Hanshan Deqing
Encyclopedia
Hanshan Deqing (1546–1623) was a leading Buddhist monk of Ming Dynasty
China
who widely propagated the teachings of Chán
and Pure Land Buddhism
.
(念佛) technique to purify the mind for the attainment of self-realization. He was also renowned as a lecturer and commentator, and admired for his strict adherence to the precepts.
According to Jiang Wu, for Chan masters such as Hanshan Deqing, training through self-cultivation was encouraged, and clichéd or formulaic instructions were despised. Eminent monks who practiced meditation and asceticism without proper Dharma transmission were acclaimed as acquiring "wisdom without teacher." Jiang Wu writes that Hanshan questioned the value of Dharma transmission, and believed that the enlightenment of the mind was more important than nominal claims of transmission.
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
China
Imperial China
Imperial China may refer to:* Imperial era of Chinese history , divided into three major periods:** Early Imperial China** Mid-Imperial China** Late Imperial China...
who widely propagated the teachings of Chán
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
and Pure Land Buddhism
Pure Land Buddhism
Pure Land Buddhism , also referred to as Amidism in English, is a broad branch of Mahāyāna Buddhism and currently one of the most popular traditions of Buddhism in East Asia. Pure Land is a branch of Buddhism focused on Amitābha Buddha...
.
Overview
Hanshan Deqing is regarded as one of the great reformers of Chinese Buddhism during the Ming Dynasty. Like many of his contemporaries, he advocated the dual practice of the Chán and Pure Land methods, and advocated the use of the niànfóNianfo
Nianfo , is a term commonly seen in the Pure Land school of Mahāyāna Buddhism...
(念佛) technique to purify the mind for the attainment of self-realization. He was also renowned as a lecturer and commentator, and admired for his strict adherence to the precepts.
Teachings
Regarding the use of meditation cases, or gōng'àn (公案; Jp. koan), Hanshan taught:According to Jiang Wu, for Chan masters such as Hanshan Deqing, training through self-cultivation was encouraged, and clichéd or formulaic instructions were despised. Eminent monks who practiced meditation and asceticism without proper Dharma transmission were acclaimed as acquiring "wisdom without teacher." Jiang Wu writes that Hanshan questioned the value of Dharma transmission, and believed that the enlightenment of the mind was more important than nominal claims of transmission.