Category: Confucius

Email: Master Xu Yun - Burned-Finger - and "Self-Immolation"! (26.1.2025)

1/25/2025

Dear J

Thank you for your interesting email.

Please find attached a photograph clearing showing the missing digit. According to Xu Yun, he was sad and regretful for the fact his mother died soon after giving birth to him (he probably later witnessed what women experience during pregnancy and birth) - and for the distress he caused his father by leaving home to become a Buddhist monk (without permission). This had all kinds of knock-on effects as although he was forced into marrying two young women (sisters) - he did not consummate the bond - or produce a son to carry-on the family name. Not producing a son was one of the worst things a dutiful son could NOT do with regard to his father (and by extension - his mother). In reality, it was a Confucian duty for an older son to produce an heir to inherit the family name and family wealth-business.

I believe there is a section in the Surangama Sutra describing various types of (similar) self-mortifications (usually linked to the selfless lives of Bodhisattvas). Furthermore, such ideas recur in various other (usually Mahayana) texts (the Mahasiddhi stories of the Tantrayana also contain all kinds of unusual activity). The usual argument is that such descriptions (which are either not found - or if they are present - are criticised by the Buddha in the Pali Suttas) are purely figurative and not intended to be taken literally (due to their negative and destructive tendency).

Given this is the case, what is Xu Yun doing? He is putting into practice the idea of "self-mortification" from a Buddhist point of view. Not all Buddhists accept this interpretation and I advocate freedom of thought and self-determination. Think for yourself. Xu Yun believed that by voluntarily inflicting "pain" upon his person (by copying the sutras) - he could "burn-off" bad karma AND transfer this credit-making exercise to provide for the well-being of another person (or persons) in the after-life. Of course, there is much to philosophically work-through - but this is similar to Medieval (monastic) Christian beliefs within certain traditions. This type of self-harm is open to interpretation and it should not be lightly treated or literally advocated. Remember, the Classical Greeks (Apollonius of Tyre and others) - recorded that an Indian Buddhist sat atop a pile of wood and "self-immolated" in-front of a crowd in Athens (I believe in the 1st century CE). Wapola Rahula also discusses "self-immolation" (see attached).

Peace in the Dharma

Adrian Chan-Wyles

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Master Xu Yun [虚云] Practiced “Asceticism” to Repay the Kindness of his Parents! (28.10.2024)

10/28/2024

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Old Venerable Master Xu Yun, a great Chinese Ch’an Master who lived into modern times, lost his mother a few days after he was born. Master Xu Yun became an ordained Buddhist monk at the age of 19-years old (in 1859) and practiced the Dharma with diligence. He often reflected:

"I never saw my mother after I was born - but this noble woman passed away because of me. I cannot forget her kindness."

In order to repay his mother for the debt of giving birth to him, Master Xu Yun made a vow to pilgrimage to Mount Wu Tai [五台] to worship Manjushri [文殊 – Wen Shu] Bodhisattva, and to dedicate this karmic merit to his mother - so that she could escape the cycle of rebirth (Samsara) as soon as possible.

During the 7th kunar month of the 8th year [1882] of the reign of Emperor Guangxu [光绪] – Master Xu Yun started this pilgrimage by lighting incense at the Fa Hua [法华] Temple [庵 - An] situated on Pu Tuo [普陀] Mountain - bowing every third-step. During May of the tenth year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu [1884] – Master Xu Yun arrived at Xian Tong [显通] Temple [寺 – Si] on Mount Wu Tai. After two years, he finally fulfilled his long-cherished wish of repaying his mother's kindness.

Master Xu Yun was frozen twice in the snow and ice – whilst Manjusri Bodhisattva transformed himself into a beggar named “Wen Ji” [文吉] - to save him.

When Master Xu Yun was 58 years old [1898] - "He was heartbroken every time he thought about the fact that he had been born without a mother and had never seen her loving face". He travelled to the Ashoka [阿育王 – A Yu Wang] Temple [寺 – Si] in Ningbo [宁波] to worship the Buddha's Relics. Here, he ritualistically burnt-off one of his fingers as an offering to the Buddha - and to pray for his mother's Nirvana. The old monk did not use a cushion and performed three thousand prostrations every day. One night, whilst sat in meditation, he saw a Golden Dragon appear in the sky and fly into the Tian Chi [天池] Lake lying in front of the Relic Hall. It was several feet long and shining with golden light. The old monk rode on the dragon's back and flew to a place with beautiful mountains and rivers, tranquil flowers and trees, and majestic and wonderful pavilions and palaces. Seeing his mother looking out from one of the pavilions, the old monk called out to her to ride the dragon to the West! As the dragon descended to pick her up - Master Xu Yun came out of his trance!

#filial piety to parents# #repay parents' kindness# #Master Xuyun#

Chinese Language Source:

https://weibo.com/1886180502/OiWeptVhv

虚云老和尚苦行报父母恩

近代禅门巨匠虚云老和尚，出生几天后母亲就过世了。虚云老和尚十九岁出家，勤修道业，常念及“我生不见母，母亲因生我而死，大恩不能忘怀”。为了报答母亲的生育之恩，他一心发愿朝拜五台山礼文殊菩萨，以此功德回向母亲早脱轮回。

自光绪八年七月始，由普陀法华庵起香，三步一拜，到光绪十年五月到五台山显通寺，经历两年之久，达成了报母恩的夙愿。他两次冻卧冰雪中，感文殊菩萨化身为文吉乞者救他脱险。

虚云老和尚五十八岁时，“因念生而无母，未见慈容，每以思之，辄觉心痛”，于是往宁波阿育王寺拜佛舍利，燃指供佛，超度慈母。老和尚不用蒲团，每日定三千拜。一天夜晚，在禅定中见空中出现金龙一条，飞落舍利殿前的天池内，长数丈，金光晃耀。老和尚骑上龙背，即腾空至一处，山水秀丽，花木清幽，楼阁宫殿，庄严奇妙。见母亲在楼阁上瞻眺，老和尚大叫母亲，请母亲骑上龙到西方去，龙即下降，自己随即出定。这种梦兆，正是虚云老和尚孝心所感。

#孝顺父母##报父母恩##虚云老和尚#

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A Genuine Teacher

6/5/2021

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Chow Yun-Fat Plays 'Confucius'

子曰：“不愤不启，不悱不发。举一隅不以三隅反，则不复也。” 孔子「论语」7.8：

The Master said: If a student is not suitably eager to receive genuine knowledge, then I will not eagerly expound genuine knowledge. If a student does not express suitable urgency to receive genuine knowledge, then I will not urgently explain genuine knowledge. If I hold-up one corner and the student does not respectfully bring me the other three corners, then all interaction with that student immediately comes to an end. — Confucius, Analects 7.8

My above translation is exactly how an ethnic Chinese person understands this saying of the Sage known in the West as ‘Confucius’. Indeed, all interaction – even within modern China – which involves a transference of knowledge from some ‘who Knows' to someone who ‘does not know’ is premised on this short paragraph. The agency of ‘silence’ is a time where a student can re-set their mind and body to begin the interaction yet again - until the circuit is complete and the knowledge flows efficiently from teacher to student. ACW (6.6.2021)

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Ch’an Digest - Lockdown Monasticism

2/6/2021

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The UK has the highest Covid19 death-rate in the world! To date, over 100,000 men, women and children have died. Covid19 is no respecter of class, gender or age – we are all equally susceptible to its deadly embrace! In the Classic of Change (Yijing) - Hexagram 36 is entitled ‘明夷’ (Ming Yi). This is often translated as ‘Darkening of the Light’ or ‘Brightness Obscured’ with both renderings describing a time when the outside world (literally, figuratively – or both) – is plunged into a natural state of actual perpetual darkness (such as experienced during unusual weather conditions, volcanic activity, earthquake or Tsunami, etc), or is subject to corrupt leaders, debilitating warfare, illness, famine or drought, etc. The ‘brightness’ that denotes a progressive and vibrant society has been compromised so that normal activity in the world has become severely restricted or even non-existent due to the danger that is present.

In fact, ‘明夷’ (Ming Yi) can convey a more in-depth explanation of events depicted in the situation. Indeed, ‘明’ (ming2) is constructed using the left-hand particle of ‘日’ (ri4) denoting ‘sun’ - and the right-hand particle ‘月’ (yue4) referring to the ‘Moon’. As both the ‘Sun’ and the ‘Moon’ are shining with full intensity, the Chinese ideogram means a situation of out and out ‘Brightness’. In the ancient Chinese-language texts – this ideogram referred to a time of day when the Sun is rising in the sky and the Moon has not yet disappeared – that is ‘Dawn’ - a time of great hope and inspiration for a new day ahead! This is the ‘ideal’ situation involving human society that is a ‘positive’ and ‘inspiring’ tine of unending clarity and insight – which allows great things to be achieved without end!

As the ideogram ‘夷’ (yi2) is entering the situation, however, things have changed for the worse. This change is dramatic, traumatic, and out and out ‘negative’! There is no redeeming features and civilised human society has suffered a terrible set-back! The ideogram ‘夷’ (yi2) is comprised of the inner particle of ‘大’ (da4) which translates as ‘great’, ‘big’, or ‘large’, etc, literally ‘something greater than a person’. The outer ideogram is ‘弓’ (gong1) which refers to the use of a ‘bow’ as a weapon. This ‘bow’ is manufactured from a suitably ‘curved’ tree-branch which is strong and yet flexible. Due to this association, this particle can also carry the meaning of ‘bend’, ‘arch’, or ‘curve’, etc. That is, ‘something that is not straight’, or ‘departs from the norm’, etc. When placed together, ‘夷’ (yi2) can refer to a ‘great’ non-Han people who were experts in the use of the bow and arrow - and who lived to the ‘East’ of the Central Plane. In later times, this ideogram was used to refer to any disruptive population, group or tribe that continuously attacked and disruptive the everyday cultural activity of the Han people.

As the ‘明夷’ (Ming Yi) Hexagram (36) uses the latter meaning of ‘interference from barbarians’ - this gives a clue when this Hexagram’s commentary was formulated (or at least ‘settled’) - which would have been after the life of Confucius (probably around 300 BCE). Confucius tends to see this tribe as ‘ancient’ rather than ‘disruptive’ - but in later times, this concept took-on the meaning of ‘obliterate’, ‘eradicate’ and ‘destroy’ through ‘violence’. As something bad has happened in society – the ‘wise-person’ turns-away from all forms of social interaction and intently ‘looks within’ to perfect his or her character. This is achieved through silent and seated meditation, interspersed with periods of study deep and profound philosophical texts that assist this process. This fits-in with the current Covid19 Crisis which involves a withdrawal from interacting within normal society to prevent the spread of the illness and keep one another (and the entirety of society) safe! Master Xu Yun (1840-1959) would have told us all to behave ourselves and behave with civility and discipline!

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Email: Master Xu Yun - Burned-Finger - and "Self-Immolation"! (26.1.2025)

Master Xu Yun [虚云] Practiced “Asceticism” to Repay the Kindness of his Parents! (28.10.2024)

A Genuine Teacher

Ch’an Digest - Lockdown Monasticism

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