Master Xu Yun (1840-1959) Memorial Photographic Library
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0021
On the 10th lunar month of 1952, Master Xu Yun, who was in his 113th year of his life, (and staying at Guang Ji Monastery, Beijing), met a delegation of Theravada Buddhist monks visiting China from Sri Lanka. He met them on behalf of the recently re-established Chinese Buddhist Association. The Sri Lankan delegation was led by Bhikkhu Dhammaratna, and presented a relic of the Buddha, a Buddhist Pali Sutta written on pattra (palm-leaves), and a Bo-tree sapling. Over two thousand devotees attended the reception. It is interesting to note the mutual respect each school of Buddhism offers toward the other. There is no conflict between the Mahayana and the Theravada.
1952年10月,虚云和尚与国际佛教友人在北京广济寺合影
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0022
1952年10月,虚云和尚与国际佛教友人在北京广济寺合影
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0022
Master Xu Yun is in his 107th year of his life as he is photographed with fellow monastics and lay people of the local Buddhist association gather around the main entrance to the Six Banyans Temple situated in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. The year is 1946/47 and Master Xu Yun has just officiated over a chanting and sutra reading ritual to assist the spirits of those killed during the awful events of World War II. The central government had ordered all the monasteries and temples in the land to perform similar rituals and ceremonies in honour of the dead. Due to the unseasonal flowering of plants at the temple, around 100,000 people came to see this unusual event – an event believed to be associated with Xu Yun’s enlightened presence.
虚云老和尚在广州六榕寺广东佛教会与山门四众合影
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0023
虚云老和尚在广州六榕寺广东佛教会与山门四众合影
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0023
This interesting picture was taken in 1946/47 when Master Xu Yun was in his 109th year of life. The Master had travelled to Guangzhou(the place of this photograph), to open Zhi-de’s Buddhist Hospital. The original Chinese language caption explains that the men gathered around are news reporters, and that the Western woman is Ananda Jennings (before she ordained at the Nan Hua Temple). The reporters appear to have been present to cover the opening of the hospital for the local press. The caption further explains that Xu Yun expounded the Dharma at the hospital.
虚云老和尚与广州新闻摄影记者及美国女弟子詹宁氏
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0024
虚云老和尚与广州新闻摄影记者及美国女弟子詹宁氏
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0024
Master Xu Yun is pictured here with the Guangdong Provincial Senate member – the lay Buddhist Wu Pei Lin. Although undated in the Chinese text, it is reasonable to assume that this picture was taken in 1946/47 during Xu Yun’s opening of a Buddhist hospital in Guangzhou. Master Xu Yun is wearing the same robe and is carrying the same set of beads as recorded in his photograph with Ananda Jennings in Guangzhou. Master Xu Yun at this time was in his 109th year of life.
虚云老和尚与原民国广东省参议员伍佩琳居士合影
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0025
虚云老和尚与原民国广东省参议员伍佩琳居士合影
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0025
Two examples of a photograph of Master Xu Yun taken in the garden of the Zou Lu (邹鲁) Mansion, situated in the Guangzhou area of Guangdong province during 1947. One version of this picture is in a for the time typical black and white finish - whilst the second version is in 'sepia' - or treated with a reddish-brown finish (designed to add colour variants throughout the detail). in ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0072 you can see the other picture taken at Zou Lu Mansion which appears to be the only 'colour' photograph of Xu Yun produced during his lifetime. The prominent Nationalist politician to whom this house belonged - Zou Lu (邹鲁) - may well have had access to what was at the time 'cutting-edge' photographic technology.
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0026
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0026
Master Xu Yun is pictured here with Master Hui Guang at the Nan Hua Temple in Guangdong province. The year is 1947/48 and is described in the accompanying Chinese text as being the 36th year of the Republic of China, the founding of which is usually recorded as the 1st of January, 1912. Prior to 1949, dates in China were always recorded in accordance with the length of time a dynasty had been in power. At this time, (the second lunar month), Xu Yun was in his 108th year of life, and was holding an ordination ceremony for 500 new monks when Master Hui Guang arrived. This picture (preserved in Hui Guang’s biography) was taken to record the meeting.
惠光法師: 民國36年參禮虛雲老和尚(左)時合影 (圖片:闞正宗提供)
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0027
惠光法師: 民國36年參禮虛雲老和尚(左)時合影 (圖片:闞正宗提供)
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0027
Master Xu Yun is sat with the American Buddhist – Ananda Jennings – and the monks of Nan Hua Temple, situated in Guangdong province. Previously to her visit to China, Ananda Jennings had travelled to India to learn the Dharma, whilst there she spent an extended amount of time living in voluntary seclusion. After meeting Xu Yun in Guangzhou, they travelled together to the Nan Hua Temple, where Master Xu Yun transmitted the refuge formula to Jennings and gave her the Dharma-name ‘Kuan Hung’ (Great Vastness). After this a Ch’an Week meditation retreat was held to mark the occasion. The year is 1948/49 and Master Xu Yun is in his 109th year of life. This is a rare example of Xu Yun holding the ‘Fragrant Board,’ or ‘Discipline Stick’ (香板 - Xiang Ban). This blunt, wooden device – in the shape of an ancient sword - is used to expertly strike important energy points on the upper back and shoulders, so that a drowsy practitioner is revived during long hours of meditation practice.
Additional Information: 'Here Xu Yun is holding the Abbots Board you see the 3 stripe hexagram?' Eric Johns Email 7.11.13
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0028
Additional Information: 'Here Xu Yun is holding the Abbots Board you see the 3 stripe hexagram?' Eric Johns Email 7.11.13
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0028
In Xu Yun’s biography the following passage is found
describing events that happened in 1942/43:3:
‘I left Nan-hua on the sixth of the eleventh month and when I arrived at the sacred mountain of Heng-shan in Hunan Province, I offered incense at the monastery there and met Upasaka Xu Guo-zhu who had been sent by Marshall Li Ji-shen to invite me to Guilin. On arrival, I stayed at Mount Yue-ya where monks, nuns, male and female lay devotees came and asked to be disciples of mine.’
(Empty Cloud: By Charles Luk, Edited by Richard Hunn, Element Books, (1988), Page 128)
The Chinese text accompanying this photograph states that the date is the 14th day of the 11th lunar month, 1942, and that Xu Yun is on Mount Yue-ya in Guilin (Guangxi province), and is with disciples The text also states that the monk sitting to his right is Dharma Master Dao An. However, Xu Yun appears to be sat with a single family whose constituents are typical of that of an official, or someone of important or high social rank (perhaps Marshall Li Ji-shen). The head of the household (i.e. the husband/father) is sat to the left of Xu Yun. Four women – probably the wives – are stood behind Xu Yun, with two of the wives holding young children. On the right of the picture is stood the son (around 10 – 12 years old), and sat at the front of the picture are 3 young girls (probably around 8 years old). In old China it was not uncommon for men of social standing to have up to four wives at the same time. Xu Yun was in his 103rd year of life when this picture was taken.
1942年11月14日虚云和尚于桂林月牙山与道安法师及当地信众合影
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0029
‘I left Nan-hua on the sixth of the eleventh month and when I arrived at the sacred mountain of Heng-shan in Hunan Province, I offered incense at the monastery there and met Upasaka Xu Guo-zhu who had been sent by Marshall Li Ji-shen to invite me to Guilin. On arrival, I stayed at Mount Yue-ya where monks, nuns, male and female lay devotees came and asked to be disciples of mine.’
(Empty Cloud: By Charles Luk, Edited by Richard Hunn, Element Books, (1988), Page 128)
The Chinese text accompanying this photograph states that the date is the 14th day of the 11th lunar month, 1942, and that Xu Yun is on Mount Yue-ya in Guilin (Guangxi province), and is with disciples The text also states that the monk sitting to his right is Dharma Master Dao An. However, Xu Yun appears to be sat with a single family whose constituents are typical of that of an official, or someone of important or high social rank (perhaps Marshall Li Ji-shen). The head of the household (i.e. the husband/father) is sat to the left of Xu Yun. Four women – probably the wives – are stood behind Xu Yun, with two of the wives holding young children. On the right of the picture is stood the son (around 10 – 12 years old), and sat at the front of the picture are 3 young girls (probably around 8 years old). In old China it was not uncommon for men of social standing to have up to four wives at the same time. Xu Yun was in his 103rd year of life when this picture was taken.
1942年11月14日虚云和尚于桂林月牙山与道安法师及当地信众合影
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0029
Master Xu Yun spent around six years repairing the temple of the Sixth Patriarch (Hui Neng) – the Nanhua Temple (in Guangdong province), between his first arrival in 1934 and its completion in 1940 and this photograph was probably taken during this time period. He then returned to Nanhua a number of times over the next decade, receiving dignitaries and holding Ch’an Week retreats until his permanent move to Mount Yunmen in 1950/51. Master Xu Yun’s biography records that on the 17th day of the 11 month of 1934/35, during the transmission of the Bodhisattva Rules (at the Nanhua Temple), a tiger came in as to receive the precepts. Although people were scared, Master Xu Yun spoke the Refuge Formula and the tiger became calm and went away. The accompanying Chinese text simply reads ‘Master Xu Yun at Nanhua Temple, photographed with many monks (Sangha).’ A similar photograph featuring both Master Xu Yun and his Disciple - Master Ben Huan - is dated as being taken at the Nanhua Temple on the 8.4.1938.
Update: It would appear that the top photograph was taken ub 1949 with Master Ben Huan yet again stood to the right of Master Xu Yun's shoulder! This is also at the Nanhua Temple and around a decade afer the second photograph taken in 1938.
虚云和尚在南华寺与僧众的合影
1938年4月8日,虚云老和尚与本焕法师于南华寺合
1949年虚云老和尚在南华寺与众位法师合影,右二为本焕法师影。
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0030
Update: It would appear that the top photograph was taken ub 1949 with Master Ben Huan yet again stood to the right of Master Xu Yun's shoulder! This is also at the Nanhua Temple and around a decade afer the second photograph taken in 1938.
虚云和尚在南华寺与僧众的合影
1938年4月8日,虚云老和尚与本焕法师于南华寺合
1949年虚云老和尚在南华寺与众位法师合影,右二为本焕法师影。
ICBI LIBRARY NUMBER: 0030
This photograph of Master Xu Yun appears to show him meditating with his eyes open. This picture was published in the 2nd lunar month of 1937 – Xu Yun’s 97th year of life – during the period of his life when he was rebuilding the Nan Hua Temple in Guangdong province. Indeed, this picture is described as appearing in the book entitled ‘Small record of Nan Hua’, in the chapter ‘Sui (Dynasty) Purity Record’ – a text dealing with pure (chaste) behaviour, and vegetarianism. Whether Master Xu Yun - whether sat with eyes 'open' or 'closed' - the intensity of his spiritual 'presence' is unaltered and always 'shinning' brightly! His eternal wisdom is interspersed with wisdom, loving kindness and universal compassion! He is instantly (and automatically) 'returning' all six senses to their perceptual-non-perceptual 'root'! The 'inverted' mind is automatically turned the 'right way around' as taught within the Lankavatara Sutra - the earliest and original Indian 'Dhyana' text transmitted to China by the Indian monk Bodhidharma c. 520 CE - so that all surface mind disruption (and obscuration) comes to an end. This is Master Xu Yun utilising 'presence' over 'process' as it is the key functioning aspect of a 'still' photograph. The accompanying Chinese-language text states that the place in 'Nanhua' (南华) Temple and it is the 'second month' of the year is '1937' and that this photograph is being featured in a publication referred to as the 'South China Journal'. Around February 1936-1937, Master Xu Yun transmitted the Vinaya Discipline Precepts at the Nanhau Temple situated within Guangdong province. Three 'Nationalist' government officials visited the temple - President Lin Sen (featured in photograph 0001), Minister Chu-Zheng and General Chiang Kai-Shek - and all contributed funds. Lin Sen and Chu-Zheng gave funds to rebuild the Main Hall whilst Chiang Kai-Shek offered money to divert the flow of the 'Cao-xi' stream. The 'Cao-xi' had assumed a 'new' course which threatened to routinely 'flood' the temple grounds and it was estimated that around 3,000 labourers would be need to re-direct its flow back to its old river-bed. However, it rained so much in the area that the banks of the 'Cao-xi' stream were broken and the stream naturally assumed its traditional course! The following year - 1937-1938 - Master Xu Yun transmitted the Vinaya Discipline Precepts during Spring at the Nanhua Temple, and then travelled to attend a meeting at the Guangdong Buddhist Association headquartered in Guangzhou. He expounded the Sutras and welcomed Tibetan Lamas and their Disciplines. After blessing a stupa raised in a local temple, Master Xu Yun returned to the nearby Nanhua Temple and assumed his post of 'Head Monk'. He could have been photographed during either set of events.
1937年2月出版之《南华小志》(隋斋编)上发表的虚云和尚照片