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.
Translator’s Note: There is an all-important ‘Precept’ missing from this Chinese-language encyclopaedia page regarding Buddhist ordination – and that is the principle of the ‘Mind Precept’ (心戒 - Xin Jie). This is the central practice of ‘Caodong’ Ch’an and all genuine Buddhism. Furthermore, it makes no difference whether a practitioner is a ‘lay’ person or an ordained member of the Sangha – as ALL six senses are continuously ‘returned’ to the empty mind ground at all times during the time of day or night. Therefore, the hundreds of rules each monastic has to follow are immediately fulfilled every moment through this device and it is the method all mature monastics use. This is because the Buddhist rules are not upheld one after another as if in sequence – but are upheld simultaneously – all at once! Conversely, a lay person chopping wood and fetching water immediately ‘spiritualises’ these mundane activities by automatically ‘returning’ ALL six sense organs to the empty mind ground – thus upholding not only the ‘5’, ‘8’ or ‘10’ lay Precepts – but every Precept ever conceived (and none at all)! Obviously, if hundreds of Precepts are meticulously upheld - but the empty mind ground has not been realised - then what good are the hundreds of Precepts? Such a superficial practice merely becomes another example of ‘attachment’! Once the empty mind is realised then it is understood that there is no difference between ‘lay’ and ‘monastic’ - and there are no Precepts that can be upheld if they manifest ‘separate’ from the empty mind ground! ACW (26.6.2022)
Anyone who commits themselves to the Buddhist Path (Dharma) should voluntarily observe (or embrace and uphold) the Rules of Discipline (Precepts) in order to purify the mind, body and environment! In so doing, such a practitioner firmly establishes the purity of the Dharma in the world! These rules were first established by the Historical Buddha in ancient India as a means to support the central element of his teaching commonly known as the ‘Dharma’. The ‘Dharma’ is the ‘Word’ of the Buddha whilst the ‘Vinaya Discipline’ is a secondary vehicle of support and clarification of this ‘word’. Different sets of Precepts have arisen due to varying interpretations developing within the many different Schools of Buddhist Thought. As a consequence, the Rules of Discipline are divided into Five (5), Eight (8) and Ten (10) Precepts for the male and female ‘Laity’ - and Complete Systems of Hundreds of Precepts for the fully ‘Ordained’ male and female ‘Upholders of the Dharma’! Invariably, it is a general rule that ‘women’ are required to adhere to more ‘Precepts’ than men. Broadly speaking, these categories can be described as ‘Hinayana’, ‘Mahayana’, ‘Lay’, ‘Monk’ (Bhikshu) and ‘Nun’ (Bhikshuni), etc. With regards to monastic ordination, a practitioner is only considered a full Buddhist ‘monk’ or ‘nun’ AFTER all the Precepts have been transmitted by a competent and qualified Precept-Master, and accepted, upheld and established as a minute-by-minute (daily) practice by the recipient. Prior to this, however, a male or female ‘Novice’ must adhere to the ‘Ten Precepts’ of purity which include (1) Not to Kill, (2) Not to Steal, (3) Not to engage in Sexual Contact, (4) Not to Lie, (5) Not to drink Alcohol, (6) Not to Adorn the body with Perfume, (7) Not to listen to Music or watch or participate in Dancing, (8) Not to sit or lie upon High Beds, (9) Not to Eat Outside od Set Times, and (10) Not to amass (or handle) Silver and Gold! The Buddhist monks of the Theravada School Uphold 227 Precepts, whilst the nuns Uphold 331 precepts. The Buddhist monks in China Uphold 250 precepts, whilst the nuns Uphold 348 precepts – whilst Tibetan Buddhist Lamas Uphold 253 precepts. Chinese Buddhist monks and nuns (who Adhere to the Mahayana) are also required to Uphold the Bodhisattva Precepts. Those monastics who take the Precepts are not allowed to wantonly or casually ‘break’ these Precepts - but they are allowed to declare that they want to abandon these Precepts and return to the unrestrained Secular world. Those who break the Precepts – but who wish to remain a monk or nun - will be punished as a means to resolve the matter of ill-discipline (an action designed to ‘uproot’ the greed, hatred and delusion in the mind and body which led to the infraction). If there are special circumstances, however, and as a matter of both ‘Wisdom’ and ‘Compassion’ - a temporary exception can be applied that involves no punishment. With the Chinese Buddhist monastic tradition there is the convention of applying burning incense cones to specific areas on the ‘Forehead’ and ‘Wrist’ of the ordained Buddhist monk or nun. This is designed, through the resulting pain, to ‘burn’ the importance of the ‘Precepts’ deep into the mind and body of the Practitioner of the Dharma! The pain itself, as it is applied with a ‘Pure Intent’, assists in the uprooting of ‘greed’, ‘hatred’ and ‘delusion’ from the mind and body of the ‘Dharma Practitioner’! Invariably, the resulting ‘Black’ scars are burnt into the skin in rectangular groups of ‘3’, ‘6’, ‘9’ or ‘12’ dots! The ‘Black’ scars often fade to ‘White’ dots – and the more ‘dots’ a practitioner carries – the greater their strength is considered in Upholding the Precepts! When ‘Taking the Precepts’ period is over, the practitioner is issued with a ‘Certificate of Precept-Taking’ and a ‘List of Precepts’ taken, etc. Chinese Language Reference: https://baike.baidu.com/item/受戒/32136 佛教制度 凡皈依佛教的人都应受持戒律,以便更好修行。因不同教派对教义的不同理解,产生了不同的戒条。分为五戒、八戒、十戒、俱足戒等。或小乘戒、大乘戒、居士戒、比丘戒、比丘尼戒等。出家者受持戒法后即成为正式僧尼。 沙弥和沙弥尼必须受持十戒,即不杀生、不偷盗、不淫、不妄语、不饮酒、不涂饰香鬘,不视听歌舞,不坐高广大床、不非时食、不蓄金银财宝 。上座系佛教比丘有227戒,比丘尼有331戒,此传汉地比丘守250戒,比丘尼守348戒,藏传佛教喇嘛持253戒。 信奉大乘的汉地佛教僧尼还须受菩萨戒。凡受戒者不许破戒,但允许声明舍戒还俗。破戒者要受到惩罚。如果遇特殊情况,也可以暂时破例开戒。为表示笃信佛法、虔守佛规,需受戒,即用戒香炙烧头额或手腕,炙成3个、6个、9个或12个黑疤,越多表示越虔诚,戒期完毕,由传戒者发给“戒牒”及“同戒录”。 Buddhism Online Overseas News from May 4th to 8th, 2017, at the invitation of the President of the International Association of Buddhist Universities and the President of Mahachulalongkorn University in Thailand, Dharma Master Xiang Xue (向学) - the Vice President of the Buddhist Academy of China - and his four-member delegation went to Thailand to attend the Third Conference of the International Association of Buddhist Universities! The theme of this conference was "to promote the mutual exchange and common development of Buddhist universities around the world".
The participants included members of the International Association of Buddhist Universities from all over the world, experts and scholars in Buddhism and its application, as well as delegations of masters and laypeople from all over the world. The delegation of the Buddhist Association of China was headed by Venerable Master Xiang Xue, the Vice President of the Buddhist Academy of China, together with Dharma Master Yuanci (圆慈), the Director of the Education and Training Department as well the Secretary-General, Dharma Master Sihe (思和), Lecturer at the Buddhist Academy of China and Editor of ‘Chinese Buddhism’ (中国佛学 - Zhong Guo Fo Xue) as well as Dharma Master Zhenyu (振宇) the Vice President of Fujian Buddhist College - comprised the group that were cordially met (and cared for) by Elder Fanzhi (梵智) during their stay in Thailand. On the afternoon of the 5th of May, 2017, Master Yuanci and Master Sihe attended the meeting of the Executive Committee held in the Meeting Room of the President's Building of Mahachulalongkorn University. The meeting discussed the content development of this session and the work arrangement of the specific person in charge. At 9 am on the 6th, the Opening Ceremony was held in the Conference Hall of Mahachulalongkorn University. The Thai Sangha delivered a welcome speech, and the President of the Hungarian Mindfulness Training Application Association delivered a keynote speech, introducing mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy, the comparison of modern and traditional mindfulness training, and the latest developments in the combination of Dharma and modern science in Hungary and the world at large. In the afternoon, five different sessions were held simultaneously on various aspects of the development of Buddhist universities. At these branching-out meetings, under the auspices of experts from various countries, the participants had heated discussions on topics such as curriculum development, practice setting, responsibilities confirmation of members of the International Association of Buddhist Universities, and teaching supervision, and achieved substantial results. On the morning of the 7th, delegations from various countries participated in the Unveiling Ceremony of the new Teaching Building of the International Buddhist College of Mahachulalongkorn University. The International Buddhist College is a training centre of the University specially established to provide international students with the ability to research and apply teachings of Buddhism in both the Northern and the Southern traditions. Due to rapid development in recent years, the University specially raised funds to build a new Teaching Building to house the College. It is reported that due to the continuous deepening of exchanges between Buddhists in China and Thailand, the number of Chinese monks and laypeople studying here is also increasing. After the unveiling ceremony, all the participants were engaged in intensive thematic seminars. There were three Conference Halls in use during the seminar, and the three major themes of Buddhist texts, meditation training, and contemporary application of mindfulness were discussed at the same time. Dharma masters, meditation masters and scholars from all over the world shared their achievements in specific fields, and received warm responses from the audience. This sharing involved the most cutting-edge research and application results of Buddhist studies around the world. Buddhist texts included "Common Buddhist Texts", which selects the most important scriptures in Chinese, Tibetan and Pali, presenting them in English and in modern discourse, and actively translating the content into other languages; First of all, meditation masters from Myanmar, Thailand, Britain, Cambodia, India and other places, gave a detailed introduction to various meditative methods of as practiced within Southern Buddhism. Next, were meditation masters and scholars from Hong Kong, South Korea, Vietnam and other places. They discussed the Mahayana meditation method, whilst finally, a Bhutanese meditation master from Germany shared the Tibetan meditative method; in the application of contemporary mindfulness, the speakers were mainly from Australia, India, the Netherlands, Sri Lanka, the United States and other countries. The speeches mainly included Psychotherapy, hospice care, and Dharma dissemination from specific cultural contexts based on Buddhism and meditative development. On the 8th, the participants went to the United Nations Conference Center in Bangkok to participate in the celebration of the Buddha's Birthday - Vesak Day. At the ceremony, important figures such as the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Director-General of UNESCO, the Princess of Thailand, the Minister of Organization of Thailand, the President of the International Association of Buddhist Universities and the President of Maha Chulalongkorn University attended and delivered speeches. During this period, the Chinese delegation and the princess exchanged gifts, and the President also had friendly talks with the Chinese delegation and took a group photograph. This conference not only broadened the horizons of the participants, but also enhanced the friendship between the Buddhist representatives from various countries and regions, providing a rare opportunity to promote Buddhist exchanges and educational cooperation throughout the world. (Text: Sihe - 思和)) Chinese Language Article: http://business.fjnet.com/hwjj/haiwainr/201705/t20170511_244533.htm 中国佛教协会代表团赴泰国出席第三届佛教大学国际协会会议 2017年05月11日 10:51:00 中国佛教协会 中国佛教协会代表团赴泰国出席第三届佛教大学国际协会会议 摩诃朱拉隆功大学国际佛学院新教学楼揭牌仪式合影 佛教在线海外讯 2017年5月4日至8日,应佛教大学国际协会主席、泰国摩诃朱拉隆功大学校长梵智长老邀请,中国佛学院副院长向学法师一行4人赴泰出席佛教大学国际协会第三届会议。本次会议主旨为“促进世界各地佛教大学的相互交流与共同发展”。 与会者有来自世界各地的佛教大学国际协会职事会成员,有佛学及应用方面的专家学者,也包括来自各国的法师、居士代表团。中国佛教协会代表团以中国佛学院副院长向学法师为团长,教育培训部主任圆慈法师为秘书长,中国佛学院讲师、《中国佛学》编辑思和法师与福建佛学院副院长振宇法师等参团,在泰期间受到梵智长老的亲切会见。 5日下午,园慈法师、思和法师参加了在摩诃朱拉隆功大学校长楼会议室举行的执委会会议。会议讨论了本届会议的内容开展和具体负责人的工作安排。6日上午9时,在摩诃朱拉隆功大学会议厅举行开幕式。泰国僧王致欢迎辞,匈牙利正念训练应用协会主席发表了主题演讲,介绍了基于正念的减压疗法、现代和传统正念训练的对比,以及匈牙利乃至整个世界在佛法和现代科学方面结合的最新动态。下午则针对佛教大学发展的各个方面同时进行了五场不同的分会。分会上,与会者在来自各国专家的主持下,分别就课程研发、实修设置、佛教大学国际协会成员职责确认、教学监管等议题进行了热烈讨论,并取得了实质性成果。 7日上午,各国代表团参加了摩诃朱拉隆功大学国际佛学院新教学楼的揭牌仪式。国际佛学院是该校一所专为国际学生提供南北传佛学研究与应用而设立的学院。由于近年来发展迅速,学校专门筹资为该院修建了新教学楼。据悉,由于中泰佛教的不断深入,目前在此就读的中国法师和居士的人数也在不断增长。揭牌仪式之后,全体与会者投入了紧凑的主题研讨会。研讨会共有三个大会场,分别就佛教文本、禅修训练、当代正念应用三大主题同时进行研讨。来自世界各地的法师、禅师及学者们就自己在特定领域所取得的成果进行了深入的分享,并获得了在场听众的热烈反响。这些分享涉及到了全球范围内佛学最前沿的研究与应用成果。佛教文本方面包括“共同佛教文本”,该项成果精选了汉语、藏语、巴利语中最重要的经文,以英文和现代话语形式进行呈现,并积极向各国翻译推广;禅修方面,首先由缅甸的帕奥禅师以及泰国、英国、柬埔寨、印度等地的禅师们对南传佛教各种禅法进行了详细的介绍,接下来由中国香港、韩国、越南等地的禅师和学者们对大乘禅法进行了探讨,最后来自德国的不丹籍禅师对藏传禅法进行了分享;当代正念应用方面,演讲者主要来自澳大利亚、印度、荷兰、斯里兰卡、美国等国家,演讲主要包括基于佛学和禅法的心理理疗、临终关怀、脱离特定文化语境的佛法传播等内容。 8日,参会者前往首都曼谷联合国会议中心参加南传佛教佛诞日—卫塞节庆典。庆典上联合国秘书长、联合国教科文组织总干事、泰国王妃、泰国组织部长、佛教大学国际协会会长兼摩诃朱拉隆功大学校长等重要人物一一出席、致辞。期间中方代表团和王妃之间互赠礼品,会长也与中方代表团进行了友好洽谈、合影留念。 此次会议不仅开阔了参会人员的眼界,还增进了与各国各地区佛教代表之间的友谊,为促进世界佛教交流与教育合作提供了难得的机会。(文:思和) Compared to its popularity experienced during the prosperous times of the Tang and Song Dynasties, Chinese Ch’an Buddhism gradually declined during the middle-Qing Dynasty, and disappeared from public (or ‘obvious’) view by the end of the Qing Dynasty. However, after a long period of integration between Ch’an Buddhism and local Chinese culture, the Ch’an lineages went underground and were passed on within the deep roots of everyday Chinese culture. This is why Ch’an Buddhism survived into the Republic of China time period, and experienced a revival. There were eminent monastics such as Darma Master ‘Jing An’ (敬安), Dharma Master ‘Yuan Ying’ (圆瑛) and Great Master ‘Tai Xu’ (太虚), this is as well as excellent work of the Venerable Old Monk ‘Xu Yun’ (虚云), Ch’an Master Lai Guo (来果), Dharma Master ‘Ming Zhen’ (明真), Dharma Master ‘Yin Shun’ (印顺) and Ch’an Master Yue Xi (月溪). All these Buddhist monastics breathed new life into the Ch’an Dharma due to their collective presence and extraordinary endeavours. However, this revitalisation was not only a monastic affair, as these ordained Masters received very important assistance from esteemed lay-practitioners such as ‘Yuan Huanxian’ (袁焕仙), Jia Jitao (贾题韬) and ‘Nan Huaijin’ (南怀瑾). Indeed, Chinese Ch’an Buddhism survived due to the efforts of enlightened lay-practitioners who inherited and transmitted lineages ‘behind the scenes’ until the monastic institutions had recovered and could produce monks and nuns capable of receiving, teaching and continuing transmission into the modern times.
The Old Venerable Monk Xu Yun is an outstanding representative of this process who tried his best to revitalize Ch’an Buddhism from within the late Qing Dynasty. He preached the Dharma throughout his life, and continued the Five Schools of Ch’an with a straight and capable heir. He studied the Sutras deeply, practiced meditation profoundly and mastered many different meditation methods, He understood Ch’an Practice, how to apply Ch’an practic and how to deal with the many false-paths and dead insights that many encounter whilst practicing Ch’an meditation or experiencing the Ch’an method. In-short, Master Xu Yun recovered the entire pathway of authentic Chinese Ch’an Buddhist practice. With a broad and all-encompassing mind, he united and consolidated the Five Schools of Ch’an, and encouraged an integration between Ch’an and the Pure Land School. This is why in China today he is known as the ‘禅宗泰斗’ (Chan Zong Tai Dou) - or ‘Ch’an Lineage Leading Authority’. https://tieba.baidu.com/p/1393291013 相对于唐宋时期的兴盛,禅宗在清中叶以后逐渐凋零,到清末已衰颓至极。但是,禅宗与中华本土文化经过长期的融合,根深蒂固,终未至于失传绝嗣的地步,至民国时期,禅宗仍然法脉绵延,宗风犹存,不仅有敬安法师、圆瑛法师、太虚大师、虚云老和尚、来果禅师、明真法师、印顺法师、月溪禅师等一批高僧大德主持佛法,重振禅宗,更有袁焕仙、贾题韬、南怀瑾等一批长者、居士大力扶持,继承变革,成为禅宗由近代走向现代的滥觞。 虚云老和尚是晚清以来竭力振兴禅宗的杰出代表。他毕生弘法,以一身直嗣或远续了禅门五宗的法脉。他深究经藏,修习禅定,在禅修方法、禅境分析、禅病对治等方面都有见地,形成一套完整系统的禅学理论。又以广博的胸怀,融会诸宗,禅净双修,广弘禅教,被誉为“禅宗泰斗”。下面就虚云老和尚的弘教事业和禅学思想分别介绍。 Third Lay-Meditation Retreat Successfully Held at Donghua (东华) Ch’an Temple - End of August – 201411/23/2021 A full and complete ‘Ch’an Week Retreat’ was held within the Donghua Ch’an Temple between the 25th - 31st of August, 2014. The content and format of this meditation session remained basically the same as the two previous two Ch’an Week Retreats, except that the requirements for the students on this occasion was much stricter, with more than 90% of the students voluntarily requesting a far greater silence! In order to facilitate the reduction of ‘delusive’ movement in the mind and to facilitate the ‘stilling’ of the mind ‘realisation’ – the three-meals served each day in the ‘Fast Hall’ (斋堂 - Zhai Tang) were administered each day according to the Strict Vinaya Discipline as required by the ‘Arahant’ (罗汉 - Luo Han) tradition of rules followed by ordained Buddhist monks and nuns. The lay practitioners were amazed to experience this vehicle for ‘inner’ and ‘outer’ stillness and benefitted greatly from its practice! For many of the lay-practitioners – tis was the first-time they had encountered a deliberately ‘conscious’ approach to ‘eating’ and ‘drinking’ - realising just how integrated with ‘greed’, ‘hatred’ and ‘delusion’ such apparently ‘mundane’ activities can involve! The 'Great Venerable' - and 'Head Monk' - Qi Xiang (起香): 'All Things Are Gathered Together from Across the Ten Directions into a Single 'Still' Moment. This is where You Learn 'Wuwei' (无为) - Or How 'Action' and 'Inaction' Embrace One-Another Without Conflict. The Realised 'Empty' and 'Still' Mind Permeates and 'Purifies a Complete Buddha-Field! All This is Achieved Through Cultivating an All-Embracing 'Empty Mind' Within Which All-Thing Arise and Pass Away!' The Venerable Mangala Thero had no interest in the Mahayana teachings. I had turned-up in Sri Lanka with my very worn copy of Charles Luk’s English translation of the ‘Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra’ - which deals in-part in the limitation of the Hinayana Path (which I personally do not associate with the Theravada School) as opposed to the broad-minded and more complete Mahayana Path. Vimalakirti – as an enlightened layman – was able to ‘turn the words’ of the more conservative monastic followers of the Buddha and prove through wisdom that their interpretation of the Dharma was incomplete and lacking in attainment and understanding. Knowing this would happen – the Buddha deliberately engineered a number of meetings between his leading disciples and Vimalakirti so that the resulting engagements would ‘push’ their development and understanding into new orbits of transcendence and universal balance! When I showed the Ve. Mangala Thero this Sutra he just appeared to ‘look through it’ as if it was not there – this was lesson number one for me! Instead, Mangala Thero handed me a copy of the Ānāpānasati Sutta and told me to master it ‘beyond the words’ and ‘beyond the limitations of the page’. He also advised that ‘in the West a superficial Buddhism has developed which plays second fiddle to technology – but in here, Sri Lanka – this is not the case!’ I saw that materially ‘poor’ people were spiritually enriched by the Dhamma in ways that most Westerners simply would not understand or recognise. In Sri Lanka, and particularly the remote forests outside of major cities, the Dhamma continued to function very much as it had done for thousands of years – empowering each individual and community through a method of mind and body self-discipline! A practitioner becomes aware of the breath, uses the awareness to ‘penetrate’ the breath, and then penetrates the empty essence from which each aspect of the breath arises, manifests and subsides as a bodily process.
Considering how Japanese Buddhism eventually abandoned the Vinaya Discipline as a formal requirement for monastic training – I was pleasantly surprised to read Master Dogen’s view on this matter as contained in his extraordinary Shobogenzo (正法眼蔵 - Zheng Fa Yan Zang) text - literally ‘Correct Dharma-Eye Storehouse’. As Dogen expresses more than one dimension of reality at the same time – it is prudent not to jump to conclusions. For instance, he states that the status of monastic ordination is far-superior to that of lay-existence on the grounds that all impurity has been abandoned through the ordination process. Dogen further criticises as ‘wrong’ all those Ch’an Masters he met in China who said that there is no difference between a Buddhist monastic and a lay-person – but is Dogen correct? He certainly makes a very powerful argument that is difficult to uproot rhetorically. Obviously, a Buddhist monastic who commits themselves to the over-two hundred Vinaya Discipline Rules is most certainly worthy of respect – particularly as they also commit themselves to follow the numerous (similar) Bodhisattva Vows! Theravada and Mahayana monastics give-up all direct connection with the household and the worlds of politics and work. For Vajrayana monastics, however, the situation is slightly different as the Tantri School begins and ends from the position of complete enlightenment, and work from the premise that the empty mind ground (Buddha-Nature) underlies all phenomena evenly – including the monastic and lay worlds of existence. Although many Tantrikas can spend decades in isolation practicing their ‘methods’ of self-purification – it is also true that some monks and nuns of this tradition marry one another sand use the machinations of married-life as yet another type of ‘yogic practice’ seeking unity in the one and oneness in the unity. Dogen states that not one single lay-person ever realised enlightenment during the Buddha's lifetime – but this is a mistaken notion as there are at least twenty-one examples spread throughout the Pali Buddhist Suttas recording the attainment of full enlightenment by both male and female ‘lay’ followers of the Buddha! Some were enlightened by being in the presence of the Buddha, some were enlightened when he looked directly at them, whilst others were enlightened when they heard the Buddha’s voice (and/or put his teachings into practice)! The Buddha explained this by saying that these lay-people had built extraordinarily positive karma in their previous existences which meant that their lifestyle in this existence merely needed a slight nudge for the ridge-pole of ignorance to be thoroughly smashed! Of course, this is not the typical situation for humanity as many ordain and find the life very difficult due to the very heavy and negative karma they have to carry and attempt to uproot through Buddhist practice. Dogen does not seem to be that impressed with the example of the enlightened lay-man – Vimalakirti – despite the Buddha explaining that Vimalakirti was a thoroughly enlightened Bodhisattva who took various forms merely to ‘liberate’ those he was destined to encounter during each lifetime. Furthermore, Hiu Neng was a layman when he inherited the Ch’an Dharma and became the Sixth Patriarch (although he was ordained many years later). Within the Ch’an Records in China it is stated that men, women, children, animals and even trees and inanimate objects have experienced enlightenment! As the empty mind ground (Buddha-Nature) underlies all phenomena, and given that the enlightened mind is expansive and all-embracing, there is no situation, person, living-being or object that exists outside of it. As this is the case, how can a monastic be ‘superior’ to a lay-person'? Although I follow the Vinaya Discipline and the Bodhisattva Vows as a married layman – when I was a cloistered Ch’an monk I was continuously reminded of the need to practice ‘humility’. A Buddhist monastic is nothing but a ‘beggar’ - albeit a beggar who has direct access to the sublime teachings of the Dharma! A beggar owns nothing, controls nothing and drifts from place to place when not anchored by a regular monastic routine. He or she has no worries because the world of worries has been thoroughly renounced. There is nothing ‘superior’ about being socially useless. Furthermore, the hexagrams of the ‘Yijing’ (Classic of Change) are built line by line from the base upwards. Whether or not the hexagram is ‘strong’ or ‘weak’ depends on the first two lines! It is these two foundational lines that hold and secure the other four lines in place and give the entire hexagram meaning. As the Buddhist monastic is the foundational support for Chinese society, he or she must comprise the lowest two lines of the six-lined structure. This is how the four higher lines that constitute Chinese culture are supported and ‘lifted-up’ by the bottom two lines which gain their broad and universal power through a complete and humble attitude with no wants or fears. Within the Yijing – lines always move upwards from the base so if a Buddhist monastic comprised the upper two-lines there is no ‘supporting’ action for the underlying four lines - as these two lines above are moving forever upward on their own and will soon be out of the picture! Buddhist monastics are empowered because they are ‘humble’ and voluntarily take the weight of society upon their shoulders! However, this should not fall into an ‘elitist’ position that nullifies the very purpose of ‘humility’! Given the correct conditions, a good teacher and an effective method – anyone can realise complete and total enlightenment. Even today in China, Ch’an monastics are always humble and unassuming. They always possess the attitude that they are ‘nothing’ and that they exist to support and serve society. As there is no ego involved, none of this has anything to do with money or status. It is just the next thing to do. Having said all this, I believe Dogen may be protesting about the ‘dishonest’ mind often found within lay-society which pretends it is enlightened and contrives to exploit others and make profit out of seeming to help! These people are making hellish karma for themselves and are their own worst enemy.
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!
The Buddhist sacred texts state that meditation – that is a deliberate and willed ‘control’ and ‘development’ of the mind – can (and should) occur whilst standing, sitting, lying-down and walking. This practice of turning the attention back to the empty mind ground ‘protects’ each individual from the power of greed, hatred and delusion, and also protects society from behaviours premised upon greed, hatred and delusion. This is the most obvious ‘defence’ that conscious living grants a Ch’an Buddhist practitioner. This is ‘Dharma’ self-cultivation in action and there is no other practice as powerful or effective. The Dharma is the central core of the Budda’s teaching – with the Vinaya (monastic discipline) and Abhidhamma (monastic commentary) being very important but supplementary texts (like the three-legs of a stool). Regardless of the circumstances an individual has to live or exist within, the act of ‘seated meditation’ allows the essence of that circumstance to be actively ‘transformed’ from the inside out, or from the atomic or molecule structure! Although the construction of our surroundings may not be to our liking, we can still operate the principle of ‘non-attachment’ and cognitively and physically ‘distance’ ourselves from the painful sensations that are experienced. With a practice that is long enough and deep enough, bad experiences will eventually give-way to good or neutral conditions. If we can become truly ‘detached’, however, we can remain entirely indifferent to whatever circumstances pass across the senses of the body and traverse the surface of the mind. All of this practice serves to realise the empty mind ground and permanently rectify the ‘inverted’ mind-set that the Buddha pin-pointed as the essence of all human suffering. This is the uprooting of greed, anger and delusion. The conditions surrounding ‘seated meditation’, however, are also sound instructions for avoiding unnecessary social contact and the spreading of diseases throughout society. The Buddha recommends that an individual withdraws into a quiet area that is not too dark, or too light, that is airy but no too windy, that is isolated but not too far away from populations. This withdrawal from direct contact and habitual interaction has the by-product of a) not exposing a practitioner to disease, and b) not exposing other members in society to the spread of disease. This is exactly what is need in this troublesome time!
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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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