Master Wen Yen - Mummified Body.
Mar 4, 2010 19:05:31 GMT 1
Post by Shi Da Dao on Mar 4, 2010 19:05:31 GMT 1
Master Wen Yen (died 949AD) founded the Yun Men school of Ch'an - one of the so-called Five Houses of Ch'an. His body still resides at Yun Men monastery, Guangdong, China.
This is what master Xu Yun has to say on this matter:
'Chapter Twelve - Yun Men Monastery.
My 105th Year (1944-45)
In 1940, after the monastery of the Sixth Patriarch had been completely rebuilt, I went with Bhikshu Fu-guo to Qujiang to search for the ancient monastery of Ling-shu, but we failed to find it. When we arrived at Mount yun Men, we found an old dilapidated temple in the dense thickets which contained the body of the founder of the Yun-men School.
On seeing the holy site in such a condition, I was so said that I could not refrain from tears. A monk called Ming-kong had lived there alone since 1938 and had braved hardships to continue the worship of the founder of the sect. He related his difficulties and said that if the monastery was not rebuilt, it would soon fall into ruins and be buried in oblivion. I then returned to the Nan-hua Monastery.
One day, Marshall Li Ji-shen and Chairman Li Han-yun came to see me and I told them of what I had seen at Yun-men. Later during his tour of inspection, Chairman Li passed by Mount Ru-yuan and saw the ruined monastery of Ta-jue (Great Enlightenment) on the Yun-men peak, which was in the same dilapidated condition as the Nan-hua Monastery before its renovation. He called the Sangha and notables to a meeting during which I was asked to take charge of the monastery's reconstruction. In anticipation of the war spreading to Nan-hua, I secretly moved the bodies of the Sixth Patriarch and Master Han-shan to Yun-men.
On my arrival at Yun-men I saw that most of the temple buildings were in ruins except the Hall of Master Yun-men, which, however, was in immitnent danger of collapse. I settled in a small room behind the Shrine of Avalokiessvara where I planned the restoration of the holy site.' (Empty Cloud - Autobiography of Ch'an Master Xu Yun: Translated by Charles Luk and edited by Richard Hunn, Page 131)
This is what master Xu Yun has to say on this matter:
'Chapter Twelve - Yun Men Monastery.
My 105th Year (1944-45)
In 1940, after the monastery of the Sixth Patriarch had been completely rebuilt, I went with Bhikshu Fu-guo to Qujiang to search for the ancient monastery of Ling-shu, but we failed to find it. When we arrived at Mount yun Men, we found an old dilapidated temple in the dense thickets which contained the body of the founder of the Yun-men School.
On seeing the holy site in such a condition, I was so said that I could not refrain from tears. A monk called Ming-kong had lived there alone since 1938 and had braved hardships to continue the worship of the founder of the sect. He related his difficulties and said that if the monastery was not rebuilt, it would soon fall into ruins and be buried in oblivion. I then returned to the Nan-hua Monastery.
One day, Marshall Li Ji-shen and Chairman Li Han-yun came to see me and I told them of what I had seen at Yun-men. Later during his tour of inspection, Chairman Li passed by Mount Ru-yuan and saw the ruined monastery of Ta-jue (Great Enlightenment) on the Yun-men peak, which was in the same dilapidated condition as the Nan-hua Monastery before its renovation. He called the Sangha and notables to a meeting during which I was asked to take charge of the monastery's reconstruction. In anticipation of the war spreading to Nan-hua, I secretly moved the bodies of the Sixth Patriarch and Master Han-shan to Yun-men.
On my arrival at Yun-men I saw that most of the temple buildings were in ruins except the Hall of Master Yun-men, which, however, was in immitnent danger of collapse. I settled in a small room behind the Shrine of Avalokiessvara where I planned the restoration of the holy site.' (Empty Cloud - Autobiography of Ch'an Master Xu Yun: Translated by Charles Luk and edited by Richard Hunn, Page 131)