the interests of the individual to withdraw from the sensory stimulus of the everyday world to get to grips with the unruly mind. This is not the ‘end’ of the matter by any means – but merely the beginning of an ongoing and arduous process of self-purification. Much of the Mahayana pathway is premised upon ‘Compassion’ for other beings and includes methods of wise and loving modes of behaviour whilst interacting within the ordinary world. This means that even when living within the world of delusion, the Dhamma can be followed in such a manner that benefits others whilst pursuing a much slower path of purification. As Hui Neng (the Sixth Patriarch of Ch’an) states in his Altar Sutra – once the six senses are thoroughly purged of ALL dualistic and inverted (volitional) karma, then greed, hatred and desire are PERMANENTLY uprooted never to re-appear again regardless of the situations such ‘Enlightened’ individuals are forced to exist within. (Hui Neng had to live in the hills with bandits for sixteen years but only ate the vegetables they cooked alongside their meat). Herein lies a major interpretative difference between the Theravada and Mahayana Schools. Other than this, however, the experience of ‘Enlightenment’ is essentially the same. An ‘Enlightened’ Mahayana practitioner CANNOT regress regardless of circumstances – which he or she merely adjusts themselves to (neither attached to the inner void or hindered by external phenomena). Whereas Chinese Ch’an Masters were often reticent to discuss the post-enlightenment state (to prevent pointless mimicry and ego-boosting) - the Vajrayana School of Tantra explains this process over and over again within the literature associated with the ‘Mahasiddhis’ - or ‘Enlightened’ Indian men and women all from very different backgrounds! Again, the root essence of this can be found in the Dhammapada Sutta where the Buddha explains who and what a ‘monk’ and a ‘Brahmin’ actually are! In reality, there is no difference in the experience of ‘Enlightenment’ as taught in the Theravada, Mahayana and Tantra Schools, as the experience being explained is exactly the same. It is the experience of the underlying and empty mind ground, which is the accumulation of bodily discipline and ‘stilling’ of the mind so that the karmically conditioned taints of greed, hatred and delusion are permanently uprooted. The differences lie in how each school teaches the path to the attainment of ‘Enlightenment’ and the accumulated dogma that has manifested due to historical conditions many hundreds of years after the passing of the Buddha. The Theravada offers a narrow gate, the Mahayana advocates a wide gate and the Tantrayana states that the ‘gate’ is ‘everywhere’ and ‘wherever’ a practitioner happens to be. This is because the empty mind ground underlies all phenomena and is not limited to a forest. Whereas the Mahayana emphasises the ‘path’ over the ‘destination’ - the Tantrayana offers the ‘destination’ over the ‘path’! However, things are not always this clear in demarcation, as some Theravada teachers offer a distinctly ‘Mahayana’ approach to their conservativism, whilst a number of Mahayana teachers are so strict that they come across as typical of the Theravada School. On occasion, there are Chinese Ch’an Masters who begin with ‘Enlightenment’ (just like the Tantrayana Masters), and will not compromise, negotiate or explain what they are doing. In reality we should study all three schools and make use of their experience and expertise in the matter of freeing humanity from its ongoing and accumulated suffering! A genuine experience of the empty mind ground unleashes an uncommon wisdom which sheds light on all this and demonstrates the genuine way ahead!
“A man like this will not go where he has no will to go, will not do what he has no mind to do. Though the world might praise him and say he had really found something, he would look unconcerned and never turn his head; though the world might condemn him and say he had lost something, he would look serene and pay no heed. The praise and blame of the world are no loss or gain to him.” Daoist Immortal Zhuangzi Anyone who penetrates the empty mind ground instantly realises the ‘Dao’ (道) of reality. After-all, this perception of inner ‘void’ will always accompany the enlightened person as they traverse the materiality of the external world. One is neither ‘attached’ to the bliss-like nature of the inner void – and neither are they ‘hindered’ by the attractive nature of the external world! Perception, moment by moment, is a continuous ‘integration’ of form and void so that there is no contradiction or paradox present in everyday experience. This is why chopping wood and fetching water are prime examples of expressing the genuine and true ‘Dao’. Enlightenment within the Chinese Ch’an School is a living reality. It is not a dead teaching once known but now no longer understood. Chinese scholarship does not adhere to the various trends of interpretation extant in the West (or Japan) - as the Chinese people know their own culture. In my view it is the Cao Dong School that expresses the Chinese Ch’an School with the greatest scientific precision. The other four schools of Ch’an are all excellent in their own ways, and certainly contribute greatly to the reality of the living tradition of ancient Indian Buddhism (Dhyana) as it was transmitted into China. However, from the perspective of integrating the native Confucianism of China with the ‘foreign’ religion of Indian Buddhism – the ‘roundel’ system devised by Master Dong and Master Cao is nothing less than an Ingenious device for explaining the inner mind, the outer body and environment – and how both integrate and operate in the enlightened state! The Cao Dong School is the personal (and preferred) lineage of Master Xu Yun (1840-1959) - even though he agreed to ‘inherit’ ALL Five Schools of Chinese Ch’an (and did not discriminate in anyway). His root teaching was the Cao Dong School and this is what he passed-on to his personal students and disciples. This is known within China as Master Xu Yun had thousands of such descendants, but it is a reality he seldom discussed in public or talked about in his biography. A Ch’an monastic, for example, must be ‘lower’ than the lowest lay-person – so that he or she can act as a supportive foundation for all lay-Dharma practice! By following the Vinaya Discipline a Ch’an monastic learns to be like the broad earth found in the ‘Classic of Change’ (Yijing), so that the ‘divine sky’ of an expansive consciousness can be correctly cultivated in the sincere Dharma student. Charles Luk (1898-1978) inherited this Cao Dong teaching from Master Xu Yun and was tasked with transmitting it to the West. Charles Luk taught hundreds of people in the West, and I am sure he transmitted the Dharma to a number of discerning practitioners. However, Charles Luk taught my teacher - Richard Hunn (1949-2006) - who lived in the UK. One of the first instructions Richard Hunn gave me was that I was to spend at least ten years studying the ‘Book of Change’ (Yijing) - reading the profound text daily. I tended to read a single chapter ascribed to each of the 64 hexagrams and continued to repeat this cycle until the thinking (and symbolism) of the Yijing penetrated deep into my being! This is how I developed the inherent understanding of how the Five Ranks of Prince and Minister operates within the Cao Dong School. The understanding of these five roundels is either misunderstood in the West, or only superficially grasped. Most people simply ignore it due to the influence of the Japanese Soto Master – Dogen – and his emphasis on ‘just sitting’ - but he must have studied and understood this device as a Dharma-Inheritor! By looking into the empty foundation that is beyond perception and non-perception – a Cao Dong practitioner is literally looking into the profound essence of the single roundel that contains all roundels! After-all, what other possible explanation could there be? On top of this, the Cao Dong Masters drew the ‘thunderbolt’ as a means to explain this interconnectivity and how a genuine student tends to experience an unfolding mind as it develops. Some state that this ‘thunderbolt’ may be influenced by the imagery associated with Tibetan Buddhism. A Western (and Japanese) tendency is to view the five roundels as indicating five ‘ranks’ through which a practitioner traverses – from the lowest to the highest – as if each roundel represents a coloured belt in Judo. This is not the case at all. In the ‘Book of Changes’ there are 64 chapters – but no single chapter is considered ‘superior’ or ‘inferior’ to any other! Each of the 64 chapters exists as part of the other 63 chapters – perfect in its placement, situation and function. This is exactly how the Five Ranks interact with one another. All are contained within each – and there is never an implication that a practitioner moves from one self-contained level to another! Just as consciousness is infinite – the Cao Dong roundels represent an insight into the bottomless nature of human awareness. The Buddha, of course, stated that enlightenment is that conscious awareness which exists just beyond (and behind) the ability to ‘perceive’ (form) and ‘non-perceive’ (void). Chinese Ch’an does not go beyond this.
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!
Master Xu Yun (1840-1959) is the embodied of the Confucian ideal that the manner with which a person organised their inner-being – has a direct co-relation upon how the outer world surrounding that person operates. Why is this correct? It is correct because on the molecular-level, body-cells resonate with a particular frequency. If an individual possesses a mind polluted with greed, hatred and delusion, then his or her body-language will exude these attitudes and his or her behaviour will engineer a physical reality that best represents this inner chaos. In other words, good people will be driven away, and equally bad people will be attracted. Combining these ‘bad’ patterns of behaviour will generate social and cultural structures that emphasis greed, hatred and delusion – and push away or ‘de-emphasis’ any other mode of existence! This is not to say the mind is literally ‘creating’ physical matter – as the world already pre-exists each individual born into it – but rather a ‘frequency’ of existence is manifested through each mind and body living in the world! An individual’s attitude toward life can influence others into changing their lives for the better. An individual whose inner being is thoroughly corrupt will build a life premised upon this chaos and attract others who feel the same way. On the other hand, if an individual meditates effectively, and disciplines their behaviour, then this sets a very different example – as if the ‘frequency’ of the air molecules surrounding such a being resonate with purity, goodness and inspiration! This reality takes on a ‘foundational’ existence which underlies any other expression of communication. This is indicative of the ‘type’ of person the individual happens to be, and pre-exists the words they use and the behaviour patterns they exude! A ‘sagely’ person exhibits every character trait and behaviour pattern that guides humanity away from greed, hatred and delusion, and toward the direct perception of the ‘empty mind-ground'. This is an attitude toward existence that is permanent and no longer a matter of choice or forced will-power. A sagely and awe-inspiring deportment becomes as natural as the wind blowing across the face of a mountain! There is no contrivance – only an eternal and resonating ‘presence’ of ‘goodness’ for all to benefit from! Once an individual establishes this reality within and without them – then their words and actions become messengers of this reality that lead all other beings to this ‘frequency’ of being! This is how greed, hatred and delusion are permanently ‘uprooted’ from the mind of humanity and the patterns of behaviour humanity routinely choices to exhibit to the world!
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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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