Hsu Yun
Encyclopedia
Hsu Yun born Xiao Guyan 萧古巖, 26 August 1840 – 13 October 1959) was a renowned Zen Buddhist master and one of the most influential Buddhist teachers of the 19th and 20th centuries. He is often noted for his unusually long lifespan, having lived to age 119.
, in Imperial China
. His mother died during childbirth. In the 30th year of the Tao Kuang reign period (1850), when he was eleven years old, his father returned to Quanzhou. The aging grandmother of the Chou clan was determined that her grandson would have a wife. In order to continue both his and his uncle's lineage, Hsu Yun was to marry one woman from the T'ien family and one from the T'an family .
His first exposure to Buddhism was during the funeral
of his grandmother. Soon afterward he began reading the Sutra
s, and later made a pilgrimage to Nanyo. When he was fourteen years old, he announced that he wished to renounce the material world in favour of monastic life. His father did not approve of Buddhism and had him instructed in Taoism
instead. From the start, Hsu Yun was dissatisfied with Taoism, which he felt could not reach the deeper truths of existence. The storerooms of his house were full of very old books. Going through them, he found a volume called the 'Story of Incense Mountain', which described the life of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva Kuan Yin). After reading the book, he was deeply influenced and was aspired to go forth from the home-life to monkhood to practice the Buddhist Path in the future. He didn't want to be an official nor to be a wealthy man. He decided that a life of simplicity would exemplify his resolution to practice pure and lofty ideals .
When Hsu Yun was seventeen, he had already undergone the hardship of practicing Taoism for three years and was indeed disappointed. He constantly thought about leaving the home-life and joining the Buddhist Sangha. One day in his uncle's absence he attempted to flee to Nan Yo to shave his head and officially leave the home-life. Little did he know that on a winding mountain path he would encounter envoys sent by his uncle to intercept and escort him back. His aspiration was not realized and he was reproved and brought back home . When Hsu Yun arrived home, the family feared that he would escape again, so he was sent with his first cousin, Fu Kuo, to Quanzhou. His father formally received the brides from the Tian and Tan families for Hsu Yun, and his marriage was completed. Hsu Yun, however, had already realized the emptiness of form. He held no view of a self or of others and had not the slightest thought of desire. He was clear of mind and pure in body. Therefore, although they dwelt together, he remained undefiled. Moreover, he extensively explained the Buddhadharma for the two women so that they too would practice the Buddhist Path..
There was a deep bond of brotherly friendship and respect between Hsu Yun and Fu Kuo. Fu Kuo also had previously explored the Buddhadharma and had the same aspiration as Hsu Yun, so they amicably traveled the Path together. In his nineteenth year, accompanied by Fu Kuo, he started the journey to Gu Shan (Drum Mountain) in Fuzhou to leave home. Before leaving, he wrote the "Song of the Skinbag" . which he left behind for his two wives (the T'ien and T'an women) . It was at Gu Shan monastery
that his head was shaved and he received ordination as a monk
. When his father sent agents to find him, Hsu Yun concealed himself in a grotto
behind the monastery, where he lived in austere solitude
for three years. At the age of twenty-five, Hsu Yun learned that his father had died, and his stepmother and two wives had entered the monastic life.
During his years as a hermit
, Hsu Yun made some of his most profound discoveries. He visited the old master Yung Ching, who encouraged him to abandon his extreme asceticism in favor of temperance. He instructed the young monk in the Sutra
s and told him to be mindful of the 'hua tou', "Who is dragging this corpse of mine?" In his thirty-sixth year, with the encouragement of Yung Ching, Hsu Yun went on a seven-year pilgrimage to Mount Putuo
off the coast of Ningbo
, a place regarded by Buddhists as the bodhimandala
of Avalokiteshvara. He went on to visit the monastery of King Asoka, and various other Chán holy places.
of his parents in the Pure Land
. Along the way, Hsu Yun is said to have met a beggar called Wen Chi, who twice saved his life. After talking with the monks at the Five-Peaked Mountain, Hsu Yun came to believe that the beggar had been an incarnation of Manjushri.
Having achieved singleness of mind, Hsu Yun traveled west and south, making his way through Tibet
. He visited many monasteries and holy places, including the Potala, the seat of the Dalai Lama
, and Tashilhunpo Monastery, the seat of the Panchen Lama
. He traveled through India
and Ceylon, and then across the sea to Burma. During this time of wandering, Hsu Yun felt his mind clearing and his health growing stronger.
Hsu Yun composed a large number of poems during this period.
After returning to China, During Hsu Yun's fifty-third year, he joined with other Venerable Masters Pu Zhao , Yue Xia, and Yin Lian (Lotus Seal) to cultivate together. They climbed Jiu Hua Mountain and repaired the huts on Cui Feng Summit, where Dharma Master Pu Zhao expounded the Mahavaipulyabuddha Avatamsaka (Flower Adornment) Sutra .
When Hsu Yun was fifty-six, the Abbot Yue Lang of Gaomin Temple)in Yangzhou
was going to convene a continuous twelve-week session of dhyana meditation. Preparing to leave, the group asked Hsu Yun to go first. After reaching Di Gang, he had to cross the water, but had no money. The ferry left without him. As he walked along the river's edge, he suddenly lost his footing and fell into the rushing water, where he bobbed helplessly for a day and night and was caught in a fisherman's net. He was carried to a nearby temple, where he was revived and treated for his injuries. Feeling ill, he nevertheless returned to Yangzhou. When asked by Gao Ming whether he would participate in the upcoming weeks of meditation, he politely declined, without revealing his illness. The temple had rules that those who were invited had to attend or else face punishment. In the end, Gao Ming had Hsu Yun beaten with a wooden ruler. He willingly accepted this punishment, although it worsened his condition.
For the next several days, Hsu Yun sat in continuous meditation. In his autobiography, he wrote: "[in] the purity of my singleness of mind, I forgot all about my body. Twenty days later my illness vanished completely. From that moment, with all my thoughts entirely wiped out, my practice took effect throughout the day and night. My steps were as swift as if I was flying in the air. One evening, after meditation, I opened my eyes and suddenly saw I was in brightness similar to broad daylight in which I could see everything inside and outside the monastery..." But he knew that this occurrence was only a mental state, and that it was not at all rare. He did not become attached to this achievement, but continued his single-minded investigation of the topic, "who is mindful of the Buddha?" over and over again, he delved into this topic without interruption .
During the twelfth lunar month, on the third evening of the eighth week of the session, after six hours of sitting meditation, the attendant made his rounds, filling up the tea cups. Hsu Yun's hand was burned by spilling boiling water, and his cup fell to the floor. At the sound of the crash, the root of his doubt was instantly severed. He was joyous beyond words at having fulfilled his lifelong ambition. It was as if he had just awakened from a dream, and he observed how the conditions of the past unravel.
Hsu's verse explanation says:
A cup fell to the ground
With a sound clearly heard.
As space was pulverised,
The mad mind came to a stop..
, teaching precepts, explaining sutras, and restoring old temples. He worked throughout Asia
and did not confine himself to one country. His large following was spread across Burma, Thailand
, Malaya
, and Vietnam
, as well as Tibet
and China
. Hsu Yun remained in China during World War II
and after the rise of the People's Republic of China to support the Buddhist communities rather than retreat to the safety of Hong Kong
or Taiwan
. After the Communists took over mainland China, he and his disciples were mistreated and tortured. In 1953, along with Dharma Master Yuan Ying and others, Hsu Yun formed the Chinese Buddhist Association at Kuang Chi (Extensive Aid) Monastery. He was nominated for the office of President, but he declined because of old age and ill health and assumed the title of Honorary President. The following resolutions were proposed to the government: 1) In all places, further destruction of monasteries and temples, the desecration of images, and the burning of sutras shall immediately cease; 2) the intimidation of bhikshus and bhikshunis to force their return to lay life will not be tolerated; and 3) all monastery property shall be returned forthwith, and there should be returned to the Sangha enough arable acreage to make the monasteries self-supporting. The petition was approved. He then represented the Association in receiving three gifts from a Buddhist delegation from Sri Lanka . Hsu Yun also responded to the invitation of Dharma Master Nan T'ung (Penetration to the South) to head another Dharma assembly at Lang Shan (Wolf Mountain) Monastery, where several thousand people from all over took refuge. He returned to Shanghai in the third lunar month, and the next month received a telegram from Peking requesting his presence in the Capital. Hsu Yun arrived and stayed at Kuang Chi (Extensive Aid) Monastery. Representatives of various Buddhist groups also were present, and the Chinese Buddhist Association was officially inaugurated. After a plenary meeting in which important policies were decided (some defiled monks suggested to change some precepts and rules, he scolded them and wrote an essay about the manifestation of the Dharma Ending Age .).
In 1955, the Master, at one-hundred-and-sixteen, had completed the Accumulation of Fragrance Kitchen, the Five Contemplations Hall, and other construction projects, and held another meditation session. In the next year, the Master's one-hundred-and-seventeenth, he wrote a letter to the composer of this book, asking the latter to return to Yun Chu which, however, was impossible. The Great Hall and the Hall of the Heavenly Kings were completed, in addition to other monastery buildings, and Dharma Master Hai Teng (Sea Lamp) became Abbot. He continued to lecture Sutras and held a two-week meditation session. In 1957, when Hsu Yun was one hundred and eighteen, all of the work was completed, and more than one hundred Buddha images were cast. He continued to lecture the Sutras and held a three-week meditation session. There were now more than two hundred monks living at the monastery. At one-hundred and nineteen, in 1958, Hsu Yun was aided in the establishment of the Hai Hui (Sea-vast Assembly) Stupa by Chan Li Wu. In 1959, Hsu Yun's age was one-hundred-and-nineteen, and he became ill during the summer and fall .
On the twelfth day of the ninth lunar month, he knew that the time had come. Hsu Yun instructed his successors to earnestly and vigorously apply themselves to the cultivation of precepts, samadhi, and wisdom, in order to counteract greed, anger, and stupidity. Telling them to forget themselves for the sake of the Dharma and to mutually cherish and respect one another, he then spoke the following gathas:
was established at a meeting with 121 delegates in Beijing. The meeting also elected a chairman, 4 honorary chairmen, 7 vice-chairmen, a secretary general, 3 deputy secretaries-general, 18 members of a standing committee, and 93 directors. The 4 elected honorary chairmen were the Dalai Lama
, the Panchen Lama
, the Grand Lama of Inner Mongolia, and Hsu Yun himself..
Though Chán is less well known in the West compared to Japan
ese Zen
, the teachings of Hsu Yun have persisted within Asia
, and he is still a major figure of Pure Land Buddhism
in East Asia
. Outside of China, the influence of his teachings is strongest in Southeast Asia
, particularly in Vietnam
and Myanmar
, as well as the Americas
, where his teachings were transmitted through well known monastic students such as Venerable Hsuan Hua
and Venerable Jy Din Shakya and Venerable Fo Yuan.
Early life
Hsu Yun was born on April 26 in FukienFujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
, in Imperial China
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
. His mother died during childbirth. In the 30th year of the Tao Kuang reign period (1850), when he was eleven years old, his father returned to Quanzhou. The aging grandmother of the Chou clan was determined that her grandson would have a wife. In order to continue both his and his uncle's lineage, Hsu Yun was to marry one woman from the T'ien family and one from the T'an family .
His first exposure to Buddhism was during the funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
of his grandmother. Soon afterward he began reading the Sutra
Sutra
Sūtra is an aphorism or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual. Literally it means a thread or line that holds things together and is derived from the verbal root siv-, meaning to sew , as does the medical term...
s, and later made a pilgrimage to Nanyo. When he was fourteen years old, he announced that he wished to renounce the material world in favour of monastic life. His father did not approve of Buddhism and had him instructed in Taoism
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
instead. From the start, Hsu Yun was dissatisfied with Taoism, which he felt could not reach the deeper truths of existence. The storerooms of his house were full of very old books. Going through them, he found a volume called the 'Story of Incense Mountain', which described the life of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva Kuan Yin). After reading the book, he was deeply influenced and was aspired to go forth from the home-life to monkhood to practice the Buddhist Path in the future. He didn't want to be an official nor to be a wealthy man. He decided that a life of simplicity would exemplify his resolution to practice pure and lofty ideals .
When Hsu Yun was seventeen, he had already undergone the hardship of practicing Taoism for three years and was indeed disappointed. He constantly thought about leaving the home-life and joining the Buddhist Sangha. One day in his uncle's absence he attempted to flee to Nan Yo to shave his head and officially leave the home-life. Little did he know that on a winding mountain path he would encounter envoys sent by his uncle to intercept and escort him back. His aspiration was not realized and he was reproved and brought back home . When Hsu Yun arrived home, the family feared that he would escape again, so he was sent with his first cousin, Fu Kuo, to Quanzhou. His father formally received the brides from the Tian and Tan families for Hsu Yun, and his marriage was completed. Hsu Yun, however, had already realized the emptiness of form. He held no view of a self or of others and had not the slightest thought of desire. He was clear of mind and pure in body. Therefore, although they dwelt together, he remained undefiled. Moreover, he extensively explained the Buddhadharma for the two women so that they too would practice the Buddhist Path..
There was a deep bond of brotherly friendship and respect between Hsu Yun and Fu Kuo. Fu Kuo also had previously explored the Buddhadharma and had the same aspiration as Hsu Yun, so they amicably traveled the Path together. In his nineteenth year, accompanied by Fu Kuo, he started the journey to Gu Shan (Drum Mountain) in Fuzhou to leave home. Before leaving, he wrote the "Song of the Skinbag" . which he left behind for his two wives (the T'ien and T'an women) . It was at Gu Shan monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
that his head was shaved and he received ordination as a monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
. When his father sent agents to find him, Hsu Yun concealed himself in a grotto
Grotto
A grotto is any type of natural or artificial cave that is associated with modern, historic or prehistoric use by humans. When it is not an artificial garden feature, a grotto is often a small cave near water and often flooded or liable to flood at high tide...
behind the monastery, where he lived in austere solitude
Solitude
Solitude is a state of seclusion or isolation, i.e., lack of contact with people. It may stem from bad relationships, deliberate choice, infectious disease, mental disorders, neurological disorders or circumstances of employment or situation .Short-term solitude is often valued as a time when one...
for three years. At the age of twenty-five, Hsu Yun learned that his father had died, and his stepmother and two wives had entered the monastic life.
During his years as a hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
, Hsu Yun made some of his most profound discoveries. He visited the old master Yung Ching, who encouraged him to abandon his extreme asceticism in favor of temperance. He instructed the young monk in the Sutra
Sutra
Sūtra is an aphorism or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual. Literally it means a thread or line that holds things together and is derived from the verbal root siv-, meaning to sew , as does the medical term...
s and told him to be mindful of the 'hua tou', "Who is dragging this corpse of mine?" In his thirty-sixth year, with the encouragement of Yung Ching, Hsu Yun went on a seven-year pilgrimage to Mount Putuo
Mount Putuo
Mount Putuo is an island southeast of Shanghai, in Zhoushan prefecture of Zhejiang province, China. It is famous in Chinese Buddhism, and is considered the bodhimanda of Avalokitesvara , a revered Bodhisattva in many parts of East Asia...
off the coast of Ningbo
Ningbo
Ningbo is a seaport city of northeastern Zhejiang province, Eastern China. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, the municipality has a population of 7,605,700 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 3,089,180 in the built up area made of 6 urban districts. It lies south of the Hangzhou Bay,...
, a place regarded by Buddhists as the bodhimandala
Bodhimandala
Bodhimaṇḍa is a term used in Buddhism meaning the "position of awakening." According to Haribhadra, it is "a place used as a seat, where the essence of enlightenment is present." Although spelled similarly, a bodhimaṇḍa is not synonymous with a bodhimaṇḍala, which is a "circle of...
of Avalokiteshvara. He went on to visit the monastery of King Asoka, and various other Chán holy places.
Middle Age and Enlightenment
At age forty-three, Hsu Yun had by now left the home-life for more than twenty years, but he had not yet completed his practice in the Path. He had not repaid his parents' kindness, and so he vowed to again make a pilgrimage to Nan Hai. From Fa Hua Temple all the way to Ch'ing Liang Peak at Mount Wutai of the northwest, the bodhimandala of Manjushri, he made one full prostration every three steps . He prayed for the rebirthReincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
of his parents in the Pure Land
Pure land
A pure land, in Mahayana Buddhism, is the celestial realm or pure abode of a Buddha or Bodhisattva. The various traditions that focus on Pure Lands have been given the nomenclature Pure Land Buddhism. Pure lands are also evident in the literature and traditions of Taoism and Bön.The notion of 'pure...
. Along the way, Hsu Yun is said to have met a beggar called Wen Chi, who twice saved his life. After talking with the monks at the Five-Peaked Mountain, Hsu Yun came to believe that the beggar had been an incarnation of Manjushri.
Having achieved singleness of mind, Hsu Yun traveled west and south, making his way through Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. He visited many monasteries and holy places, including the Potala, the seat of the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
, and Tashilhunpo Monastery, the seat of the Panchen Lama
Panchen Lama
The Panchen Lama , or Bainqên Erdê'ni , is the highest ranking Lama after the Dalai Lama in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism...
. He traveled through India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Ceylon, and then across the sea to Burma. During this time of wandering, Hsu Yun felt his mind clearing and his health growing stronger.
Hsu Yun composed a large number of poems during this period.
After returning to China, During Hsu Yun's fifty-third year, he joined with other Venerable Masters Pu Zhao , Yue Xia, and Yin Lian (Lotus Seal) to cultivate together. They climbed Jiu Hua Mountain and repaired the huts on Cui Feng Summit, where Dharma Master Pu Zhao expounded the Mahavaipulyabuddha Avatamsaka (Flower Adornment) Sutra .
When Hsu Yun was fifty-six, the Abbot Yue Lang of Gaomin Temple)in Yangzhou
Yangzhou
Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across...
was going to convene a continuous twelve-week session of dhyana meditation. Preparing to leave, the group asked Hsu Yun to go first. After reaching Di Gang, he had to cross the water, but had no money. The ferry left without him. As he walked along the river's edge, he suddenly lost his footing and fell into the rushing water, where he bobbed helplessly for a day and night and was caught in a fisherman's net. He was carried to a nearby temple, where he was revived and treated for his injuries. Feeling ill, he nevertheless returned to Yangzhou. When asked by Gao Ming whether he would participate in the upcoming weeks of meditation, he politely declined, without revealing his illness. The temple had rules that those who were invited had to attend or else face punishment. In the end, Gao Ming had Hsu Yun beaten with a wooden ruler. He willingly accepted this punishment, although it worsened his condition.
For the next several days, Hsu Yun sat in continuous meditation. In his autobiography, he wrote: "[in] the purity of my singleness of mind, I forgot all about my body. Twenty days later my illness vanished completely. From that moment, with all my thoughts entirely wiped out, my practice took effect throughout the day and night. My steps were as swift as if I was flying in the air. One evening, after meditation, I opened my eyes and suddenly saw I was in brightness similar to broad daylight in which I could see everything inside and outside the monastery..." But he knew that this occurrence was only a mental state, and that it was not at all rare. He did not become attached to this achievement, but continued his single-minded investigation of the topic, "who is mindful of the Buddha?" over and over again, he delved into this topic without interruption .
During the twelfth lunar month, on the third evening of the eighth week of the session, after six hours of sitting meditation, the attendant made his rounds, filling up the tea cups. Hsu Yun's hand was burned by spilling boiling water, and his cup fell to the floor. At the sound of the crash, the root of his doubt was instantly severed. He was joyous beyond words at having fulfilled his lifelong ambition. It was as if he had just awakened from a dream, and he observed how the conditions of the past unravel.
Hsu's verse explanation says:
A cup fell to the ground
With a sound clearly heard.
As space was pulverised,
The mad mind came to a stop..
Old Age
Hsu Yun tiredlessly worked as a bodhisattvaBodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is either an enlightened existence or an enlightenment-being or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment ." The Pali term has sometimes been translated as "wisdom-being," although in modern publications, and...
, teaching precepts, explaining sutras, and restoring old temples. He worked throughout Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and did not confine himself to one country. His large following was spread across Burma, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
, and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, as well as Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Hsu Yun remained in China during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and after the rise of the People's Republic of China to support the Buddhist communities rather than retreat to the safety of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
or Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. After the Communists took over mainland China, he and his disciples were mistreated and tortured. In 1953, along with Dharma Master Yuan Ying and others, Hsu Yun formed the Chinese Buddhist Association at Kuang Chi (Extensive Aid) Monastery. He was nominated for the office of President, but he declined because of old age and ill health and assumed the title of Honorary President. The following resolutions were proposed to the government: 1) In all places, further destruction of monasteries and temples, the desecration of images, and the burning of sutras shall immediately cease; 2) the intimidation of bhikshus and bhikshunis to force their return to lay life will not be tolerated; and 3) all monastery property shall be returned forthwith, and there should be returned to the Sangha enough arable acreage to make the monasteries self-supporting. The petition was approved. He then represented the Association in receiving three gifts from a Buddhist delegation from Sri Lanka . Hsu Yun also responded to the invitation of Dharma Master Nan T'ung (Penetration to the South) to head another Dharma assembly at Lang Shan (Wolf Mountain) Monastery, where several thousand people from all over took refuge. He returned to Shanghai in the third lunar month, and the next month received a telegram from Peking requesting his presence in the Capital. Hsu Yun arrived and stayed at Kuang Chi (Extensive Aid) Monastery. Representatives of various Buddhist groups also were present, and the Chinese Buddhist Association was officially inaugurated. After a plenary meeting in which important policies were decided (some defiled monks suggested to change some precepts and rules, he scolded them and wrote an essay about the manifestation of the Dharma Ending Age .).
In 1955, the Master, at one-hundred-and-sixteen, had completed the Accumulation of Fragrance Kitchen, the Five Contemplations Hall, and other construction projects, and held another meditation session. In the next year, the Master's one-hundred-and-seventeenth, he wrote a letter to the composer of this book, asking the latter to return to Yun Chu which, however, was impossible. The Great Hall and the Hall of the Heavenly Kings were completed, in addition to other monastery buildings, and Dharma Master Hai Teng (Sea Lamp) became Abbot. He continued to lecture Sutras and held a two-week meditation session. In 1957, when Hsu Yun was one hundred and eighteen, all of the work was completed, and more than one hundred Buddha images were cast. He continued to lecture the Sutras and held a three-week meditation session. There were now more than two hundred monks living at the monastery. At one-hundred and nineteen, in 1958, Hsu Yun was aided in the establishment of the Hai Hui (Sea-vast Assembly) Stupa by Chan Li Wu. In 1959, Hsu Yun's age was one-hundred-and-nineteen, and he became ill during the summer and fall .
On the twelfth day of the ninth lunar month, he knew that the time had come. Hsu Yun instructed his successors to earnestly and vigorously apply themselves to the cultivation of precepts, samadhi, and wisdom, in order to counteract greed, anger, and stupidity. Telling them to forget themselves for the sake of the Dharma and to mutually cherish and respect one another, he then spoke the following gathas:
Significance
Hsu Yun was one of the most influential Chán masters of the past two centuries, and arguably the most important in modern Chinese history. Unlike Catholicism and other branches of Christianity, there was no organization in China that embraced all monastics in China, nor even all monastics within the same sect. Traditionally each monastery was autonomous, with authority resting on each respective abbot. This changed with the rule of the Communist Party. In 1953, the Chinese Buddhist AssociationBuddhist Association of China
The Buddhist Association of China is a major organization of Chinese Buddhism, which serves as the official supervisory organ of Buddhism in the People's Republic of China...
was established at a meeting with 121 delegates in Beijing. The meeting also elected a chairman, 4 honorary chairmen, 7 vice-chairmen, a secretary general, 3 deputy secretaries-general, 18 members of a standing committee, and 93 directors. The 4 elected honorary chairmen were the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
, the Panchen Lama
Panchen Lama
The Panchen Lama , or Bainqên Erdê'ni , is the highest ranking Lama after the Dalai Lama in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism...
, the Grand Lama of Inner Mongolia, and Hsu Yun himself..
Though Chán is less well known in the West compared to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese Zen
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...
, the teachings of Hsu Yun have persisted within Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and he is still a major figure of 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...
in East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
. Outside of China, the influence of his teachings is strongest in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, particularly in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
, as well as the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
, where his teachings were transmitted through well known monastic students such as Venerable Hsuan Hua
Hsuan Hua
Hsuan Hua , also known as An Tzu and Tu Lun, was a Chan Buddhist monk and a contributing figure in bringing Chinese Buddhism to the United States in the 20th century....
and Venerable Jy Din Shakya and Venerable Fo Yuan.
External links
- There are two institutions under the name "Zen Buddhist Order of Hsu Yun": one at hsuyun.org and another at zatma.org
- "Ch'an Master Hsu Yun" by Upasaka Lu K'uan Yu (Charles Luk)
- List of books on the life and teachings of Master Hsu Yun.
- Testimonies of awakening
- 虛雲和尚年譜
- Ch'an Forum