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Ch’an Master Xu Yun - Practice Diligently & Never Lose Mindfulness When Eating!
In 1955, in Jiangxi, the 115-year-old Master Xu Yun was stood in front of the thatched hut on Yunju Mountain, giving a Dharma-Talk to the monks about being "mindful" when eating!
Translator's Note: During 1955, I have found a number of Chinese-language references stating that Master Xu Yun was very strict during this year regarding the behaviour of the Buddhist monastics in the dining hall (or refectory). He was concerned that associating for food triggered a type of group inner relaxation and outer over-familiarity with the world of red-dust. The monks and nuns seemed to not apply the Vinaya Discipline as sternly as they did at other times of the day. Sleeping, dressing, washing, going to the toilet, walking, standing, lying-down and sitting - all these activities are tightly controlled - as is associating with the laity and meetings between the sexes, etc. Nothing is left to chance as the stillness of the mind - and the huatou method used to attain it - must NEVER be disturbed for a single instant.
Chanting mantras, reading the Sutras, and teaching the Dharma must be precise, timely, and delivered in good order. The message must be suitable for the level of learning of the audience. Meditation practice must be merciless. A true Ch'an Master (lay or monastic) can sit for days without moving or experiencing the slightest distress. All inner klesa must be removed through correct meditation. All klesa must dissolved with wisdom. Ego considerations in the outer world - prevalent amongst so many Ch'an groups today - is a deviation from the source of True-Dharma. Many decieve the masses by misusing Master Xu Yun's image to lead others down dark allies and dead-ends. NO. None of this is allowed by Master Xu Yun - as is evident in this Dharma-Talk. Apparently, Master Xu Yun gave variants of this lecture throughout 1955 - and I have found a photograph lecturing to the Yunju monks on December 25th of that year - a date that is no different to any other date within the tradition of Chinese Buddhism. Sometimes, those who lack inner discipline experience "fright" when confronted with the power of the Vinaya Discipline. Even in decadent Japan - the odd honest Zen monk uses a broom to sweep the coquettish women out of the temple! We dare not stop at physical cleanliness - as we must sweep all modes of desire out of the mind! ACW (2.6.2025) Master Xu Yun [115-Years Old] Dharma-Talk - Mount Yunju (25.4.1955):
‘Whilst sitting in the dining hall, I noticed that everyone gradually became a little more disorganized when eating. After-all, it is easy to become distracted when eating. What follows describes an effective way to cure this distraction. People in the world do not know how precious this human body is. In the Mahaparinirvana Sutra (大涅槃經 – Da Nie Pan Jing) says: "It is difficult to be born as a human being, and it is also difficult to encounter the Buddha's teachings. It is like a blind turtle in the ocean accidentally raising its head out of the water and placing it through a floating hoop." In the Samyuktagama Sutra (雜阿含經 – Za A Han Jing) it says: "In the ocean there is a blind turtle. Its lifespan in kalpas is immeasurable. It comes out of the ocean once every hundred years. There is also a floating wooden hoop (containing a single hole). The hoop drifts on the ocean waves and goes east and west with the wind." The blind turtle comes out of the ocean once every hundred years - and places its head through the hoop. This means that it is extremely difficult for ordinary people to drift in the ocean of the five realms - and then return to human form. The Dharmadhatu Treatise (顯揚論 – Xian Yang Lun) says: "The illumination of the sun and the moon is called the one world - this one world consists of nine mountains, eight seas and four continents." The nine mountains are: Mount Sumeru (須彌山 – Xu Mi Shan) Mount Yugandhara (持雙山 – Chi Shuang Shan) Mount Asadhara (持軸山 – Chi Zhou Shan) Mount Nimindala (擔木山 – Dan Mu Shan) Mount Sudalishena (善見山 – Shan Jian Shan) Mount Meru (馬耳山 – Ma Er Shan) Mount Vinataka (障礙山 – Zhang Ai Shan) Mount Īsadhara (持地山 – Chi De Shan) Mount Hina-Cakravada-Parvata (小鐵圍山 – Xiao Tie Wei Shan) The Eight Seas are the: Seven Perfume Seas One Great Salt-Water Sea Between Mount Sumeru and Mount Yugandhara - and between Mount Vinataka and Mount Īsadhara - there is a layer of Perfume Sea separating each. In total - there are seven Perfume Seas between eight of the mountains. Finally, between Mount Īsadhara and Mountain Mount Hina-Cakravada-Parvata - there a Great Salt-Water Sea. There are Four Continents situated within these Eight Seas: East, West, South and North Every one-hundred-years, a blind sea-turtle breaks the surface of the water and accidently places its head through the centre of a wooden hoop – which has been randomly floating around the Eight Seas and between Four Continents. Within the “Four Teaching Methods” (四教儀 – Si Jiao Yi) it says “At any given moment in time – uphold the Five Constant Regulations and the Five Precepts – whilst practicing the Ten Good Deeds or Virtues (to at least a medium degree of effort). This is how the true “Dao” (道) [Way] body is achieved.” Among the Four Continents, the Northern Continent has no distinction between the noble and the humble. The remaining Three Continents possess distinctions between Chakra Kings (輪王 – Lun Wang), Grain-Sharing Kings (粟散王 – Su San Wang), Officials, Slaves, Servants, and Concubines - all due to the different levels of practice of the Five Precepts and Ten Virtues (there are low, middle, and high levels of these practices depending upon effort - which lead to inevitable corresponding physical circumstances). This results in the people being divided into “noble” and “humble” categories. Now that we have obtained a human body - and have heard the Dharma - we must follow its teachings and use the various methods of upholding the Precepts, practicing Concentration, and cultivating Wisdom to subdue our minds. If one practices according to the Vinaya Discipline, one should consult the “Vinaya Daily Practice” (毗尼日用 – Pi Ne Ri Yong) text and chant the Fifty-Three Mantras all day long. The “Vinaya Daily Practice” text states, “The Buddha ordered Buddhist monastics [Beggars] - to strictly observe the Five Precepts when eating. A Buddhist monastic who allows the mind to become slack and ill-disciplined when eating – does not inspire respect, good-will, charity, and humility in the minds of the observing laity – who selflessly provide all the material needs of the Bhikkhus. When this respect is lost – it is difficult to regain it.” In a well-ordered monastery, when the dining bell is rung – the Vinaya Master should read-out the required Vinaya text - and all the Buddhist monastics should concentrate their minds, stop talking, and lower their gaze to the ground. Their posture should retain a natural awe-inspiring deportment. When eating - Buddhist monastics should keep Five Views in mind: 1. Calculate the karmic-merits by measuring the source of the food (a simple bowl of rice requires extensive labour in the background that makes a worker sweat). 2. Consider your own virtue (If completely lacking in virtue, you should not accept any of the food. If your virtue is acceptable, you may accept the food). 3. Guard your mind from greed, hatred, and delusion (always practice non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion). 4. Good medicine (food) is achieved by manifesting right-action (food and water are used to cure hunger, first, tiredness, and illness). 5. To successfully follow the Path of Enlightenment, you should regularly eat food when available (If you do not eat regularly, you will get sick, how then can you practice the Dao?) If the Five Views are used for self-cultivation – then gold can be easily smelted. If the Three Minds are not cultivated – then water will not be purified. Always retain a sense of shame, do not lose your mindfulness, enlighten yourself by returning the hearing (sound) to its source (the empty mind ground), directly perceive the empty and all-embracing nature of the True Mind, and do not mistake that the fleeting thoughts of your inner mind represent solid objects in the material environment (the “turning-about” of the Lankavatara Sutra). Those who maintain Right Thought, perceive each sound of the bell as nothing other than the Buddha speaking. To achieve this, do not talk about the right and wrong of others, or discuss similar distracting things.’ Ch’an Master Xu Yun [虛雲] (1840-1959) inherited and passed-on the Caodong (曹洞) Lineage (this was his root lineage that possesses many hidden branches – both lay and monastic). He was the successor of the Linji {臨濟] Lineage. He revived the Yunmen [雲門] Lineage. He supported the Fayan [法眼] Lineage, and he continued the Weiyang [溈仰] Lineage. Master Xu Yun is the greatest of all Ch’an Masters who inherited all Five Ch’an Schools. Master Xu Yun's life was extremely long and contained many legendary aspects witnessed by many. He experienced countless hardships and said: "I have lived through the reigns of Five Emperors and Four Dynasties, and I have lost count of how many vicissitudes I have gone through - I have gone through Nine Trials and Ten Difficulties, and I definitely know that this world is impermanent!" In his later years whilst staying on Mount Yunju [雲居] - Master Xu Yun never missed an opportunity day or night to spread the Dharma and gave instructions on the practice methods. This Dharma-Talk was given by Master Xu Yun after the extended Meditation Session on April 25th, 1955. ©opyright: Adrian Chan-Wyles (ShiDaDao) 2025. Translator's Afterword: I was studying the monastic traditions of the West (Christian) and discovered that virtually all "Rules" (derived by Saints) put a great emphasis on eating little, eating well, and eating in absolute "silence" with an awareness of a higher reality whilst the (vegetarian) food is being viewed, prepared, shared, touched, and imbibed. Perhaps similar restrictions exist in the texts associated with the monastic Jewish (vegetarian) communities that once occupied the meditation caves at Qumran. The theology of Islam also carries a strict sense of decorum when it comes to food, sharing, fasting, and eating. Now, of course, Buddhist monasticism is far-older than these Abrahamic traditions and there are speculative theories that perhaps other religions were influenced by the strict (vegetarian) teachings of the Buddha (the Jains are even stricter in this regard). The Daoist religion (at least the Qianfeng tradition) also operates from a vegetarian basis. This is the tradition that Indian Buddhist monks transmitted to China - although a case can be made that the Buddha did allow "waste" meat left-over from someone else's meal to be mindfully consumed by a Bhikkhu - if no other food was available. Even where this rule is upheld in the Theravada Schools - lay-people are still encouraged to donate (dana) vegetarian food were possible. Meat is karmically tainted - whilst vegetarian food less so. Gather the evidence and think for yourselves. ACW (2.6.2025)
Chinese Language Text: https://www.hkcd.com/newsTopic_content.php?id=930928
虛雲禪師：努力修行莫失正念 2015-05-18 來源：香港商報 【香港商報網訊】在過堂時看見各人吃飯漸漸有些散亂。吃飯時候容易散亂，亦正好對治散亂。 世人不知人身之寶貴，《大涅槃經》偈曰：「生世為人難，值佛世亦難，猶如大海中，盲龜遇浮孔。」《雜阿含經》曰：「大海中有一盲龜，壽無量劫，百年一遇出頭。復有浮木，只有一孔，漂流海浪，隨風東西。」盲龜百年一出，得遇此孔。 凡夫漂流五趣海，還復人身，甚難於此。《顯揚論》曰：「一日月之照臨，名一世界；此一世界，九山八海和四洲。」九山是須彌山、持雙山、持軸山、擔木山、善見山、馬耳山、障礙山、持地山、小鐵圍山，八海是七個香水海和一個大鹹水海。 須彌山與持雙山之間乃至障礙山與持地山之間，當中都有一重香水海，八山之間共七香水海。最後持地山與小鐵圍山之間，有一重大鹹水海。此海中有東西南北四洲，盲龜在鹹水海，百年一出頭，要碰入這飄流不停的浮木之孔。《四教儀》說：「在因之時，行五常五戒，中品十善，感人道身。」四洲中北洲無貴賤，餘三洲有輪王、粟散王、百僚、臺奴、豎子、僕隸、姬妾之分，皆由五戒十善之因有上中下不同，故感果為人有貴賤不等。 我們現在已得人身，又聞佛法，就要依教奉行，依戒定慧種種法門降伏其心。如照律下修行，則一天到晚持《毗尼日用》五十三咒，「佛制比丘食存五觀，散心雜話信施難消。」大眾聞磬聲各正念，維那在齋堂念了供養咒之後，呼此偈。 比丘吃飯時要存五觀：一、計功多少，量彼來處（一缽之飯，作夫汗流）；二、忖已德行，全缺應供（缺則不易，全乃可受）；三、防心離過，貪等為宗（離此三過，貪嗔癡也）；四、正事良藥，為療形枯（飢渴病故，須食為藥）；五、為成道業，應受此食（不食成病，道業何從）。 五觀若明金易化，三心未了水難清。要常存慚愧心，莫失正念，聞聲悟道，見色明心，不要心外見鬼。各存正念者，一聲磬念一聲佛也，不說人我是非、散心雜話。 施主一粒米，大如須彌山，若不自了道，披毛戴角還。修因感果如種田，水養禾苗，如智水潤心田。能念念在道，則處處都是道場。善用心者，心田不長無明草，處處常開智慧花。既然人身已得，佛法已聞，就要努力修行，勿空過日。 虛雲禪師（1840-1959），傳法曹洞，兼嗣臨濟，中興雲門，匡扶法眼，延續溈仰，是以一身系五宗法脈的禪宗大德。虛雲禪師一生極具傳奇色彩，經歷無數磨難，自云：「閱五帝四朝，不覺滄桑幾度；歷盡九磨十難，了知世事無常！」虛雲禪師晚年在雲居山，依然不忘弘法，隨時開示修行法門。這篇開示，是虛雲禪師在1955年4月25日過堂後所說。 |