Ch'an Dao Links:
|
Zhu Jingzhou [朱镜宙] - Master Xu Yun – My Recollections!
Presented by the Beihai Ch’an Temple [北海禅院-Bei Hai Chan Yuan] on the 175th Anniversary of Xu Yun’s Birth [1840-2015]!
Translator’s Note: This article was published online in China (in the Chinese language) during late 2015 – celebrating the then 175th Anniversary of the birth of Master Xu Yun [which occurred during 1840]. The Beihai Ch’an Temple [北海禅院-Bei Hai Chan Yuan] is located in the Haiyan County area of Haibei, situated in Qinghai province (Northwest China). This temple preserves the biography of the lay-Buddhist Zhu Jingzhou [朱镜宙] – a “Nationalist” – who was a Disciple of Master Xu Yun. After the military defeat of the Nationalists on the Mainland, Zhu Jingzhou fled - with the retreating Nationalist Forces - to the island of Taiwan. Master Xu Yun, of course, refused to be drawn with regards to sectarian politics. The unnamed (Beihai) “Editor” of this article provides the following details regarding Zhu Jingzhou’s biography:
“The author of this article, Zhu Jingzhou (1889-1985), was a native of Zhejiang Province. He was the son-in-law of Zhang Taiyan [章太炎] - and was a scholar. He originally did not believe in Buddhism. During the Anti-Japanese War, he fled to Sichuan and lived in the countryside of Chongqing. One night, after playing mahjong at a friend's house, he was walking back to his apartment when he suddenly saw a woman standing in front of him. He thought as it was late at night in the wilderness - how could a woman dare to go out alone? He looked again and saw that the woman only possessed an upper body - but lacked a lower body! Whilst he was startled – the woman suddenly disappeared! From then on, he developed a devout belief in Buddhism, and formed relationships with many eminent monks. He tried his best to protect Buddhism, and took refuge under Master Xu Yun - who taught him how to uphold the Precepts and Chant the Buddha's Name. He followed Master Xu Yun for many years. This article forms part of his personal recollections - and is a truly valuable record. Zhu Jingzhou has written many works - including: Five Vehicles of Buddhism & Chinese Culture [五乘佛法与中国文化] Ksitigarbha Sutra - Buddha's Last Will & Testament for Lay Disciples [地藏经是佛陀留给在家弟子的遗嘱] Zhu Jingzhou passed away peacefully in Taiwan during 1985 - at the age of 97-years old.” Of course, as with many Chinese language texts regarding religion and spirituality, what is referred to as the “Paranormal” in the West - occurs quite regularly. Zhu Jingzhou in this instance, reports observing a partial manifestation of a disembodied woman. This experience pushed him away from a reliance upon (secular) intellection - toward the embracing of Buddhist doctrine. Why this is the case is not explained (again, this “non-explanation” as to “why” two unrelated things are assumed to be interrelated - is a common theme within Chinese language texts of this type). On the other hand, the genuine (and selfless) character of Master Xu Yun shines through the provided text. As the family of Zhu Jingzhou was associated with the (modern) Revolutionary politics of the “Nationalist” movement (which overthrew the Qing Dynasty in 1911) – this adherence to traditional Buddhist doctrine must have seemed a little odd. Ch’an Masters never discuss the post-enlightenment experience – with all their efforts being directed toward assisting the student to realise enlightenment (in other words, Ch’an emphasises the “pre-enlightenment” experience). Tantra, by way of comparison, although also emphasising how to realise enlightenment – also spends a great deal of time explaining the post-enlightenment experience (or how “emptiness” underlies ALL phenomenal experience without discrimination or partiality). Whereas a Tantric Master is very interested in what his students do in the post-enlightenment experience (the Mahasiddhi stories exemplify this attitude) – the Ch’an Master possesses absolutely NO interest in what a Ch’an student does in the post-enlightenment state (the Ch’an student simply “adjusts his or herself to circumstance”). This explains Master Xu Yun’s attitude regarding the prospect of Master Qingding (a Tantric Master) - taking over the role of Head Monk at the Nanhua Temple. The Ch’an Method must prevail in the Main Meditation Hall – if the temple is of the Ch’an tradition. Interestingly, although the Beihai Temple (which provided this article) is a “Ch’an” centre of practice, it exists in an area of the Tibet-Han border where Tantra dominates in the broader environment. Indeed, Charles Luk [1898-1978] studied Phowa Buddhism with a Mongolian Lama - who came from this (related) area. Finally, there are two lineages of Tantra, one Tibetan, the other Chinese. As Master Qingding taught in Shanghai, it is probable that he taught the “Chinese” lineage of Tantra. ACW (30.10.2024) (Excerpted from "Selected Essays in Memory of Master Xu Yun")
Old Venerable Master Xu Yun may be the last Great Leader in the history of Ch’an Buddhism in China. His life and deeds have long been well-known at home and abroad, so there is no need to talk about them again. Recently, Master Xu Yun passed away on Mount Yunju. No matter whether people knew him or not - everyone in China (and abroad) - mourned. Friends from all over the place have sent me letters - asking me to write a few words about the old monk's life and deeds. I am ashamed of my heavy karma and the short time I spent with him. I cannot remember even a fraction of his deeds. I hope that the wise men of the time will elaborate on their experiences and make this generation of elders a model for the world. This is also the responsibility of those who are younger. 1. Wherever the old monk went, he took it as his duty to rebuild the ancient temples. This included the following buildings: Zhusheng [祝圣] Temple on Jiuzu Mountain Nanhua [南华] Temple in Qujiang Yunmen [云门] Temple in Ruyuan Zhenru [真如] Temple in Yunju Mountain Master Xu Yun spent the last years of his life on Mount Yunju – but whichever temple he repaired – he would appoint a Head Monk (Abbot) and move on with a simple bag slung over his shoulder. He collected funds and never touched a penny himself. This is how the temples were repaired. 2. Throughout his life, whether he was sitting, walking, or talking to someone, the old monk always kept his eyes lowered - looking three foot in-front of him toward the ground. If he raised his eyes, he would immediately lower them, even when taking photographs with people. This is what the ancients meant by "walking is Ch’an, sitting is Ch’an". 3. The old monk never lit a lamp when he walked at night, whether it is a moonlit night or a dark night. Perhaps he feared that he may lose his way when not using his natural instincts - so he never held a lamp – even when old. The old monk always waved an offered lamp away, saying that the lamp will hinder his walking. I asked him privately, "Do the eyes of the old monk emit light at night?" The master would not answer. 4. During the spring of 1947, the Precept Ceremony was held at the Nanhua Temple. I attended the ceremony and was able to receive Master Xu Yun’s advice and guidance. After the Precepts were completed, the old monk went to Yunmen to direct the reconstruction of the Ancestral Temple, and left me to assist with the Nanhua Buddhist School. I asked to go to Yunmen with him, but the Master said, "The food and accommodation in Yunmen are not as good as those in Nanhua. I am afraid you cannot bear such hardship." I thought to myself at that time: Don't I want to become a monk? Why not take this opportunity to practice the life of a monk? So, I was determined to go. The Master said, "Okay, if you are not used to it, I will send you back." After living in Yunmen for three months, a call came for me to return to Shanghai, so I said goodbye in a hurry. The old monk actually accompanied me to Shaoguan. His words were not false. 5. In the early days of the restoration work, the roads were full of potholes, and the only fuel for the steam-driven buses (traction engine) was firewood. It took four to five hours to reach the destination from Shaoguan to Ruyuan, which was 80 li (27 miles). There were bandits along the way - but even hardened criminals were very respectful to the old monk - and did not dare to offend him. Only then did I understand the old monk's intention to accompany me. The driver's seat at the front of the bus was less shaken, and the ticket price was slightly higher than the ordinary one. But every time the old monk went back and forth, he would sit in the bus with the monks. Although the monks tried to persuade him, he would not listen. The old monk's body was tall, and the bus was worn - and the road was bad. His head hit the roof of the bus, causing blood to flow from cuts on his head, but he did not care. 6. In the spring of 1948, the old monk suddenly suffered from malignant malaria and had a high fever. Yunmen is located in a remote rural area and medical treatment was not readily available. After more than a month, he still did not recover. At that time, Nanhua Temple was about to hold a Precept Ceremony and repeatedly sent people to invite the old monk to preside over the ritual, but he declined due to illness. At that time, there was a lay-Buddhist named “Ma” [马] from Anhui, who had studied in Japan when he was young and held important positions. He was a lay-disciple of the Master. This time, he brought his wife and daughter to receive the Full Precepts. Lay-Buddhist Zhang [张] from Changsha, who graduated from Hunan University and had worked as an Auditor in the Ministry of Finance, was unmarried at the age of 30, also received the Full Precepts. Ma and Zhang came to Yunmen and knelt for a long time. The old monk saw their sincerity and reluctantly allowed them to take the Full Precepts. From Yunmen to Nanhua, it was 120 li (40 miles). It was spring rain, and everywhere was flooded. We had to zig-zag left and right – slithering like a snake - to move forward. The old monk had not recovered from his serious illness, and he was exhausted from the long journey. When he arrived at Maba, he could not stand. It was midnight, and he wanted to rest for a while. He asked, "Is there a monk's dormitory here?" The monks answered, "No." The monk sat on the ground and could not stand up. The monks wanted to give him a chair to carry him, but he refused. He asked the monks to move forward. It was about 18 li [6 miles] from Maba to Nanhua, and they did not reach the temple gate until midnight. At first, the old monk repeatedly urged me to go to Nanhua with everyone else. I understood his intention and replied, "I am only willing to accompany the old monk." The master said, "I have no fixed date for my trip. You are not well yourself, so you should go and recuperate first." I said, "The old monk is old and has just recovered from his illness. It is reasonable for him to work less. I will accompany the old monk to Ruyuan by bus." The master said, "The monastery has no money. You should go first as soon as possible and spend what money we have on your fare." I said, "The fare is small. I can afford it. Please do not worry about it." The old monk finally said, "Any place that can be reached on foot in one day is not allowed to be travelled to by boat or bus - according to the Vinaya Discipline. If I take a bus, how can I convince others?" I said, "The old monk is physically weak, and everyone can see it. It is better to save energy." The Master was silent. The next morning, without waiting for the monks to finish their kunji (soup-rice), he carried his bag and left first. 7. One morning, I went to Maba with several monks to wait for the bus to Shaoguan. Before the departure, I was given a sedan chair to travel. I couldn't find the old monk anywhere, so I asked the waiter, who said he had left some time ago. I hurriedly took the sedan chair and walked about a mile. I saw the old monk carrying a bag on his shoulder with an umbrella. I hurriedly got off the sedan chair, bowed on the left side of the road, and asked the old monk to get on the sedan chair. He replied: "My legs are still strong, and you are sick, so you should work less." I said: "The old monk is walking on foot, and I am riding in the sedan chair. How can this be possible in the world?" The master said: "I am used to walking, you cannot compare with me." We were polite to each other for a while, but we couldn't solve the problem. Finally, I asked to put the bag in the sedan chair, but the master did not allow it. 8. I asked the old monk to go to Taiwan with me to take refuge because of the sudden change in the current situation. The Master sighed and said, "I have been to Taiwan. Men and women live together in a secular world. It is not good or bad to go there." I asked, "How about Hong Kong?" The Master said, "It is between 50 and 100 steps to get there." 9. In 1948, Nanhua held a Spring Precepts Ceremony. The two lay-Buddhists Ma and Zhang repeatedly urged me to take the Full Precepts. I thought I was too weak to do it, and if I couldn’t do it, it would tarnish the reputation of the monks, so I didn’t dare to do it. They also urged me to take the Bodhisattva Precepts, but I said, “Bodhisattvas have aspirations and serve others everywhere, and I don’t have time to do it.” The two gentlemen kept asking me, and I finally agreed reluctantly. The Precepts used at that time were the Brahma Net Sutra Bodhisattva Precepts, which had several clauses specifically for bhikkhus and bodhisattvas, which lay-Buddhists should avoid. The Master of Rituals told me to stand up and rest because I had been kneeling for a long time. Master Xu Yun refused this request on my behalf. I had to kneel as before. After the old monk had finished welcoming all the holy people and began to talk about the Precepts - he told me to stand up. The climate in Lingnan is extremely hot during the 4th month of the lunar calendar. Wearing a thin summer cloth cassock and summer cloth pants, we kneel on the uneven soil for about an hour and a half (not counting the time of Ritual Recitation). And we must straighten our backs. If we slack off a little, the Master of Rituals will chastise. We kneel until our knees are sore and painful, and we sweat like rain. 10. Whenever the old monk talked about Precepts, his tone was heavy and his voice was full of tears, which moved all the listeners. He once said: "It is easy to receive Precepts, but it is difficult to keep them. If we can find one or two people who keep the Precepts among thousands of people, the Dharma can last for a long time and the Buddha lineage can be Immortal." 11. I have served the old monk for a short time, and he has never shown his supernatural powers to me. But according to a lay-Buddhist named “Yu” [余] from Shaoxing (I forgot his full-name), during the Anti-Japanese War, he operated a coal mine more than 3 miles away from Shaoguan. Due to the influence of the current situation, the turnover was not good, and he needed about 200,000 yuan to get through the difficult times. However, Shaoguan is located in the remote Northern part of Guangdong, and there is no sound financial institution to provide emergency assistance, and even private commercial loans are out of the question. Moreover, most of the debts were for wages already owed, and even if the company goes bankrupt, it will not be able to settle the matter. After much consideration, he decided that suicide was the only way to end the matter. Yu had heard of Nanhua for a long time. At this point on the brink of life and death, he wanted to summon his remaining courage and go there to pay his respects in person to fulfill a long-cherished wish, so he drove there. Unexpectedly, as soon as he arrived at the mountain gate, a monk came forward and asked, "Is your surname Yu?" He answered, "Yes." The monk said, "The old monk has ordered me to meet you. Please go to the Head Monk’s room and rest for a while." Yu followed him, thinking to myself: “I didn't inform the old monk in advance of my coming here, so how did he know I was coming?” When he arrived at the Head Monk's room, the old monk met him and said, "I have 200,000 yuan in cash, which I will use to build Nanhua. During the chaos and famine, it may be inconvenient to keep it, so I plan to leave it with you for you to use at any time." Then he took out the money and gave it to Yu. Yu was able to get through the difficult times with this money, and he was very grateful when he told me about it. I told Yu: "You and Master Xu Yun must have a deep karmic connection in previous lives, and it is not a coincidence in this life." He is like a tree that withered for more than a thousand years, and has now sprouted new branches. A mountain spring that has dried up for a long time, and now continues to flow again anew. I have witnessed all of this. 12. The old monk said to me: "It is not suitable for the elderly to sit in meditation for long periods (timed by the burning of incense sticks), instead it is better to chant the Buddha's name in a comfortable position." At Yunmen seated meditation occurs every night and at such times we encouraged each other to Chant the Buddha's Name. What is particularly valuable is that after the reconstruction of Nanhua was completed, the monks sought a successor Head Monk, but such an individual could not be found for a long time. I sighed at the lack of talent. I said: "There is Master Qingding [清定], who graduated from the Whampoa Military Academy and entered Sichuan with the Army. He was ordained and learned Tantric Buddhism from Great Master Nenghai [能海] after becoming his disciple. He is now teaching in Shanghai, he upholds the Precepts and Practices, whilst his conduct is acceptable." The old monk commented anxiously: "You can ask him to come." I said: "I am afraid that Master Qingding will not be able to transmit what he has learned." Master Xu Yun answered: "It does not matter. Nanhua has many side temples and meditation halls. As long as Tantra is not practiced in the Main [Ch’an] Hall, all will be fine." I said: "Well, without the permission of Master Nenghai - Master Qingding cannot come." Later, I received a reply from Master Qingding saying that he had not received permission from Master Nenghai, and so there was no result. From these two things, we can see that the old monk is open-minded and has no prejudices as long as it is beneficial to the spread of Dharma and the well-being of sentient beings. His great personality is like this. 13. After the defeat in the Battles of Xuzhou and Bengbu - I decided to leave for Taiwan. On the day of departure, the old monk personally accompanied me for a few miles. He stood on a high hill, staring at me, without moving. I walked away and kept looking back, waving to the old monk, asking him to return to the temple. The old monk stood still and stared - as if he could see or hear nothing. I burst into tears! Then I kowtowed to the old monk three times from a distance, and only stopped when we could no longer see each other. The old monk probably knew that this would be the last farewell between my teacher and myself in this life. After arriving in Taiwan, for the sake of the old monk's safety, I only contacted him once, and still encouraged him not to forget his duties. Is not this what it means to be a good Disciple? I have not yet repaid the great kindness of my (root) Master, and yet I suddenly heard of his death. Recalling the past, I was in tears without realizing it! ©opyright: Adrian Chan-Wyles (ShiDaDao) 2024. Chinese Language Source: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MjM5NDE4OTIyMw==&mid=221364262&idx=3&sn=0ee91a3eed292a24067431b9432ac647&chksm=2e4efaee193973f81422e0db5c80db321246ab20c2dbdc69be4bf6bcf678427ed92784f95b33&scene=27 |