Buddhist Practices
Since Đổi Mới (1986) many reforms have allowed Buddhism to be practiced. Followers in Vietnam practice differing traditions without any problem or sense of contradiction. Few Vietnamese Buddhists would identify themselves as a particular kind of Buddhism, as a Christian might identify him or herself by a denomination, for example. Although Vietnamese Buddhism does not have a strong centralized structure, the practice is similar throughout the country at almost any temple.
Gaining merit is the most common and essential practice in Vietnamese Buddhism with a belief that liberation takes place with the help of Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Buddhist monks commonly chant sutras, recite Buddhas’ names (Amitabha most notably, doing repentance and praying for rebirth in the Pure Land).
The Lotus Sutra and Amitabha Sutra are the most commonly used sutras. Most sutras and texts have come from China and have been translated into Sino-Vietnamese (Han –Viet) rather than the vernacular making them largely incomprehensible to most practitioners.
Three services are practiced regularly at dawn, noon, and dusk. They include sutras (mainly devotional), reciting dharanis and Buddha’s name, and circumambulation (walking meditation). Laypeople at times join the services at the temple and some devout Buddhist practice the services at home. Special services such as Sam Nguyen / Sam Hoi (confession / repentance) takes place on the full moon and new moon each month. Chanting the name of Buddha is one way of repenting and purifying bad karma.
The overall doctrinal position of Vietnamese Buddhism is the inclusive system of Tiantai, with the higher metaphysics informed by the Huayan tradition; however, the orientation of Vietnamese Buddhism is syncretic without making such distinctions. Therefore, modern practice of Vietnamese Buddhism can be very eclectic, including elements from Zen, Pure Land, Tiantai, and popular practices from Esoteric Buddhism.
According to Charles Prebish, many English language sources contain misconceptions regarding the variety of doctrines and practices in traditional Vietnamese Buddhism.
We will not consider here the misconceptions presented in most English-language materials regarding the distinctness of these schools, and the strong inclination for "syncretism" found in Chinese and Vietnamese Buddhism. Much has been said about the incompatibility of different schools and their difficulty in successfully communicating with each other and combining their doctrines. None of these theories reflects realities in Vietnam (or China) past or present. The followers have no problem practicing the various teachings at the same time.
Theravada
As of 1997, there were 64 Theravada temples throughout the country, of which 19 were located in Hồ Chí Minh City and its vicinity. Besides Bửu Quang and Kỳ Viên temples, other well known temples are Bửu Long, Giác Quang, Tam Bảo (Đà Nẵng), Thiền Lâm and Huyền Không (Huế), and the large Sakyamuni Buddha Monument (Thích Ca Phật Đài) in Vũng Tàu.
Pure land
It was not until 2007 that Pure Land Buddhism, the most widespread type of Buddhism practiced in Vietnam, was officially recognized by the government.
The methods of Pure Land Buddhism are perhaps the most widespread within Vietnam. It is common for practitioners to recite sutras, chants and dharanis looking to gain protection through bodhisattvas or Dharma-Protectors. It is a devotional practice where those practicing put their faith into Amitabha Buddha (V. A Di Đà Phật). Followers believe they will gain rebirth in the Pure Land by chanting Amitabha’s name. The Pure Land is where one can more easily gain enlightenment since suffering does not exist. Many religious organizations have not been recognized by the government however in 2007, with 1.5 million followers, The Vietnamese Pure Land Buddhism Association (Tịnh Độ Cư Sĩ Phật Hội Việt Nam ) received official recognition as an independent and legal religious organization.
Thiền Tông/Zen School
Thiền is the Vietnamese name for the school of Zen Buddhism. Thiền Tông, or the "Zen school", is derived from the Chinese Chan-zong, in which Chan derivatives of the Sanskrit "Dhyāna". The traditional account is that in 580 CE, an Indian monk named Vinitaruci (Vietnamese: Tì-ni-đa-lưu-chi) traveled to Vietnam after completing his studies with Jianzhi Sengcan, the third patriarch of Chinese Zen. This would be the first appearance of Vietnamese Zen, or Thien (thiền) Buddhism. The sect that Vinitaruci and his lone Vietnamese disciple founded would become known as the oldest branch of Thien. After a period of obscurity, the Vinitaruci School became one of the most influential Buddhist groups in Vietnam by the 10th century, particularly under the patriarch Vạn-Hạnh (died 1018). Other early Vietnamese Zen schools included the Vo Ngon Thong (Vô Ngôn Thông), which was associated with the teaching of Mazu, and the Thao Duong (Thảo Đường), which incorporated nianfo (niem phat/Pure Land) chanting techniques; both were founded by Chinese monks.
A new Thiền school was founded by King Trần Nhân Tông (1258–1308); called Trúc Lâm (Bamboo Forest/Grove) school, which evinced a deep influence from Confucian and Taoist philosophy. Nevertheless, Trúc Lâm's prestige waned over the following centuries as Confucianism became dominant in the royal court. In the 17th century, a group of Chinese monks led by Nguyên Thiều introduced the Lâm Tế school. A more domesticated offshoot of Lâm Tế, the Liễu Quán school, was founded in the 18th century and has since been the predominant branch of Vietnamese Zen.
Some scholars argue that the importance and prevalence of Zen (Thiền) in Vietnam has been greatly overstated, and that Zen has played more of an elite rhetorical role than a role of practice. The Thiền Uyển Tập Anh (Outstanding Figures in the Vietnamese Zen Community) has been the dominant text used to legitimize the Zen Buddhist lineage and history within Vietnam. However Cuong Tu Nguyen’s “Zen in Medieval Vietnam: A Study and Translation of the Thien Tap Anh” (1997) gives a critical review of how the text has been used to create a history of Zen Buddhism that, in his own view, is “fraught with discontinuity”. According Cuong Tu Nguyen, current day Buddhist practices are not reflective of a Zen past in that in modern day Vietnam the common practices are more focused on ritual and devotion than the Zen focus on meditation.
Nonetheless, we are seeing an increased population in Zen today. Two figures who have been responsible for this increased interest in Thien is Thich Nhat Hanh, currently residing in France, and Thich Thanh Tu, who lives in Da Lat.
The most famous practitioner of synchronized Thiền Buddhism in the West is Thích Nhất Hạnh who has authored dozens of books and founded Dharma center Plum Village in France together with Bhiksuni Chân Không. According to Nguyen and Barber, Thich Nhat Hanh’s fame in the Western world as a proponent of engaged Buddhism and a new zen style has “no affinity with or any foundation in traditional Vietnamese Buddhist practices” and according to Alexander Soucy (2007) his style of Zen Buddhism is not reflective of actual Vietnamese Buddhism. Thich Nhat Hanh’s Buddhist teachings have started to return to a Vietnam where the Buddhist landscape is now being shaped by the combined Vietnamese and Westernized Buddhism that is focused more on the meditative practices.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_in_Vietnam
Thích Mật Thể. Lich su Phat giao Viet nam
http://www.quangduc.com/lichsu/index.html
Friday, January 13, 2012
Buddhism in Vietnam --Part I
Historical Backgrounds
Buddhism came to Vietnam in the 1st or 2nd century AD through the North from central Asia and China, and via the South from India trade routes. By the end of the 2nd century, in Vietnam there was a major Buddhist centre (probably in the Mahayana school)which was commonly known as the Luy Lâu centre, now in the Bắc Ninh province, north of Hanoi . Luy Lâu was the capital of Giao Chỉ(the former name of Vietnam), and was a popular place visited by many Indian Buddhist missionary monks on their way to China. The monks followed the sea route from the Indian sub-continent to China used by Indian traders. A number of Mahayana sutras and the Agamas were translated into Chinese script at that centre, including the Sutra of Forty-Two Chapters and the Anapanasati.
Over the next eighteen centuries Vietnam and China shared many common features of cultural, philosophical and religious heritage. This was due to geographical proximity of the two countries, and due to the Chinese occupation. Vietnamese Buddhism is closely related to Chinese Buddhism in general, and to some extent reflects the formation of Chinese Buddhism after the Song Dynasty. However, different from Chinese Buddhism, Vietnamese Buddhism incorporated the practices of Vietnamese culture and traditions, and Theravada Buddhism thanks to the annexation of the land of Cham in the South, and the cultural exchanges with other Southeast Asian countries.
During the Đinh Dynasty (968-980) Buddhism was recognized by the state as an official religion ( around 971). The kings at the time highly valued Buddhism, and respected Buddhist monks and masters. The Early Lê Dynasty (980-1009) would follow a similar path. One reason for the growth of Buddhism during this time could be the presence of educated monks, a newly independent state needing an ideological basis on which to build a country.
Buddhism became more prominent during the Lý Dynasty (1009–1225) beginning with the founder Lý Thái Tổ who was raised in a pagoda (Buddhist temple). All of the kings during the Ly Dynasty supported Buddhism as a state religion and this continued into the Trần Dynasty (1225–1400) where Buddhism later developed in combination with Confucianism. Buddhism fell out of favor during the Later Lê Dynasty, but would thrive again under the Nguyễn Dynasty.
The central and southern part of present day Vietnam were originally inhabited by the Cham people and the Khmer people respectively who followed both a syncretic Saiva-Mahayana (see History of Buddhism in Cambodia) Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism. The Đại Việt (Vietnamese) annexed the land occupied by the Cham during conquests in the 15th century, and by the 18th century had also annexed the southern portion of the Khmer Empire, resulting in the current borders of Vietnam. From that time onward, the dominant Đại Việt (Vietnamese) followed the Mahayana tradition while the Khmer continued to practice Theravada.
In the 1920s and 1930s, there were a number of movements in Vietnam for the revival and modernization of Buddhist activities. Together with the re-organization of Mahayana establishments, there developed a growing interest in Theravada meditation as well as the Pali Canon. These were then available in French. Among the pioneers who brought Theravada Buddhism to the ethnic Đại Việt was a young veterinary doctor named Lê Văn Giảng. He was born in the South, received higher education in Hanoi, and after graduation, was sent to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to work for the French government.
During that time he became especially interested in Theravada Buddhist practice. Subsequently, he decided to ordain and took the Dhamma name of Hộ-Tông (Vansarakkhita). In 1940, upon an invitation from a group of lay Buddhists led by Mr. Nguyễn Văn Hiểu, he went back to Vietnam in order to help establish the first Theravada temple for Vietnamese Buddhists, at Gò Dưa, Thủ Đức (now a district of Hồ Chí Minh City). The temple was named Bửu Quang (Ratana Ramsyarama). The temple was destroyed by French troops in 1947, and was later rebuilt in 1951. At Bửu Quang temple, together with a group of Vietnamese bhikkhus (monks), who had received training in Cambodia, such as Venerables Thiện Luật, Bửu Chơn, Kim Quang and Giới Nghiêm, Venerable Hộ Tông began teaching the Dhamma in their native Vietnamese. He also translated many Buddhist materials from the Pali Canon, and Theravada became part of Vietnamese Buddhist activity in the country.
In 1949–1950 , Venerable Hộ Tông together with Mr Nguyễn Văn Hiểu and supporters built a new temple in Saigon (now Hồ Chí Minh City), named Kỳ Viên Tự (Jetavana Vihara). This temple became the centre of Theravada activities in Vietnam, which continued to attract increasing interest among the Vietnamese Buddhists. In 1957, the Vietnamese Theravada Buddhist Sangha Congregation (Giáo Hội Tăng Già Nguyên Thủy Việt Nam) was formally established and recognised by the government, and the Theravada Sangha elected Venerable Hộ Tông as its first President, or Sangharaja.
From Saigon, the Theravada movement spread to other provinces, and soon, a number of Theravada temples for ethnic Viet Buddhists were established in many areas in the South and Central parts of Vietnam.
From 1954 to 1975, Vietnam was split into North and South Vietnam. President Ngo Dinh Diem's policies generated claims of religious bias. As a member of the Catholic Vietnamese minority, he pursued pro-Catholic policies that antagonized many Buddhists.
In May 1963, in the central city of Huế, where Diem's elder brother Ngo Dinh Thuc was the archbishop, Buddhists were prohibited from displaying Buddhist flags during Vesak celebrations. A few days earlier, Catholics were allowed to fly religious flags at a celebration in honour of Thuc. This led to a protest against the government, which was suppressed by Diem's forces, killing nine civilians. This led to a mass campaign against Diem's government during the Buddhist crisis. Notably, Thich Quang Duc self-immolated and later Diem's younger brother Ngo Dinh Nhu ordered the special forces to raid pagodas across the country, killing an estimated hundreds. After this, the US government withdrew support and Diem and his family were deposed and killed.
After the fall of South Vietnam to communism in 1975 at the end of the Vietnam War, the first major Buddhist community appeared in North America. Since this time the North American Vietnamese Buddhist community has grown to over 160 temples and centers. Proselytizing is not a priority.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_in_Vietnam
http://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phật_giáo_Việt_Nam
Thích Mật Thể. Lich su Phat giao Viet nam
http://www.quangduc.com/lichsu/index.html
Buddhism came to Vietnam in the 1st or 2nd century AD through the North from central Asia and China, and via the South from India trade routes. By the end of the 2nd century, in Vietnam there was a major Buddhist centre (probably in the Mahayana school)which was commonly known as the Luy Lâu centre, now in the Bắc Ninh province, north of Hanoi . Luy Lâu was the capital of Giao Chỉ(the former name of Vietnam), and was a popular place visited by many Indian Buddhist missionary monks on their way to China. The monks followed the sea route from the Indian sub-continent to China used by Indian traders. A number of Mahayana sutras and the Agamas were translated into Chinese script at that centre, including the Sutra of Forty-Two Chapters and the Anapanasati.
Over the next eighteen centuries Vietnam and China shared many common features of cultural, philosophical and religious heritage. This was due to geographical proximity of the two countries, and due to the Chinese occupation. Vietnamese Buddhism is closely related to Chinese Buddhism in general, and to some extent reflects the formation of Chinese Buddhism after the Song Dynasty. However, different from Chinese Buddhism, Vietnamese Buddhism incorporated the practices of Vietnamese culture and traditions, and Theravada Buddhism thanks to the annexation of the land of Cham in the South, and the cultural exchanges with other Southeast Asian countries.
During the Đinh Dynasty (968-980) Buddhism was recognized by the state as an official religion ( around 971). The kings at the time highly valued Buddhism, and respected Buddhist monks and masters. The Early Lê Dynasty (980-1009) would follow a similar path. One reason for the growth of Buddhism during this time could be the presence of educated monks, a newly independent state needing an ideological basis on which to build a country.
Buddhism became more prominent during the Lý Dynasty (1009–1225) beginning with the founder Lý Thái Tổ who was raised in a pagoda (Buddhist temple). All of the kings during the Ly Dynasty supported Buddhism as a state religion and this continued into the Trần Dynasty (1225–1400) where Buddhism later developed in combination with Confucianism. Buddhism fell out of favor during the Later Lê Dynasty, but would thrive again under the Nguyễn Dynasty.
The central and southern part of present day Vietnam were originally inhabited by the Cham people and the Khmer people respectively who followed both a syncretic Saiva-Mahayana (see History of Buddhism in Cambodia) Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism. The Đại Việt (Vietnamese) annexed the land occupied by the Cham during conquests in the 15th century, and by the 18th century had also annexed the southern portion of the Khmer Empire, resulting in the current borders of Vietnam. From that time onward, the dominant Đại Việt (Vietnamese) followed the Mahayana tradition while the Khmer continued to practice Theravada.
In the 1920s and 1930s, there were a number of movements in Vietnam for the revival and modernization of Buddhist activities. Together with the re-organization of Mahayana establishments, there developed a growing interest in Theravada meditation as well as the Pali Canon. These were then available in French. Among the pioneers who brought Theravada Buddhism to the ethnic Đại Việt was a young veterinary doctor named Lê Văn Giảng. He was born in the South, received higher education in Hanoi, and after graduation, was sent to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to work for the French government.
During that time he became especially interested in Theravada Buddhist practice. Subsequently, he decided to ordain and took the Dhamma name of Hộ-Tông (Vansarakkhita). In 1940, upon an invitation from a group of lay Buddhists led by Mr. Nguyễn Văn Hiểu, he went back to Vietnam in order to help establish the first Theravada temple for Vietnamese Buddhists, at Gò Dưa, Thủ Đức (now a district of Hồ Chí Minh City). The temple was named Bửu Quang (Ratana Ramsyarama). The temple was destroyed by French troops in 1947, and was later rebuilt in 1951. At Bửu Quang temple, together with a group of Vietnamese bhikkhus (monks), who had received training in Cambodia, such as Venerables Thiện Luật, Bửu Chơn, Kim Quang and Giới Nghiêm, Venerable Hộ Tông began teaching the Dhamma in their native Vietnamese. He also translated many Buddhist materials from the Pali Canon, and Theravada became part of Vietnamese Buddhist activity in the country.
In 1949–1950 , Venerable Hộ Tông together with Mr Nguyễn Văn Hiểu and supporters built a new temple in Saigon (now Hồ Chí Minh City), named Kỳ Viên Tự (Jetavana Vihara). This temple became the centre of Theravada activities in Vietnam, which continued to attract increasing interest among the Vietnamese Buddhists. In 1957, the Vietnamese Theravada Buddhist Sangha Congregation (Giáo Hội Tăng Già Nguyên Thủy Việt Nam) was formally established and recognised by the government, and the Theravada Sangha elected Venerable Hộ Tông as its first President, or Sangharaja.
From Saigon, the Theravada movement spread to other provinces, and soon, a number of Theravada temples for ethnic Viet Buddhists were established in many areas in the South and Central parts of Vietnam.
From 1954 to 1975, Vietnam was split into North and South Vietnam. President Ngo Dinh Diem's policies generated claims of religious bias. As a member of the Catholic Vietnamese minority, he pursued pro-Catholic policies that antagonized many Buddhists.
In May 1963, in the central city of Huế, where Diem's elder brother Ngo Dinh Thuc was the archbishop, Buddhists were prohibited from displaying Buddhist flags during Vesak celebrations. A few days earlier, Catholics were allowed to fly religious flags at a celebration in honour of Thuc. This led to a protest against the government, which was suppressed by Diem's forces, killing nine civilians. This led to a mass campaign against Diem's government during the Buddhist crisis. Notably, Thich Quang Duc self-immolated and later Diem's younger brother Ngo Dinh Nhu ordered the special forces to raid pagodas across the country, killing an estimated hundreds. After this, the US government withdrew support and Diem and his family were deposed and killed.
After the fall of South Vietnam to communism in 1975 at the end of the Vietnam War, the first major Buddhist community appeared in North America. Since this time the North American Vietnamese Buddhist community has grown to over 160 temples and centers. Proselytizing is not a priority.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_in_Vietnam
http://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phật_giáo_Việt_Nam
Thích Mật Thể. Lich su Phat giao Viet nam
http://www.quangduc.com/lichsu/index.html
An Overview of Vietnamese Thiền
Thiền or Thiền Tông is the Vietnamese word for Zen Buddhism. The word is derived from the Chinese Chán. According to traditional accounts in Vietnam, in 580, an Indian monk named Vinitaruci (Tì-ni-đa-lưu-chi in Vietnamese) traveled to Vietnam after completing his studies with Sengcan, the third Patriarch of Chinese Chán. With this event Vietnamese Thiền Buddhism came into existence. The school that Vinitaruci and his Vietnamese disciple founded would become known as the oldest of Thiền in Vietnam. By the 10th century, the Vinitaruci School became one of the most influential Buddhist groups in Vietnam, with the Patriarch Vạn-Hạnh, who demised in 1018.
Other early Vietnamese Thiền schools were the Vô Ngôn Thông, which was associated with the teaching of Mazu Daoyi (709–788), a Zen teacher in medieval China, and the Thảo Đường, which incorporated nianfo (a Pure Land practice that generally refers to the repetition of the name of Amitābha Buddha) chanting techniques. Both were founded by Chinese monks.
King Trần Thái Tông , the first King of the Trần Dynasty, founded a new school, the Trúc Lâm-Yên Tử (Bamboo Forest on Yên Tử Mountain) school, which was Vietnamese by nature and origin, but which was also somewhat influenced by Confucian and Taoist philosophies. This incorporation of the three major philosophies in Asia (Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism)is typical of Vietnamese Thiền Tông .
In the 17th century, a group of Chinese monks led by Nguyên Thiều established a vigorous school, the Lâm Tế, which is the Vietnamese pronunciation of Linji. A more domesticated offshoot of Lâm Tế, the Liễu Quán school, was founded in the 18th century and has since been predominant in Central Vietnam. Thich Nhat Hanh's meditation practices come from this Thiền school.
Most Venerable Thích Thanh Từ, one prominent and influential Vietnamese Thiền master, restored Trúc Lâm-Yên Tử Thiền Tông in Việt Nam. He currently resides at Trúc Lâm Thiền Monastery in Dalat, Vietnam. He was a disciple of Most Venerable Thích Thiện Hoa.
The most famous practitioner of syncretized Thiền in the West is Thích Nhất Hạnh who has authored dozens of books and founded the Plum Village in France. During the Vietnam War, Thich Nhat Hanh was a monk and a peace activist. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967 by Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1966. He left Vietnam in exile and now resides at Plum Village, a monastery in France. He has written more than one hundred books about Buddhism, which have made him one of the very few most prominent Buddhist authors among the general readership in the West. In his books and talks, Thich Nhat Hanh emphasizes mindfulness as the most important practice in daily life.
There is also another notable Vietnamese Zen master who has been influential in Western countries: Most Venerable Thich Thien-An. Thich Thien-An came to America in 1966 as a visiting professor at UCLA and taught traditional Thien meditation.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
http://www.daophatngaynay.com/vn/phap-mon/thien-dinh/to-su/9474-Thien-Truc-Lam.html
Tran Thai Tong TLYT Zen Founder
http://www.daophatngaynay.com/vn/phatgiao-vn/con-nguoi-vn/9709-Triet-hoc-Tran-Thai-Tong.html
Other early Vietnamese Thiền schools were the Vô Ngôn Thông, which was associated with the teaching of Mazu Daoyi (709–788), a Zen teacher in medieval China, and the Thảo Đường, which incorporated nianfo (a Pure Land practice that generally refers to the repetition of the name of Amitābha Buddha) chanting techniques. Both were founded by Chinese monks.
King Trần Thái Tông , the first King of the Trần Dynasty, founded a new school, the Trúc Lâm-Yên Tử (Bamboo Forest on Yên Tử Mountain) school, which was Vietnamese by nature and origin, but which was also somewhat influenced by Confucian and Taoist philosophies. This incorporation of the three major philosophies in Asia (Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism)is typical of Vietnamese Thiền Tông .
In the 17th century, a group of Chinese monks led by Nguyên Thiều established a vigorous school, the Lâm Tế, which is the Vietnamese pronunciation of Linji. A more domesticated offshoot of Lâm Tế, the Liễu Quán school, was founded in the 18th century and has since been predominant in Central Vietnam. Thich Nhat Hanh's meditation practices come from this Thiền school.
Most Venerable Thích Thanh Từ, one prominent and influential Vietnamese Thiền master, restored Trúc Lâm-Yên Tử Thiền Tông in Việt Nam. He currently resides at Trúc Lâm Thiền Monastery in Dalat, Vietnam. He was a disciple of Most Venerable Thích Thiện Hoa.
The most famous practitioner of syncretized Thiền in the West is Thích Nhất Hạnh who has authored dozens of books and founded the Plum Village in France. During the Vietnam War, Thich Nhat Hanh was a monk and a peace activist. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967 by Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1966. He left Vietnam in exile and now resides at Plum Village, a monastery in France. He has written more than one hundred books about Buddhism, which have made him one of the very few most prominent Buddhist authors among the general readership in the West. In his books and talks, Thich Nhat Hanh emphasizes mindfulness as the most important practice in daily life.
There is also another notable Vietnamese Zen master who has been influential in Western countries: Most Venerable Thich Thien-An. Thich Thien-An came to America in 1966 as a visiting professor at UCLA and taught traditional Thien meditation.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
http://www.daophatngaynay.com/vn/phap-mon/thien-dinh/to-su/9474-Thien-Truc-Lam.html
Tran Thai Tong TLYT Zen Founder
http://www.daophatngaynay.com/vn/phatgiao-vn/con-nguoi-vn/9709-Triet-hoc-Tran-Thai-Tong.html
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
An Overview of Zen Buddhism --Part I
Some Historical Backgrounds
Zen (ध्यान in Pali; chán-zōng 禪宗 in Chinese, zen-shū 禅宗 in Japanese)is a school of Buddhism that originated in India. It gradually spread to the North, evolved to adapt to the new cultural environment, and developed into what is now called the Mahāyāna Zen (in China, Japan, Korea, and later southward to Vietnam). The authentic, original tradition from India spread to the South, and became what is known as the Theravada Buddhist meditation (in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia).
According to traditional accounts, one day on Linh Thứu Mountain (in Sankrit, gṛdhrakūṭa) during His Flower Sermon, the Buddha silently raised a white lotus flower, and only Ma-ha-ca-diếp (Mahākāśyapa), a great disciple of His, understood what He meant,and smiled. Seeing him smiling, the Buddha recognized who would be His successor. It was a heart-to-heart understanding, without using any verbal language. It is often referred to as "the flower-and -smile legend" in Zen Buddhism. The Buddha then said:
I possess the true Dharma eye, the marvelous mind of Nirvana, the true form of the formless, the subtle dharma gate that does not rest on words or letters but is a special transmission outside of the scriptures. This I entrust to Mahākāśyapa.
Thus, after the Buddha, the 28 Indian partriarchs (西天二十八祖) were:
1.Ma-ha-ca-diếp (摩訶迦葉, mahākāśyapa)
2.A-nan-đà (阿難陀, ānanda)
3.Thương-na-hòa-tu (商那和修, śānavāsin)
4.Ưu-bà-cúc-đa (優婆掬多, upagupta)
5.Đề-đa-ca (提多迦,dhītika)
6.Di-già-ca (彌遮迦, miśaka)
7.Bà-tu-mật (婆須密, vasumitra, Thế Hữu)
8.Phù-đà-nan-đề (浮陀難提, buddhanandi, Phật-đà-nan-đề 佛陀難提)
9.Phù-đà-mật-đa (浮陀密多,buddhamitra,Phật-đà-mật-đa 佛陀密多)
10.Bà-lật-thấp-bà (婆栗濕婆, pārśva, Hiếp tôn giả 脅尊者)
11.Phú-na-dạ-xa (富那夜奢, puṇayaśa)
12.A-na-bồ-đề (阿那菩提, ānabodhi, Mã Minh 馬鳴, aśvaghoṣa)
13.Ca-tì-ma-la (迦毘摩羅, kapimala)
14.Long Thụ (龍樹, nāgārjuna, Na-già-hạt-thụ-na 那伽閼樹那)
15.Ka-na-đề-bà (迦那提婆, kāṇadeva, Đề-bà 提婆, Thánh Thiên, āryadeva)
16.La-hầu-la-đa (羅睺羅多, rāhulabhadra)
17.Tăng-già-nan-đề (僧伽難提,saṃghanandi)
18.Tăng-già-xá-đa (伽舍多,saṃghayathata)
19.Cưu-ma-la-đa (鳩摩羅多, kumāralāta)
20.Xà-dạ-đa (闍夜多, śayata)
21.Thế Thân (世親, vasubandhu, Thiên Thân 天親, Bà-tu-bàn-đầu 婆修盤頭)
22.Ma-noa-la (摩拏羅, manorata)
23.Cưu-lặc-na (鳩勒那, haklenayaśa, Hạc-lặc-na 鶴勒那)
24.Sư Tử Bồ-đề (師子菩提, siṃhabodhi)
25.Bà-xá-tư-đa (婆舍斯多, baśaṣita)
26.Bất-như-mật-đa (不如密多, puṇyamitra)
27.Bát-nhã-đa-la (般若多羅, prajñādhāra)
28.Bồ-đề-đạt-ma (菩提達磨,bodhidharma)
In China, the six Zen patriarchs were:
1.Bodhidharma Bồ-đề-đạt-ma (菩提達磨, ?-532)
2.Huike Huệ Khả (慧可, 487-593)
3.Sengcan Tăng Xán (僧璨, ?-606)
4.Daoxin Đạo Tín (道信, 580-651)
5.Hongren Hoằng Nhẫn (弘忍, 601-674)
6.Huineng Huệ Năng (慧能, 638-713)
Shenxiu (神秀 606?-706) was supposed to be the successor to Hongren, the Fifth patriarch, but later had to expound the Dhamma in the North. After being chosen by Hongren to be his successor, Huineng had to flee by night to Nanhua Temple in the south to avoid the wrath of Hongren's jealous senior disciples. According to tradition, the sixth and last ancestral founder, Huineng (惠能; 638–713), was one of the giants of Chán history, whom all surviving schools regard as their ancestor. There were many famous Chinese Zen masters in the Tang dynasty (618–907) and the Song dynasty (960–1297). Of the Sixth Patriarch's Lineage there were Mã Tổ Đạo Nhất (zh. 馬祖道一), Bách Trượng Hoài Hải (zh. 百丈懷海), Triệu Châu Tòng Thẩm (zh. 趙州從諗), Lâm Tế Nghĩa Huyền (zh. 臨濟義玄).
Nam Nhạc Hoài Nhượng (b. 677 at Kim Châu, nowadays An Khang, Thiểm Tây Province, China; d. 744) was a great disciple of Huineng. Nam Nhạc Hoài Nhượng spent 15 years studying with Huineng. When Huineng demised, he left for Nam Nhạc Mountain and built Bát Nhã Temple (later the name was changed into Quan Âm), established his own sect to teach Huineng's Zen practice. He distinguished himself from Thanh Nguyên Hành Tư, another Huineng's disciple and also his colleague. Thanh Nguyên Hành Tư's sect gradually developed into three more subsects: Tào Động, Vân Môn và Pháp Nhãn. Thus, contemporary sects and subsects in Chinese Chán history originated in this division from the times of Hoài Nhượng và Thanh Nguyên Hành Tư.
One of Nam Nhạc Hoài Nhượng's disciples, Mã Tổ Đạo Nhất (zh. 馬祖道一), later became an excellent Zen master, and the founder of two sects --Lâm Tế and Vi Ngưỡng (also called Ngưỡng Tông). Mã Tổ Đạo Nhất became a very famous Zen master in Giang Tây. Although he was at first trained in the Northern tradition of Gradual Enlightenment,under the guidance of Nam Nhạc Hoài Nhượng, he followed Huineng's Southern tradition of Sudden Enlightenment. It was Mã Tổ Đạo Nhất who brought unique techniques to Chinese Chán, such as yelling, complete silence, or striking with the Zen rod. It was said that he would push his disciples, asked them unexpected questions, then gave contradictory answers. His purpose was to provide them a shocking experience which could knock down all concepts and the disciples' habitual ways of dualistic and discriminating thinking and perceptions. His influence was wide spreading, and he was very highly respected in Chinese Chán history.
Thus, spreading further to the South of China, the Mahāyāna Zen developed into five houses/sects or seven branches/subsects (五家七宗): Tào Động tông (曹洞宗), Vân Môn tông (雲門宗), Pháp Nhãn tông (法眼宗), Quy/Vi Ngưỡng tông (潙仰宗), Lâm Tế tông (臨濟宗), and its two subsects, Dương Kì phái (楊岐派) và Hoàng Long phái (黃龍派).
Zen Spirit
Zen Buddhism focuses on the practitioner's self reflection and contemplation experience (through daily meditation practice)to attain the ultimate goal (Nirvana/Enlightenment) right in his/her own lifetime. It does not emphasize religious forms, rituals, or etiquette, nor does it encourage argument, reasoning, or discourse analysis about the Dhamma/Dharma and other metaphysical and philosophical issues.
The following 12th-century stanza, attributed to Bodhidharma, reveals the Zen spirit:
教外別傳 Giáo ngoại biệt truyền (Truyền giáo pháp ngoài kinh điển)
不立文字 Bất lập văn tự (không lập văn tự)
直指人心 Trực chỉ nhân tâm (chỉ thẳng tâm người)
見性成佛 Kiến tính thành Phật (thấy chân tính thành Phật).
A special transmission outside the scriptures,
Not founded upon words and letters;
By pointing directly to the mind
It lets one see into one's own true nature, and attain Buddhahood.
The importance given to Zen's non-reliance on written words is often misunderstood as an opposition to the study of Buddhist texts. However, Zen is deeply rooted in the teachings and doctrines of Mahāyāna Buddhism and gradually developed its own literature. What the Zen tradition emphasizes is that enlightenment of the Buddha came not through intellectual reasoning, but rather through direct insight attained by Dharma practice and meditation. Therefore, it is held that it is primarily through Dharma practice and meditation that others may attain enlightenment and become Buddhas as well.
Zen Sutras and Literature
A review of the early historical documents and literature of early Zen masters clearly reveals that they were all well versed in numerous Mahāyāna Buddhist sūtras. For example, in the Platform Sūtra of the Sixth Patriarch, Huineng cites and explains the Diamond Sūtra, the Lotus Sūtra (Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra), the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra, the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, and the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra. The teachings of Zen could also be found in the Prajñāpāramitā literature, Madhyamaka, Yogācāra and the Tathāgatagarbha Sutras.
At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, by the time of the Fifth Patriarch Hongren (601–674), the Zen school became established as a separate school of Buddhism. It had to develop a doctrinal tradition of its own to ascertain its position. Subsequently, the Zen tradition produced a rich corpus of written literature which has become a part of its practice and teaching. Among the earliest and most widely studied of the specifically Zen texts, dating back to at least the 9th century CE, is the Platform Sūtra of the Sixth Patriarch, attributed to Huineng. Others include the "encounter dialogue"-genre, which developed into various collections of kōans, and the Shōbōgenzō of Dōgen Zenji.
In its beginnings in China, Zen primarily referred to the Mahāyāna sūtras and especially to the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra. As a result, early masters of the Zen tradition were referred to as "Laṅkāvatāra masters". As the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra teaches the doctrine of the "One Vehicle" (Skt. Ekayāna), the early Zen school was sometimes referred to as the "One Vehicle School". In other early texts, the school that would later become known as Zen is sometimes even referred to as simply the "Laṅkāvatāra school" (Ch. 楞伽宗, Léngqié Zōng). Accounts recording the history of this early period are to be found in Records of the Laṅkāvatāra Masters (Ch. 楞伽師資記, Léngqié Shīzī Jì).
During the Tang Dynasty, the Zen school's central text shifted to the Diamond Sūtra (Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra). Thereafter, the essential texts of the Zen school were often considered to be the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra and the Diamond Sūtra.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_buddhism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahākāśyapa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_buddhism#Scripture
http://www.daophatngaynay.com/vn/phatgiao-qt/con-nguoi-qt/9794-Chuyen-doi-vi-de-tu-chan-truyen-cua-Luc-to-Hue-Nang.html
Zen (ध्यान in Pali; chán-zōng 禪宗 in Chinese, zen-shū 禅宗 in Japanese)is a school of Buddhism that originated in India. It gradually spread to the North, evolved to adapt to the new cultural environment, and developed into what is now called the Mahāyāna Zen (in China, Japan, Korea, and later southward to Vietnam). The authentic, original tradition from India spread to the South, and became what is known as the Theravada Buddhist meditation (in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia).
According to traditional accounts, one day on Linh Thứu Mountain (in Sankrit, gṛdhrakūṭa) during His Flower Sermon, the Buddha silently raised a white lotus flower, and only Ma-ha-ca-diếp (Mahākāśyapa), a great disciple of His, understood what He meant,and smiled. Seeing him smiling, the Buddha recognized who would be His successor. It was a heart-to-heart understanding, without using any verbal language. It is often referred to as "the flower-and -smile legend" in Zen Buddhism. The Buddha then said:
I possess the true Dharma eye, the marvelous mind of Nirvana, the true form of the formless, the subtle dharma gate that does not rest on words or letters but is a special transmission outside of the scriptures. This I entrust to Mahākāśyapa.
Thus, after the Buddha, the 28 Indian partriarchs (西天二十八祖) were:
1.Ma-ha-ca-diếp (摩訶迦葉, mahākāśyapa)
2.A-nan-đà (阿難陀, ānanda)
3.Thương-na-hòa-tu (商那和修, śānavāsin)
4.Ưu-bà-cúc-đa (優婆掬多, upagupta)
5.Đề-đa-ca (提多迦,dhītika)
6.Di-già-ca (彌遮迦, miśaka)
7.Bà-tu-mật (婆須密, vasumitra, Thế Hữu)
8.Phù-đà-nan-đề (浮陀難提, buddhanandi, Phật-đà-nan-đề 佛陀難提)
9.Phù-đà-mật-đa (浮陀密多,buddhamitra,Phật-đà-mật-đa 佛陀密多)
10.Bà-lật-thấp-bà (婆栗濕婆, pārśva, Hiếp tôn giả 脅尊者)
11.Phú-na-dạ-xa (富那夜奢, puṇayaśa)
12.A-na-bồ-đề (阿那菩提, ānabodhi, Mã Minh 馬鳴, aśvaghoṣa)
13.Ca-tì-ma-la (迦毘摩羅, kapimala)
14.Long Thụ (龍樹, nāgārjuna, Na-già-hạt-thụ-na 那伽閼樹那)
15.Ka-na-đề-bà (迦那提婆, kāṇadeva, Đề-bà 提婆, Thánh Thiên, āryadeva)
16.La-hầu-la-đa (羅睺羅多, rāhulabhadra)
17.Tăng-già-nan-đề (僧伽難提,saṃghanandi)
18.Tăng-già-xá-đa (伽舍多,saṃghayathata)
19.Cưu-ma-la-đa (鳩摩羅多, kumāralāta)
20.Xà-dạ-đa (闍夜多, śayata)
21.Thế Thân (世親, vasubandhu, Thiên Thân 天親, Bà-tu-bàn-đầu 婆修盤頭)
22.Ma-noa-la (摩拏羅, manorata)
23.Cưu-lặc-na (鳩勒那, haklenayaśa, Hạc-lặc-na 鶴勒那)
24.Sư Tử Bồ-đề (師子菩提, siṃhabodhi)
25.Bà-xá-tư-đa (婆舍斯多, baśaṣita)
26.Bất-như-mật-đa (不如密多, puṇyamitra)
27.Bát-nhã-đa-la (般若多羅, prajñādhāra)
28.Bồ-đề-đạt-ma (菩提達磨,bodhidharma)
In China, the six Zen patriarchs were:
1.Bodhidharma Bồ-đề-đạt-ma (菩提達磨, ?-532)
2.Huike Huệ Khả (慧可, 487-593)
3.Sengcan Tăng Xán (僧璨, ?-606)
4.Daoxin Đạo Tín (道信, 580-651)
5.Hongren Hoằng Nhẫn (弘忍, 601-674)
6.Huineng Huệ Năng (慧能, 638-713)
Shenxiu (神秀 606?-706) was supposed to be the successor to Hongren, the Fifth patriarch, but later had to expound the Dhamma in the North. After being chosen by Hongren to be his successor, Huineng had to flee by night to Nanhua Temple in the south to avoid the wrath of Hongren's jealous senior disciples. According to tradition, the sixth and last ancestral founder, Huineng (惠能; 638–713), was one of the giants of Chán history, whom all surviving schools regard as their ancestor. There were many famous Chinese Zen masters in the Tang dynasty (618–907) and the Song dynasty (960–1297). Of the Sixth Patriarch's Lineage there were Mã Tổ Đạo Nhất (zh. 馬祖道一), Bách Trượng Hoài Hải (zh. 百丈懷海), Triệu Châu Tòng Thẩm (zh. 趙州從諗), Lâm Tế Nghĩa Huyền (zh. 臨濟義玄).
Nam Nhạc Hoài Nhượng (b. 677 at Kim Châu, nowadays An Khang, Thiểm Tây Province, China; d. 744) was a great disciple of Huineng. Nam Nhạc Hoài Nhượng spent 15 years studying with Huineng. When Huineng demised, he left for Nam Nhạc Mountain and built Bát Nhã Temple (later the name was changed into Quan Âm), established his own sect to teach Huineng's Zen practice. He distinguished himself from Thanh Nguyên Hành Tư, another Huineng's disciple and also his colleague. Thanh Nguyên Hành Tư's sect gradually developed into three more subsects: Tào Động, Vân Môn và Pháp Nhãn. Thus, contemporary sects and subsects in Chinese Chán history originated in this division from the times of Hoài Nhượng và Thanh Nguyên Hành Tư.
One of Nam Nhạc Hoài Nhượng's disciples, Mã Tổ Đạo Nhất (zh. 馬祖道一), later became an excellent Zen master, and the founder of two sects --Lâm Tế and Vi Ngưỡng (also called Ngưỡng Tông). Mã Tổ Đạo Nhất became a very famous Zen master in Giang Tây. Although he was at first trained in the Northern tradition of Gradual Enlightenment,under the guidance of Nam Nhạc Hoài Nhượng, he followed Huineng's Southern tradition of Sudden Enlightenment. It was Mã Tổ Đạo Nhất who brought unique techniques to Chinese Chán, such as yelling, complete silence, or striking with the Zen rod. It was said that he would push his disciples, asked them unexpected questions, then gave contradictory answers. His purpose was to provide them a shocking experience which could knock down all concepts and the disciples' habitual ways of dualistic and discriminating thinking and perceptions. His influence was wide spreading, and he was very highly respected in Chinese Chán history.
Thus, spreading further to the South of China, the Mahāyāna Zen developed into five houses/sects or seven branches/subsects (五家七宗): Tào Động tông (曹洞宗), Vân Môn tông (雲門宗), Pháp Nhãn tông (法眼宗), Quy/Vi Ngưỡng tông (潙仰宗), Lâm Tế tông (臨濟宗), and its two subsects, Dương Kì phái (楊岐派) và Hoàng Long phái (黃龍派).
Zen Spirit
Zen Buddhism focuses on the practitioner's self reflection and contemplation experience (through daily meditation practice)to attain the ultimate goal (Nirvana/Enlightenment) right in his/her own lifetime. It does not emphasize religious forms, rituals, or etiquette, nor does it encourage argument, reasoning, or discourse analysis about the Dhamma/Dharma and other metaphysical and philosophical issues.
The following 12th-century stanza, attributed to Bodhidharma, reveals the Zen spirit:
教外別傳 Giáo ngoại biệt truyền (Truyền giáo pháp ngoài kinh điển)
不立文字 Bất lập văn tự (không lập văn tự)
直指人心 Trực chỉ nhân tâm (chỉ thẳng tâm người)
見性成佛 Kiến tính thành Phật (thấy chân tính thành Phật).
A special transmission outside the scriptures,
Not founded upon words and letters;
By pointing directly to the mind
It lets one see into one's own true nature, and attain Buddhahood.
The importance given to Zen's non-reliance on written words is often misunderstood as an opposition to the study of Buddhist texts. However, Zen is deeply rooted in the teachings and doctrines of Mahāyāna Buddhism and gradually developed its own literature. What the Zen tradition emphasizes is that enlightenment of the Buddha came not through intellectual reasoning, but rather through direct insight attained by Dharma practice and meditation. Therefore, it is held that it is primarily through Dharma practice and meditation that others may attain enlightenment and become Buddhas as well.
Zen Sutras and Literature
A review of the early historical documents and literature of early Zen masters clearly reveals that they were all well versed in numerous Mahāyāna Buddhist sūtras. For example, in the Platform Sūtra of the Sixth Patriarch, Huineng cites and explains the Diamond Sūtra, the Lotus Sūtra (Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra), the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra, the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, and the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra. The teachings of Zen could also be found in the Prajñāpāramitā literature, Madhyamaka, Yogācāra and the Tathāgatagarbha Sutras.
At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, by the time of the Fifth Patriarch Hongren (601–674), the Zen school became established as a separate school of Buddhism. It had to develop a doctrinal tradition of its own to ascertain its position. Subsequently, the Zen tradition produced a rich corpus of written literature which has become a part of its practice and teaching. Among the earliest and most widely studied of the specifically Zen texts, dating back to at least the 9th century CE, is the Platform Sūtra of the Sixth Patriarch, attributed to Huineng. Others include the "encounter dialogue"-genre, which developed into various collections of kōans, and the Shōbōgenzō of Dōgen Zenji.
In its beginnings in China, Zen primarily referred to the Mahāyāna sūtras and especially to the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra. As a result, early masters of the Zen tradition were referred to as "Laṅkāvatāra masters". As the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra teaches the doctrine of the "One Vehicle" (Skt. Ekayāna), the early Zen school was sometimes referred to as the "One Vehicle School". In other early texts, the school that would later become known as Zen is sometimes even referred to as simply the "Laṅkāvatāra school" (Ch. 楞伽宗, Léngqié Zōng). Accounts recording the history of this early period are to be found in Records of the Laṅkāvatāra Masters (Ch. 楞伽師資記, Léngqié Shīzī Jì).
During the Tang Dynasty, the Zen school's central text shifted to the Diamond Sūtra (Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra). Thereafter, the essential texts of the Zen school were often considered to be the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra and the Diamond Sūtra.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_buddhism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahākāśyapa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_buddhism#Scripture
http://www.daophatngaynay.com/vn/phatgiao-qt/con-nguoi-qt/9794-Chuyen-doi-vi-de-tu-chan-truyen-cua-Luc-to-Hue-Nang.html
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Some Issues about Buddhist Temple Goers and Visitors
Because human minds have been used to designation (forms and labeling), dualistic thinking and discrimination, most of those who go to Buddhist temples and monasteries tend to pay a lot of attention to sights and scenes, statues, images, human beings, and bells, chanting sounds, etc., which they encounter and perceive at those places. They usually forget that the essential thing is what they may have learned from the temple and the monastery they visited.
Temples and monasteries are places to learn the Dharma, and to learn how to transform the untamed mind into a better and skillful one. They are definitely not places to socialize and show off Dharma knowledge. They are not tourist resorts, nor summer retreat areas, even though there are usually beautiful landscapes surrounding a temple, and people may enjoy the relaxing quiet, and the special environment there.
You should not use the discriminating mind to compare this monk/nun with another based on what s/he said or how s/he looked to you as a visitor to the temple. You simply cannot understand the culture of a temple that you have only visited once or twice. It is difficult for you as a visitor to understand and to judge when you haven't had a complete picture of what you are judging. It takes a long time to understand a person and a culture, and anything related to a person and a culture.
Most importantly, visitors should not turn temples and monasteries into places to discuss worldly affairs and pleasures, such as family problems and disputes,or financial issues. Any forms of human transactions should have no place in such places.
If you plan to visit a temple or a monastery, you should not believe in what others said about the edifice and about those who dwell in it. You have to come and see for yourself. Only your experiences will help you discover the reality and the true values of such a place and such people.
The gist of your visit to a temple is what spiritual lessons remain with you afterwards.
Temples and monasteries are places to learn the Dharma, and to learn how to transform the untamed mind into a better and skillful one. They are definitely not places to socialize and show off Dharma knowledge. They are not tourist resorts, nor summer retreat areas, even though there are usually beautiful landscapes surrounding a temple, and people may enjoy the relaxing quiet, and the special environment there.
You should not use the discriminating mind to compare this monk/nun with another based on what s/he said or how s/he looked to you as a visitor to the temple. You simply cannot understand the culture of a temple that you have only visited once or twice. It is difficult for you as a visitor to understand and to judge when you haven't had a complete picture of what you are judging. It takes a long time to understand a person and a culture, and anything related to a person and a culture.
Most importantly, visitors should not turn temples and monasteries into places to discuss worldly affairs and pleasures, such as family problems and disputes,or financial issues. Any forms of human transactions should have no place in such places.
If you plan to visit a temple or a monastery, you should not believe in what others said about the edifice and about those who dwell in it. You have to come and see for yourself. Only your experiences will help you discover the reality and the true values of such a place and such people.
The gist of your visit to a temple is what spiritual lessons remain with you afterwards.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Some Common Problems of Zen Practitioners
According to Most Ven. Thich Thanh Tu, some common problems Zen practitioners often face are:
1. Wrong perceptions about self confidence which lead to overconfidence and arrogance: The practitioner thinks s/he has been practicing long enough, and up to a level that s/he no longer needs to listen to any Zen masters nor other practitioners. S/he does not show respect to any, even the Buddha, does not feel remorseful about him-/herself, and looks down upon all rituals and religious formalities.
2. Wrong perceptions about "freedom" or "liberation" in Zen. The practitioner thinks s/he has been practicing long enough, and up to a level that s/he no longer needs to follow any rules nor precepts. S/he becomes untamed.
3. The practitioner's words and deeds are contradictory. S/he enjoys Zen discussions, arguments, and knowledge show-off, but does not actually practice regularly and rigorously.
4. The practitioner neglects practice, becomes lazy, and does not have any self-discipline.
Source:
Thich Thanh Tu, Thien Tong Vietnam Cuoi The Ky 20. Written in Thuong Chieu Zen Monastery (1991). Circulated by Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen monasteries in Vietnam and abroad.
1. Wrong perceptions about self confidence which lead to overconfidence and arrogance: The practitioner thinks s/he has been practicing long enough, and up to a level that s/he no longer needs to listen to any Zen masters nor other practitioners. S/he does not show respect to any, even the Buddha, does not feel remorseful about him-/herself, and looks down upon all rituals and religious formalities.
2. Wrong perceptions about "freedom" or "liberation" in Zen. The practitioner thinks s/he has been practicing long enough, and up to a level that s/he no longer needs to follow any rules nor precepts. S/he becomes untamed.
3. The practitioner's words and deeds are contradictory. S/he enjoys Zen discussions, arguments, and knowledge show-off, but does not actually practice regularly and rigorously.
4. The practitioner neglects practice, becomes lazy, and does not have any self-discipline.
Source:
Thich Thanh Tu, Thien Tong Vietnam Cuoi The Ky 20. Written in Thuong Chieu Zen Monastery (1991). Circulated by Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen monasteries in Vietnam and abroad.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Vietnamese Thiền from the Late Twentieth Century -- Part II
Based on the Second Patriarch's tradition, Most Ven. Thich Thanh Tu taught his disciples how to pacify the mind or keep the mind from being driven by illusory thoughts. Whenever a thought arises while the practitioner is meditating, s/he recognizes it. Knowing that it is illusory, s/he simply lets it go. Such thoughts, like waves caused by winds on the water surface, gradually will die out, and the river (the mind) remains calm and clear.
From the Sixth Patriarch's teachings, Most Ven. Thich Thanh Tu taught his disciples how to use wisdom to observe the dependent origination law in action in all phenomena, to keep the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind from being contaminated by sights, sounds, smells, tastes, feelings (sensations from touching), and illusory ideas and phenomena. The practitioner, undisturbed by surrounding happenings, is to dwell calmly in the Buddha Nature, or the natural calmness, the clear vast space which always exists from within us and in the Universe.
From the tradition disseminated by Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen Founder, King Tran Nhan Tong, Most Ven. Thich Thanh Tu taught his disciples how to be free from duality thinking and from being bogged down in the transient world, and how to live with the Real.
In short, the four guidelines for a Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen practitioner are:
1. Do not be driven or bogged down by any illusory thoughts. Just let them go,
2. Do not be disturbed by the outside world that is dependent-originated by nature,
3. Do not get trapped by a mind of discrimination, or in the dualistic way of thinking and perception (good vs. bad, long vs. short, rich vs. poor, success vs. failure, happiness vs. unhappiness....)
4. Always dwell in the Buddha Nature (the vast,clear and unperturbed space, the Ultimate Truth and Reality which unites you with the Universe).
Sources:
Thich Thanh Tu, Thien Tong Vietnam Cuoi The Ky 20. Written in Thuong Chieu Zen Monastery (1991). Circulated by Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen monasteries in Vietnam and abroad.
http://www.truclamvietzen.net/MasterTTT.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thich_Thanh_Tu
Philip Taylor,Modernity and Re-enchantment: Religion in Post-Revolutionary Vietnam (Maryland, USA, 2008).
http://www.daophatngaynay.com/vn/phatgiao-vn/con-nguoi-vn/9709-Triet-hoc-Tran-Thai-Tong.html
http://www.daophatngaynay.com/vn/phatgiao-vn/con-nguoi-vn/3604-Phat-hoang-Tran-Nhan-Tong.html
http://www.daophatngaynay.com/vn/phatgiao-vn/con-nguoi-vn/4245-Phat-hoang-Tran-Nhan-Tong-viet-ve-Thay.html
http://www.daophatngaynay.com/vn/tu-sach-dao-phat-ngay-nay/6103-Chuong-12-Gioi-thieu-Mot-so-trung-tam-tu-hoc-tai-Viet-Nam.html
From the Sixth Patriarch's teachings, Most Ven. Thich Thanh Tu taught his disciples how to use wisdom to observe the dependent origination law in action in all phenomena, to keep the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind from being contaminated by sights, sounds, smells, tastes, feelings (sensations from touching), and illusory ideas and phenomena. The practitioner, undisturbed by surrounding happenings, is to dwell calmly in the Buddha Nature, or the natural calmness, the clear vast space which always exists from within us and in the Universe.
From the tradition disseminated by Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen Founder, King Tran Nhan Tong, Most Ven. Thich Thanh Tu taught his disciples how to be free from duality thinking and from being bogged down in the transient world, and how to live with the Real.
In short, the four guidelines for a Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen practitioner are:
1. Do not be driven or bogged down by any illusory thoughts. Just let them go,
2. Do not be disturbed by the outside world that is dependent-originated by nature,
3. Do not get trapped by a mind of discrimination, or in the dualistic way of thinking and perception (good vs. bad, long vs. short, rich vs. poor, success vs. failure, happiness vs. unhappiness....)
4. Always dwell in the Buddha Nature (the vast,clear and unperturbed space, the Ultimate Truth and Reality which unites you with the Universe).
Sources:
Thich Thanh Tu, Thien Tong Vietnam Cuoi The Ky 20. Written in Thuong Chieu Zen Monastery (1991). Circulated by Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen monasteries in Vietnam and abroad.
http://www.truclamvietzen.net/MasterTTT.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thich_Thanh_Tu
Philip Taylor,Modernity and Re-enchantment: Religion in Post-Revolutionary Vietnam (Maryland, USA, 2008).
http://www.daophatngaynay.com/vn/phatgiao-vn/con-nguoi-vn/9709-Triet-hoc-Tran-Thai-Tong.html
http://www.daophatngaynay.com/vn/phatgiao-vn/con-nguoi-vn/3604-Phat-hoang-Tran-Nhan-Tong.html
http://www.daophatngaynay.com/vn/phatgiao-vn/con-nguoi-vn/4245-Phat-hoang-Tran-Nhan-Tong-viet-ve-Thay.html
http://www.daophatngaynay.com/vn/tu-sach-dao-phat-ngay-nay/6103-Chuong-12-Gioi-thieu-Mot-so-trung-tam-tu-hoc-tai-Viet-Nam.html
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