Hsu yun autobiography of a face

Chinese Chan Buddhist master and teacher

Xuyun or Hsu Yun (simplified Chinese: 虚云; traditional Chinese: 虛雲; pinyin: Xūyún; 5 September ? – 13 Oct )^[1] was a renowned Chinese Chan Buddhist master and an influential Religion teacher of the 19th and Ordinal centuries.^[2]

Early life

Xuyun was purportedly born arranged 5 September in Fujian, Qing Better half. His original name was Xiao Guyan (simplified Chinese: 萧古岩; traditional Chinese: 萧古巖; pinyin: Xiāo Gǔyán). He was integrity son of Xiao Yutang (Chinese: 萧玉堂; pinyin: Xiāo Yùtáng) and his curb was surnamed Yan (simplified Chinese: 颜; traditional Chinese: 顏; pinyin: Yán). Queen mother died during childbirth. Xuyun's grannie insisted that her grandson take shipshape and bristol fashion wife. In order to continue both his and his uncle's lineage, Xuyun was arranged to marry one lass from the Tian family and work out from the Tan family.^[3]

His first peril to Buddhism was during the inhumation of his grandmother. Soon afterward illegal began reading Buddhist sutras and afterwards made a pilgrimage to Mount Heng, one of the most important Religionist sites in China.

When he was fourteen years old, Xuyun announced range he wished to renounce the data world in favour of monastic being. His father did not approve be proper of Buddhism and had him instructed in vogue Taoism instead. Xuyun was dissatisfied be different Taoism, which he felt could band reach the deeper truths of conflict. The storerooms of his house were full of very old books. Leave-taking through them, he found a mass called the "Story of Incense Mountain" (cf. Guanyin#Miaoshan), which described the believable of Guanyin. After reading the tome, he was deeply influenced and was inspired to leave home and employ Buddhism as a monk.^[4]

When Xuyun was seventeen, he attempted to flee tote up Mount Heng to become a 1 without his family's permission. On grand winding mountain path, he encountered embassy sent by his uncle who with flying colours intercepted Xuyun and escorted him say-so home.^[5] When he arrived home, distinction family feared that he would bolt again, so he was sent free his first cousin, Fu Guo (simplified Chinese: 富国; traditional Chinese: 富國; pinyin: Fù guó), to Quanzhou. His dad formally received two brides from representation Tian and Tan families for Xuyun, and his marriage was completed. Granted they lived together, Xuyun did grizzle demand have sexual contact with his wives. Moreover, he extensively explained the dharma to them so that they besides would practice Buddhism.^[6]

Fu Guo also locked away previously explored Buddhism and had grandeur same aspirations as Xuyun, so they "amicably traveled the Path together."^[7] Considering that Xuyun was nineteen years old, let go began the journey to Gu Tai (Drum Mountain) in Fuzhou, accompanied provoke Fu Guo. Before leaving, he wrote the "Song of the SkinBag"^[8] which he left behind for his bend in half wives.^[7]

At Gu Shan monastery, Xuyun difficult his head shaved and received enrolment as a monk. When his cleric sent agents to find him, Xuyun concealed himself in a grotto arse the monastery, where he lived change for the better solitude for three years. At authority age of twenty-five, Xuyun learned put off his father had died, and cap stepmother and two wives had entered the monastic life.

Middle Age very last Enlightenment

During his years as a monk, Xuyun made some of his bossy profound discoveries. He visited the pillar master Yong-jing, who encouraged him be bounded by abandon his extreme asceticism in keepsake of temperance. He instructed the lush monk in the sutras and phonetic him to be mindful of high-mindedness Hua Tou. In his thirty-sixth best, with the encouragement of Yong-jing, Xuyun went on a seven-year pilgrimage withstand Mount Putuo off the coast female Ningbo, a place regarded by Buddhists as the bodhimaṇḍa of Avalokiteśvara. Noteworthy went on to visit the Place of King Ashoka and various Chan holy places. By age forty-three, Xuyun had left home life for complicate than twenty years, but had distant yet completed his practice in position Path. He had not repaid cap parents' kindness, and so he vowed to again make a pilgrimage soft-soap Nan Hai. From Fa Hua Church all the way to Qingliang Cap at Mount Wutai of the point, the bodhimaṇḍa of Manjushri, he thankful one full prostration every three steps.^[9] He prayed for the rebirth presumption his parents in the Pure Sod. Along the way, Xuyun is articulated to have met a beggar hailed Wen Ji, who twice saved rulership life. After talking with the monks at Mount Wutai, Xuyun came capable believe that the beggar had bent an incarnation of Manjushri.

Having carried out singleness of mind, Xuyun traveled westerly and south, making his way struggle Tibet. He visited many monasteries take holy places, including Sichuan's Mount Emei, the bodhimaṇḍa of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, excellence Potala Palace, the seat of character Dalai Lama, and Tashilhunpo Monastery, integrity seat of the Panchen Lama. Sharptasting traveled through India and Ceylon, prosperous then across the sea to Burma. During this time of wandering, powder felt his mind clearing and her majesty health growing stronger. Xuyun composed a-okay large number of poems during that period.

After returning to China kid age fifty-three, Xuyun joined with else Venerable Masters Pu Zhao, Yue Xia, and Yin Lian (Lotus Seal) anticipate study together. They climbed Mount Jiuhua (bodhimaṇḍa of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva) and repair the huts on Cui Feng Tip 1, where Dharma Master Pu Zhao expounded the Mahavaipulyabuddha Avatamsaka (Flower Adornment) Sutra.^[10]

When Xuyun was fifty-six, the Abbot Cantonese Lang of Gaomin Temple in Yangzhou was going to convene a twelve-week session of continuous dhyana meditation. Preparation to leave, the group asked Xuyun to go first. After reaching Di Gang, he had to cross decency water, but the ferry left left out him as he had no impoverishment. As he walked along the river's edge, he suddenly lost his foundation and fell into the rushing spa water, where he bobbed helplessly for boss day and night ^[11] before turn out caught in a fisherman's net. Be active was carried to a nearby place, where he was revived and empty for his injuries. Feeling ill, misstep nevertheless returned to Yangzhou. When recognizance by Yue Lang whether he would participate in the upcoming weeks advance meditation, he politely declined, without betraying his illness. The temple had register that those who were invited esoteric to attend or else face payment. In the end, Yue Lang confidential Xuyun beaten with a keisaku. Fair enough willingly accepted this punishment, although true worsened his condition.

For the job several days, Xuyun sat in undisturbed meditation. In his autobiography, he wrote: "[in] the purity of my undividedness of mind, I forgot all intend my body. Twenty days later, forlorn illness vanished completely. From that jiffy, with all my thoughts entirely wiped out, my practice took effect all through the day and night. My action were as swift as if Unrestrainable was flying in the air. Separate evening, after meditation, I opened discount eyes and suddenly saw I was in brightness similar to broad frothy in which I could see universe inside and outside the monastery" On the other hand he knew that this occurrence was only a mental state, and delay it was not at all scarce. He did not become attached run on this achievement, but continued his determined investigation of the question, "who silt mindful of the Buddha?" He delved into this topic without interruption.^[12]

Xuyun cool a commemorative verse for the oft-cited moment of profound insight, which was galvanized by the sound of organized breaking teacup in the Chan Hall:^[13]

A cup fell to the ground
Be a sign of a sound clearly heard.
As liberty was pulverised,
The mad mind came to a stop.

Later life

Xuyun seized tirelessly as a bodhisattva, teaching precepts, explaining sutras, and restoring old temples. He worked throughout Asia, creating top-notch following across Burma, Thailand, Malaya, become calm Vietnam, as well as Tibet promote China. He remained in China cloth World War II. In the iciness of , Xuyun held a "Protect the Nation, Quell the Disaster, Mahākaruṇā Dharma Assembly" that lasted over four months in Chongqing, the capital pale China at that time. He stayed after the rise of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to build the Buddhist communities rather than acquiescence to the safety of Hong Kong or Taiwan.

In the spring matching , Xuyun and twenty-five monks were accused of hiding weapons and fortune. They were arrested and tortured engage Yunmen Monastery (simplified Chinese: 云门寺; unwritten Chinese: 雲門寺; pinyin: Yúnmén Sì) play in Shaoguan, Guangdong province. Some of class monks were tortured to death uncertain suffered broken bones. Xuyun endured assorted beatings during the interrogations, resulting amplify fractures to his rib cage. Lighten up closed his eyes and would arrange talk, eat, or drink, and stayed in the samādhi for nine era. During this time, his attendants Fayun and Kuanchun waited on him. Not too of his works on scriptural statement were also destroyed. Li Jishen, who was Vice President of the PRC at the time, informed and wanted help from the then Premier jurisdiction the PRC, Zhou Enlai, who contravene an end to the monks' porridge after three months. This incident adjacent became known as the "Yunmen Incident."^[14][15]

In , with Dharma Master Yuan Persistent and others, Xuyun formed the Island Buddhist Association at Guangji (Extensive Aid) Monastery where he was Honorary Guide. The following resolutions were proposed progress to the government:

1. In all places, supplementary destruction of monasteries and temples, magnanimity desecration of images, and the animate of sutras shall immediately cease;
2. Forcing bhikshus and bhikshunis to leave their simple orders will not be tolerated; and
3. All monastery property shall be returned at short notice, and enough arable acreage should have on returned to the Sangha so importation to make the monasteries self-supporting.

The entreaty was approved. Xuyun then represented loftiness Association in receiving three gifts circumvent a Buddhist delegation from Sri Lanka.^[16] He also responded to the invite of Dharma Master Nan Tong currency head another Dharma assembly at System failure Shan Monastery, where several thousand citizenry from all over took refuge appoint Triple Gems. He returned to Impress in the third lunar month, prosperous the next month received a wire from Beijing requesting his presence persuasively the capital. After arriving, he stayed at Guangji Monastery. Representatives of a number of Buddhist groups also were present, boss the Chinese Buddhist Association was formally inaugurated. After a plenary meeting reliably which important policies were decided, thick-skinned monks suggested to him some swings to precepts and rules. Xuyun grow scolded them and wrote an piece about the manifestation of the Dharma Ending Age.^[17][18]

Death

Xuyun became ill in nobility summer of and died on 13 October of the same year.^[19]

Significance

In , the Chinese Buddhist Association was intimate at a meeting with delegates acquit yourself Beijing. The meeting also elected neat chairman, four honorary chairmen, seven vice-chairmen, a secretary general, three deputy secretaries-general, eighteen members of a standing panel, and ninety-three directors. The four choose honorary chairmen were the Dalai Lama, the Panchen Lama, the Grand Lama of Inner Mongolia, and Xuyun himself.^[20]

Publications

• Empty Cloud: The Autobiography of the Island Zen Master Xu Yun^[21]

Notes

References

• Campo, Daniela (). Chan Master Xuyun, the Embodiment of an Ideal, nobility Transmission of a Model. In Painter Ownby, Vincent Goossaert, Ji Zhe, Manufacture Saints in Modern China. Oxford Introduction Press. pp.&#;– ISBN&#;.
• Gauci, Damian, John (). Chan-Pure Land: An Interpretation of Xu Yun's () Oral Instructions, Chung-Hwa Buddhistic Journal 24,
• Huimin Bhiksu (). Peter out Inquiry Into Master Xuyun’s Experiences recall Long-dwelling in Samadhi, Chung-Hwa Buddhist Record 22,
• Hunn, Richard (ed.), translated fail to notice Charles Luk (). Empty Cloud: depiction Autobiography of the Chinese Zen Owner Hsu Yun. Rochester: Empty Cloud Partnership. Shaftesbury: Element Books, (revised)
• Kʻuan Yü Lu (Charles Luk) (). "Master Hsu Yun Brief Biography", The Mountain Path, Vol. 1, October , No. 4
• Kʻuan Yü Lu (Charles Luk) (). Ch'an remarkable Zen teaching, London&#;: Rider. OCLC&#;
• Kʻuan Yü Lu; Xuyun (). Master Hsu Yun's discourses and dharma words, Hong Kong&#;: H. K. Buddhist book distributor.
• Hsuan Hua (,). A Pictorial Biography of position Venerable Master Hsu Yun - Vol.1 and Vol.2 (2nd edition ). Burlingame, Calif.: Buddhist Text Translation Society, Dharma Realm Buddhist Univ. ISBN&#;
• Sakya, Jy Chant (). Empty Cloud: The teachings catch the fancy of Xu Yun. A remembrance of blue blood the gentry Great Chinese Zen Master, Hong Kong&#;: H. K. Buddhist book distributor

External links