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Post by Shi Da Dao on Aug 22, 2007 9:58:48 GMT 1
A number of years ago, I was fumbling around with my Ch'an practice, and I asked Richard to give me somekind of 'definite' instruction, that did not involve the usual 'slipperiness' of the usual Ch'an guidance!
This is what he said;
'Neither be attached to the void, or hindered by phenomena'.
The seated meditation, for me, was something concrete and firm. In a sense, it was the easy part, 'just sit', follow the instructions, and wait with patience. What seemed incrediby difficult at the time, was the application of the attainment of insight, in the ordinary world, outside of meditation. The tradition that Richard had inherited from Charles Luk, did not allow for vagueness of application. On the contrary, Richard maintained the utmost standards, in his compassionate dealings with the world. As a result, many people came and went, and did not allow themselves to 'finish' the Ch'an training.
Meditating on a sacred spot (Bodhimandala), is only half the story. And if one is not to fall into the trap of the Hinayana Mind-set, it is important that one does not, whilst upon the Ch'an path, fall into the habit of attachment to outer ritual. Attachment to outer ritual, is not the function of the Ch'an developed Mind, but serves (only) as just another barrier to full enlightenment.
Although Richard, in his teaching of me, was always careful not to give my intellect anything to 'grab' hold of, I may find the right words, if I am equally careful, to convey something of the 'taste' of the Ch'an path as followed by myself, whilst being guided by Richard Hunn. A process of development that proceeded from 1989, up until his death on the 1st of October, 2006.
He taught Ch'an to me, or rather he 'untaught' how to release myself from my habits of Mind that obscured its essential essence. His presence always had two distinct aspects, one vacuous, spacious and loving, the other involved the intellect, risen to the level of prajna (or wisdom), which was used like a razor sharp sword, that hit without effort, any target it chose.
The empty aspect of his being was pure 'sunyata'. You could be yourself in his presence, totally, and nothing else mattered. His sunyata essence, a product of his enlightened Mind, was beyond the physical boundaries of his existence. Richard Hunn was simply a vehicle that it occupied on this plane. And in its presence, the intellect was brought firmly to a halt, one's personal history, and problems of the moment, disintegrated into a profound peacefulness. As the 'void' does not discriminate between past, present and future, when one communes with it, one is free of one's definitional history that is associated with one particular body, on this physical plane.
The true Ch'an master does not hide behind empty ritual, and does not teach from dry scripture. Instead, the Ch'an master is a manifestation on this plane, of the insight and enlightenment acquired through a lifetime of study. In a very real sense, (and to quote Mahatma Gandhi), the Ch'an master's life, is their message. Every pore of their being exudes the void, and how to attain it. But ataining 'it', as difficult as that seems, is only have the story of the true Ch'an path.
Ch'an has two definite aspects; the 'void' aspect, and the 'function' aspect. What does this mean? Well, to meditate all day, does not mean that the 'void' nature of phenomena has been realised (or 'penetrated'). It simply means that one has been 'meditating' all day. Secondly, whilst dealing with the affiars of the world, going about one's duties and pastimes, does not mean that one is manifesting the 'functioning' of the void, in everyday life. In other words, mere repetition of ritual, does not necessarily mean that the enlightening function is being performed.
In the Surangama Sutra, the Lord Buddha explains that that which is permanent, and does not come, go, or change, (i.e. the 'void'), maybe termed the 'host', and that which is always on the 'move', and never stays, maybe termed the 'guest'. The host is our true, inherent nature, whilst the guest serves to convey the essence of our wondering, moving, surface Mind that obscures the host. Through meditation, or the 'turning' of the Mind, back upon itself, the 'guest' aspect is firmly brought under control, and 'stilled', so that the 'host' essence maybe perceived, and eventually united with. The movement of the surface Mind, is likened to waves upon the surface of a lake. When there are waves, it is difficult to see the bottom of the lake, but when the lake is 'still', one may, without hindrance, see clearly, the bottom of the lake.
When the Mind essence is clearly perceived, this is likened to the 'guest' returning to the 'host', where it forever 'merges' and the two distinctions disappear - as the false definitional boundaries between the two apparent states, dissolve into 'oneness'. Through further meditation, this 'oneness' is returned to its essence, and the patient endurance of the uncreate (anutpatikka-dharma-ksanti) is attained.
When one sits firmly in the realised Mind, that is, when one sits intimately communing with the Witness Mind, in such away that removes the distinction between 'self' and other', 'witnesser', and 'witnessed', one may then perform one's enlightened function within the world, however that may be.
This thread then, will be the occasional sharing of Richard Hunn's enlightened action within the world, as I experienced. So that the true Ch'an path may burn brightly.
Thank you.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Aug 23, 2007 8:14:10 GMT 1
When I first got to know of Richard, (his Buddhism name, given to him by Charles Luk was 'Wen Shu', the Chinese translation of the Sanskrit name 'Manjushri', the Bodhisattva of wisdom), he lived in Thorpe Hamlet, Norfolk, and 'ran' (if that is the right word), the Norfolk Ch'an Association. This was in the late 1980's. Infact, if one picks up a copy of master Xu Yu's biography in English, (edited by Richard), one will find a glowing forward, written by Richard himself. I feel that this piece of writing eminates a certain 'vibrancy', that is indicative of a person who is living a centralised and balanced life. Or living in the Dao, or the Way, as the ancient Chinese would say, where a person, through the cultivation of their Mind, and the discipllne of their body, are treading a ptha that unites heaven with earth. For me, that Thorpe Hamlet forward as i call it, tells so much more than the actual words convey. And although the content is really about master Xu Yun, so much more is going on.
Richard did not like structures that limited growth. This was and is completely in accordance with his character. In his presence, concepts of personal history just dissolved into the air, and the Ch'an training began. Perceptions of personal history are constructs of the ego, nothing more. Logic will try to intercede, and claim somekind of 'superior' knowledge, in an attempt to keep us trapped firmly in the ego's hold, but the thoughts we have about the events we thnk we have experienced, are merely shodws of the events themselves, regardless of how painful or pleasurable those events have been. What we have 'felt', in a sense, is more obscuring ego. The movements of the surface Mind (i.e. the 'guest'), that prevents use from perceiving the clear, bright, underlying nature of the Mind Ground (i.e. the 'host').
A good teacher, (i.e. kalyanamaitri), frees the student with word, deed and thought. Master Xu Yun freed countless thousands, one of whom was Charles Luk (Lu Kuan Yu). He gave Charles the important task of translating Chinese Buddhist texts into English, as he seemed to know that the Dharma was spreading Westward, and that the people who encountered it, and practiced it, would need reliable translations, as they did so. Charles Luk has performed this important undertaking in the most admirable fashion. Richard, a student of Charles, worked tirelessly to keep the translations of Charles Luk's books in print, so that English speaking people in the world, could follow reliable teaching. Infact, so important is this task, that just prior to his passing away, Richard asked me to try and continue this endeavour, the best I can. This website, in its own small way, is an attempt to do just that.
Indicative of how accessible both Charles Luk and Richard Hunn were, and continue to be through their translation work, is perhaps found in the many dedications Charles Luk wrote at the beginning of his many translations. What follows, is the dedication that appeared at the beginning of the Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra:
'Respectfully dedicated to THE VENERABLE UPASAKA W. B. PICARD, Head of the Mousehole Buddhist Group, Mousehole, Cornwall, England, whose encouragement has sustained my humble efforts to present translations of Chinese Buddhist texts to keen students of the Dharma in the West.'
Thank you
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Aug 23, 2007 10:33:14 GMT 1
I last saw Richard in September, 2004, He had the delightful habit of turning-up in the UK, towards the end of the summer, usually leading a group of Japanese students, as they visited Britain as part of their education. He would saty about a month, the first two weeks taken-up with his students. They would go back to Japan, and Richard would come and stay with me and my family in Sutton, south London. Sometimes, he would visit straight from Heathrow airport, catching what was then the 726 bus, which use to stop more or less outside of my house. The journey taking about an hour. He would invariably turn-up toward nightfall, about 9pm onwards. Other times, he would accompany his students to their hotels. He visited his parents in Norfolk, where he grew-up. Basically, his visits were unscripted, unpredictable and often purely intuitive! Once or twice, he missed the bus stop by our house, and we would have to head out in the car, and try to find where he had got off the bus! Bear in mind that this was before mobile 'phones, he would 'phone from a public call box, give me a set of vague landmarks, and 'wait' for myself and family to 'turn-up', when we were ready! Somehow, it all worked out.
His essence stayed 'still' and calm. As if all movment happened around the still centre.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Aug 24, 2007 9:13:50 GMT 1
Although, of course, I practiced extensive meditation in my Ch'an training, sitting with Richard was a special occasion. During his stay at my home, the teaching would unfold naturally and evenly. Infact, upon reflection, his teaching method was always like this. Close, physical proximatey or not, there was always a continuous under-current of transmission, that remained completely 'free' of whatever constituted the surface movement of Mind, at any particular, or given time.
The Ch'an master in him, was enduring and foundational to his being. But this did not obscure or negate his character, which had a unique history within the physical world, with its own history, sufferings, likes and dislikes, etc. Many people he knew, knew nothing about his C'han attainment. To them, he manifested as just an ordinary person. Richard did not assume the role of Ch'an master, and neither did he pretend to be anything other than he was. On one level, he was a being who had thoroughly and totally penetrated the essence of the Mind, and on the other, a person who lived life one day at a time, adjusting to circumstances and not standing out in anyway. He never wanted to stand-out.
Like the advanced Tai Chi master, Richard would meet you in just the right way, so as to equal your momentum, and bring out the desired result. Within this ability, he could be both fierce, and loving. We would discuss martial arts, various Chinese Buddhist/Daoist texts, the the Yi Jing, or Book of Change, the latter being a favourite of Richard's. Understanding was cultivated through the intellectual capacity, but an understanding (and understanding) that was both feeding the intellect, and at the sametime, returning it to its essence. And then, exactly when the time was right, and with no forward planning, we would enter into a formal meditation practice.
The preferred method was to sit on the floor, with no cushions. Facing one another, about ten feet apart. Both of us would adopt the Buddha-asana, with the right leg resting over the left leg, which inturn, rests upon the ground. This is sometimes, and mistakenly referred to as the 'half-lotus', but differs from it, in as much as in the half-lotus position, the heel of the right leg is tucked into upper thigh area of the left leg - in the Buddha-asana however, the right leg and heel lie in an aligned manner, upon (and across the top) of the left leg, with the right heel resting near the left knee. When perfomed correctly, the left leg and bottom area, whilst resting upon the flat ground, create a firm foundation for sitting, so that the spine may adopt its natural, anatomical position, and that the shoulder girdle may rest centre square, over the pelvic girdle. The neck is gently extended, by placing the chin very slightly forward, and down, so that the head sits squarely upon the shoulders. The posture is thus aligned.
From this physical position, the Qi energy will flow correctly throughout the physical body, and the body may then be 'forgotten', as one turns one's attention toward the Mind, and the penetration of its essence. Richard would give his students various phrases to use as hua tou, or 'word heads' in Chinese. This translates as a method for 'stilling' the Mind, by penetrating the 'gaps' between the endless flow of thoughts, and merging with the underlying essence of that which produces the thoughts.
However, the mechanics of the situation was onething, but actually meditating with Richard, was quite another! His being expanded out of the centre of his heart area, and filled the room completely. Being with him, one was totally immersed in a sense of loving compassion, and an uncompromising insight. Time and space lost their usual definitional quality, and one would literally 'transcend' all barriers, either real or conceived. On the purely temporal level, each session would last about an hour. And then fall away quite naturally. One would feel 'cleansed' after each session. Eventually, Richard would have me make to wooden clappers, to strike together at the beginning and end of each session. The sharp noise beginning and ending the process of deep immersion in the Mind Ground.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Aug 25, 2007 9:54:10 GMT 1
The wooden blocks had the Chinese characters 'Dai Dao' caligraphed upon them. Each block is about six inxhes long, and painted iwth a waterproof, outdoor paint. They make a nice 'crack' when struck correctly. They are used in China and Japan, and since Richard had gone to live in Japan (round about 1990), the use of the meditation blocks, (as he called them), became a permanent feature of his practice. He taught me to hold them up in front of my face, and with my fore-head slightly bowed in reverence, keep the bottom edge of the two pieces touching, whilst the upper edges are moved apart about four inches. The upper edges are then brought together with a clear and clean 'snap'. The 'snap', however, tends to represent the Mind of the person doing the 'snapping'. A clear and sharp Mind will produce a clear and sharp sound. A dull Mind, or a Mind that is not concentrating, will represent that 'dullness' with a noise to match. The 'snap' is designed to 'cut-through' samsaric delusion, and the job of creating it at the beginning and end of a meditation session, is a grave one indeed! The seesion comes to an end at about the sametime that a large stick of incence burns itself out. The meditation blocks are used at the end of the session to 'seal' the meditative experience.
In the case of Richard and myself, the structure of the meditation posture, would, at the appropriate time, fall away, and we would end up sitting or lying upon the ground, discussing either some profound philosophical issue, or an experience we had just had during meditation. The situation would be spacious and full of loving compassion. Sometimes we discussed an issue from personal history, as if the words were like steps that instead of concretising the illusion of personal history, these words served to act like steps that disappeared as one stepped upon them. But more than this, the person doing the stepping, equally 'dissolves' as the language of the uncreate carefully, and with a surgeon's skill, strips the layers of klesa away, leaving a bright shining Mind!
The language of the uncreate does not engage the intellect, but rather undermines it from the very beginning. The ego is uprooted, and the intellect is transformed into its prajna eminating function. Today, many use the intellect to discuss Buddhism, actually encouraging the very delusive actions that the Lord Buddha taught us to transcend. A shadow, following a shadow, with no idea of where the light is. Buddhism trapped within the intellect, is still just the deluded intellect, it does not make the intellect 'divine', or indeed 'enlightened'. Ch'an however, is not anti-intellect, when the transformative experience has been fully realised, the intellect exceeds its delusive boundaries and becomes wisdom in the Ten Directions! But transform it must. The intellect must be brought under control, so that it might attain to a position of understanding that no university could ever grant it, or social structure confer upon it. The language of the uncreate, used extensively by the Ch'an masters of old, was a natural antedote to excessive 'intellectualism', or Buddhism lived 'exclusively' in the ego. As of course, Buddhism lived in the ego, is not Buddhism at all.
Richard summed-up the meditative path with three principles that are subjectively realisable by the practitioner:
1) Confused Mind. When one looks within, there is energy and confused movement that one feels powerless to stop.
2) After a period of intense meditation, the confusion clears, and a 'voidness' is perceived. This is the stage of relative enlightenment, said to be already beyond the realms of transmigration or re-birth. With the falling away of the confused state, much bliss is experienced in this state, but the bliss and the voidness must not be attached to.
3) With further training, and expert gudance from the appropriate Mahayana sutras (such as the Vimalakirti and Surangama), together with good guidance from those who have already trodden the path, the state of relative voidness expands to embrace the Ten Directions. Losing its relative nature, and becoming all embracing. At this stage, there is a great opening of the heart.
Now, Richard use to say to me, that beyond this point, a Ch'an master never speaks. But it is up to each of us to pursue this great matter to its ultimate conclusion.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Aug 26, 2007 12:55:04 GMT 1
Richard, being an eminant Chinese Buddhist scholar, well read in philosophy in general, and in many ways at the fore-front of research in the arrival of Ch'an in Japan, (infact, he emigrated to Japan in 1990, to finish a Ph.D programme involving this very subject), he would always point-out, (usually after making a crystal clear point of fact), that Ch'an was really about 'doing' rather than 'debating', or organising one's thoughts into somekind of logical order, termed 'Buddhism'.
The discussion of Buddhism as just another 'ism', occurs all over the internet today. Those inolved in the debate, are always one thought away from where they think they are. Buddhism has become, for them, a 'dogma' that existentially exists only to be viewed, protected and projected. This is not Ch'an. Richard was also concerned about false, or heretical Ch'an. There are one or two Ch'an organisations that pervert the true Ch'an Dharma, even using master Xu Yun's venerable name, to give somekind of credence to misplaced egotistical zeal that is mistakenly presented to the world as 'spiritual' insight. If one reads master Xu Yun's biography in either its English or Chinese translations, it becomes abundantly clear what the Ch'an Dharma is, according to master Xu Yun, and conveyed to him by his Dharma teachers. During one of my many conversations with Richard, he said that when he edited Charles Luk's English translation of master Xu Yun's biography entitled 'Empty Cloud', he had to access the extant Chinese texts on the matter, which are far longer than the English translation. The publishers at the time, felt that the book was long enough already! However, Richard said that the essential Dharma teachings are all there. I have reproduced them on this forum for students of Ch'an to use in their training. Things cut-out involved repetition, and elongated explanations - and, sadly, the full description of the physical injuries suffered by master Xu Yun, when he was beaten up by Red Guards in 1950 - in his 111th year! He eventually died in 1959 - at the age of 120.
Master Xu Yun dedicated his life to perpetuating the Ch'an Dharma for future generations. In so doing, he asked Charles Luk to translate Chinese Buddhist texts into English, for students in the West. Richard then dedicated his life to trying to keep the books in print. This was an ongoing battle for him, that was not always easy, or productive. However, most, if not all of Charles Luk's books are still in print, in one place or another. As Ch'an has all but disappeared on the mainland of China, and that today, many heretical Ch'an sects exists to confuse and mislead us, it is important that the true Dharma words are read and ingested. Without this true wisdom, the student remains immersed in a sea of ego, pretending to be free, and ensnaring all those who come for instruction.
The Vajra-sword of wisdom cuts through all delusion.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Aug 27, 2007 11:58:04 GMT 1
The Ch'an method is an interesting one. And the fact that it has often been viewed as 'illogical', or highly idiosyncratic, has led to the method being misinterpreted and misunderstood. In the course of one's Ch'an training, one may, or may not, study Buddhism. The problem with engaging the intellect in a course of study when one is Ch'an training, is that the very nature of the training, undermines and uproots the intellectual, knowledge gathering process. To 'intellectualise' Ch'an training, is to try 'run', whilst standing 'still'. This is because the ego/intellect is the very structure that causes the surface movements of the Mind, that serve to obscure the essence of the Mind Ground. It is this very Mind Ground that one is endeavouring to penetrate with the Ch'an method. This is the sole aim of Ch'an training.
What is interesting here, is that the Mind Ground never changes. The Mind Ground is the essence of the human Mind. Everything external to it changes, the Lord Buddha taught, and science would concur. From the Buddhist viewpoint, a new ego/intellect congeals around the Mind Ground, with each new birth, and around the ego/intellect a body forms with its six sense organs, simultaneously creating a world of corresponding six sense objects. Karma guides this development, and rom life to life, our personalities, gender and circumstance constently shift, scatter and reform. From the purely scientific perspective, evolution teaches that the body with the six sense organs, slowly develops and changes at the genetic level, from one generation to the next. The point here, is that no matter which model one actually subscribes to, 'change' is a fundamental element of it.
In early Buddhism, 'anicca', or 'change' is a fundamental teaching. The Lord Buddha taught that as things change, they are unsatisfactory, because our ego/intellect seeks permanency, where there is none - this gap between 'desire' and 'reality' the Lord Buddha termed 'dukkha', or 'suffering'. This is undoubtedly correct, helpful and a good teaching for those who wish to bring their Minds under control. This is the 'Sravaka', or 'Hearing' stage of the Lord Buddha's teachings Those who follow these early teachings to their conclusion, and attain Buddhahood, are termed 'Pratyeka-buddha'. These beings live apart from human-kind, and dwell in an 'enlightenment' that is purely one-sided, and not complete. Their peace of Mind is dependent upon their circumstance, hence they retire to quiet areas, with ample food, away from the suffering of their fellow humanbeings. The Lord Buddha taught that the Bodhisattva stage is the highest state realisable by humanbeings. As a Bodhisattva has attained to the perception of, (and merging with), the Mind Ground, fully, and beyond any discrimination. The ego/intellect nexus has been fully transformed into 'Prajna', or 'intuitive wisdom'. The Bodhisattva has gone beyond the 'sravaka' and 'pratyeka-buddha' stages, and attained to the Mind Ground. Out of compassion however, the Bodhisattva has made a vow not to entire parinirvana - (that is, full extinction of suffering), until everyother being has been freed!
To realise the Mind Ground, is to directly perceive, beyond the subject-object dichotomy, the fundamental, and pristine 'sunyata', or 'emptiness' of all phenomena. This is emptiness of the Mind, body and evrey in the environment, including the environment itself, and that which perceives it. It also has the further implication that CHANGE itself is empty. One of the main causes of suffering, is that humankind seeks permancy in that which is forever changing. And yet, in the end, the Lord Buddha advocated the direct penetrating of the phenomenal world, which includes the Mind, body, and the world it interacts with, (together with that which perceives the interaction). The realisation of 'sunyata', or the 'emptiness' of 'change', is the Mahayana antedote to the suffering of humankind.
To put it more succinctly - the Ch'an method, is a direct method of penetrating the nature of changing phenomena. It is a method that has been developed over hundreds, if not thousands of years. It is tried and tested and has genuine followers in the world today. Its method 'cuts through', directly, the prevailing existential circumstance - regardless of 'where', or 'when' the circumstances prevail. This means, of course, that one could, in theory subscribe to any religion, and still apply the Ch'an method, or indeed, any type of Buddhism. The circumstances are 'empty', and, therefore, do not matter to the Ch'an method. Today, I have been involved in many discussions about circumtance and changing times.
Is the Ch'an method relevant to the modern, Western world? One might ask, in the same breath, as to whether the Ch'an method is relevant in the modern, Eastern world, as well? Or, if one really understood the Dharma, one would not ask such questions, because one would know, that the Lord Buddha has said clearly, that 'empty space' peremeates the entire universe, pure and clean in the Ten Directions, and the Three Times. To view the phenomena as 'here', or 'there', is to fall into the trap of materialist identification, whereby, we are defined not by the fact that we all have a pure, unified Mind Ground, but rather by the shape, size and colour of our body, the language we speak and the geographical area we are born within. All this is 'anicca', or changing phenomena. It has no permanency, and therefore, should not be used to base one's judgements upon, when considering the validity of the Ch'an Dharma.
The Ch'an method, if properly understood, cuts through ALL annica circumstance, thus returning the spiritual seeker to the essence of the Mind Ground that underlies all phenomena. This is inaccordance with the Ch'an method, began by the Lord Buddha, and it is inaccordance with the sutras spoken by the Lord Buddha. Nowhere in the Buddhist sutras, does it say that the Dharma can be compromised, changed or adjusted, to suit changing, circumstancial sets of phenomena, that come and go, like dust in the wind. The business of Ch'an therefore, is not the changing phenomena, but rather the realisation of the empty essence of that phenomena. To mistake the changing phenomena for the Ch'an method, is to fall into the trap of heretical Ch'an. And metaphorically, put the cart, before the horse.
The Ch'an method appears difficult because the ego it intends to over-come and transcend, has been in control for a very long time. It is in the ego's best interests, to sully, defile and misrepresent theCh'an method in this Dharma ending age. As master Xu Yun pointed out, all one needs is knowledge of how to proceed, and then to proceed correctly. And the Lord Buddha warned that to misrepresent the Dharma in anyway, leads to very bad karma indeed. This 'Great Affair' requires the correct Ch'an method, transmitted through clear lineages, if all beings everywhere, are to be delivered from the suffering of samsara.
In the final analysis, the Ch'an method can not be viewed as being relevant for 'here', or 'there', but only relevant to free the human Mind from its own trap of delusion, wherever that human Mind happens to migrate.
Thank you.
Shi Da Dao
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Aug 28, 2007 9:36:10 GMT 1
Ancient China had an efficient postal system. Even well kown hermits, living on the top of remote mountains, could often keep in touch with their students, via the postal service. Ch'an masters would often live, (like their Daoist counter-parts), in remote areas, so that they could continue their practice, undisturbed by the trivialities of everyday life. The mountains in China, appear to suddenly erupt out of the ground, and travel straight up, toward heaven! In ancient Chinese thinking, the mountain signified the earth, and the sky signified heaven - a mountain, therefore, particularly its summit represented the 'meeting' of both 'heaven' and 'earth', in a very real and tangible way. To live in this physical spot, was to inhabit the region where heaven and earth continuously intermingled and integrated......
The qi in this area, or universal energy is considered very strong indeed. If a person can cultivate their Mind and body correctly, then the qi will flow from heaven to earth, through their bodies, and all wil be well. Their health will be at an optimum and they will live a very long time. Their physical bodies will endure, like the mountain. Richard use to tell me something Charles Luk use to say to him; 'Live with your head in the clouds, but with you feet firmly upon the ground!' And this shows the practicality of he Ch'an path. We can not all live on mountain tops. I, myself, live in London.
Richard taught me to find the 'mountain top' within, so that wereve I go, it is always with me. Of course, occasionally, I am indeed sitting upon a mountain top, but it is important for the Mind not to discriminate between 'here' and 'there', thus setting up a false dichotomy in the process. being 'here', now, is exactly where we all need to be. And wherever that is, that place will serve as our Bodhimandala - or 'holy circle', where our spiritual work will be done. Through committment, and purity of effort, all and any circumstance can be used for the spiritual journey. This is because the purity of heaven and earth, that is, the sheer beauty and magnitude of the mountain top, resides firmly within use. Through strong and committed sitting, we bring this inner reality, out and onto the physical plane of existence.
In a very real sense, when we keep to the Mind-precept, that is, when we realise the Mind Ground, and nolonger set up discriminations that take us away from it, our immediate environment will be transformed for the better. Not only this, but the very effort of trying to spiritually develop, sets in motion a new wave of positive karmic trends, that can over-power any negative karma being experienced.
'I always think that Hui Neng's line is interesting, when he said, "If the true immutable is sought, one seeks it above the motion."' (Quoted from a letter by Richard Hunn - 15.11.89)
Here, we clearly see that the 'motion', or 'circumstance' one happens to find one's self within, is not the issue, but rather, as 6th Patriarch Hui Neng advises, it is the 'immutable' that underlies the circumstance, that serves as the focal point of true Ch'an training and attainment.
Thank you
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Aug 29, 2007 9:04:18 GMT 1
There can be a paradox in Ch'an training. Our intellects seek somekind of guiding light, usually in the form of reassuring texts - in this instance, Buddhist texts - that are intended to assist in the developmental process. The Ch'an master, however, continuously advises that 'everything should be laid down'. But oddly, the master seems to be well read! Particularly when the Buddhist scriptures are discussed.
The laying down of everything, is really the laying down of all thought, so that one experiences the 'stillness' of the Mind. More thinking, is more movement of the Mind. This is why the Ch'an masters always demanded that their students bring their Mind to a standstill, by engaging in activities that actually encouraged the Mind to 'move'. movement here, is samsara, or the endless wheel of birth, death, re-birth, as one thought comes into existence, passes out of existence, and is immediately replaced with a new thought.
This creates a constant stream of thoughts that obscure the Mind's essential nature. One-pointed focusing of the Mind, eventually becomes aware of the 'gap' between thoughts. Through these gaps, the essential nature of the Mind becomes apparent. Constant sensory stimulation at this point, will only make the Mind move, and make it harder for the stream of thoughts to be stopped and transcended.
Richard said to me that in the old days, people has less sensory stimulation than we have today. That is why, (in-part), many Ch'an students realised enlightenment, from an act or a shout from the Ch'an master! They were not that far away from perceiving their own Mind Ground, which functions all of the time, reflecting the six senses. Even the intellect is considered a 'sense'. And as the intellect resides infront of the Mind Ground, just as the other senses do, it can not, through the use of itself, realise that which is beyond itself, hence the need to calm it down, and 'stilll' it for further advancement upon the Ch'an path.
Thank you.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Aug 30, 2007 8:21:06 GMT 1
Richard, along with his wife Taeko, practiced Kyudo, or traditional Japanese archery, in one of the many ornate Dojo's to be found in Kyoto. Richard emigrated to Japan in 1990, obstensibly to continue his research into the transmission of Chinese Ch'an Buddhism to Japan, where, of course, it became known as Zen. Well, that's not exactly correct; Ch'an is the shortened version of Ch'anna - which is not a bad attempt at pronouncing the Sanskrit term Dhyanna into Chinese - the Japanese then took Ch'anna and pronounced it Zenna (with the Koreans calling it Sonna, etc).
Dhyana means to 'meditate' with a one-ponted focus. Hence the vehicle known as Ekayana (i.e. 'One School'), that Bodhidharma is said to have brought to China in the 6th century CE, advocated the practice of one-pointed meditation, with scriptural support coming from the Lankavatara Sutra. It is said that Bodhidharma's robe, begging bowl and a copy of the Lankavatara Sutra was passed-on to second Ch'an patriarch Hui Ke, and then down through the other five patriarchs, to the famous 6th patriarch Hui Neng.
With Hui Neng, the following of Ch'an in china was said to be complete. Hui Neng based this assessment upon a poem written by Bodhidharma, that spoke of a flower having five petals, being complete. Since the Lord Buddha passed the Ch'an Dharma to Mahakasyapa, Bodhidharma was the 28th Indian patriarch, and the first Chinese patriarch (or first acknowledged Ch'an teacher in China). Following him were five Chinese teachers, all able and exact in their transmission of the Ch'an Dharma. With these five, the transmission was thought to have been complete. After Hui Neng, the patriarch tradition came to an end, and instead, eminant Ch'an teachers became known as ancestors, and masters. Even the Lankavatara Sutra fell out of fashon, and wa replaced with an emphasis upon the sutra of the Prajna-paramitra, which emphasises the realisation of 'sunyata', or 'emptiness', as the pivotal experience in Ch'an.
Emptiness cuts through all the levels. The Lankavatara Sutra however, deals with the philosophy of the eight levels of consciousness, and should still be studied. The Lord Buddha skillfully leads the enquirer through the eight levels of consciousness, toward enlightenment. This is sutra is very important. And any practitioner can and should read it whilst practicing meditation From the perspective of gradual, meditative development, the Ch'an student should be able to easily recognise the levels the Lord Buddha is clearly defining, moving from one to another with ease. Nowadays, this is supplimented by the 'arrow' of sunyata, that pierces through every expedient level, right to the heart of the matter.
Like firing the arrow in archery, our Mind should not become attached to the process, or the process will be slowed as a consequence. The process has its purpose, and its purpose is to set us free of the need to worry about structure, so that we may allow our awareness to become 'aware' of its own essence, so that we might integrate with this awareness and progress toward enlightenment.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Aug 31, 2007 9:25:29 GMT 1
Richard advocated a natural, but precise way of cultivating the Mind. He referred to this method as holding to the Mind precept. That is, holding to the very essence of the Mind (that is the Mind Ground), during all activity. Why? Because this essence is with us all of the time, and what we have to do, is fully become 'aware' of this essence, so that it is a permanent feature of our entire being.
Traditionally speaking, if one reads the Ch'an literature from the Tang dynasty, one finds that many people, lay and monk, male and female, realised enlightenment during fairly mundane activity. And not always in formal meditation. Becoming awre of the Mind Ground, or essence, can happen at anytime, in any circumstance, providing the right stimulus has occured. For some, it was the actions of the master, such as a word, phrase or sudden action. For others, the 'bottom fell out of the barrel', during seated meditation. What everyone of these examples has in common however, is that the Ch'an practitioners involved, had spent time cultivating their own Minds with the Ch'an method - using one-pointed concentration, to 'still' the surface movement of the Mind, and fully comprehend what lies beyond.
The physical circumstances of the practitioner mean very little in this stage of the training. Physical circumstances amount to nothing more than 'movement' of the Mind, and actually add to the surface ripples that obscure the essence. Our physical brains, bodies and the physical matter around us, are ALL just matter in the final analysis. The Ch'an practitioner is using concentrative method to 'cut-through' the movement of the surface Mind, which is chaotic, confusing and full of suffering. Ch'an concentration is like a focus of a lazer beam, exact and powerful. By the application of this 'one-pointedness', eventually the powerful hold that the surface movement of Mind holds over the Mind, will be broken for good, and the eternal essence of the Mind will manifest for good.
Richard's point is this; without holding the one-pointed concentration within the Mind, there can be no progress toward enlightenment. Then, regardles of whatever physical actions we perform, we will not be able to penetrate the incessant flow of thoughts in our Mind, and break free from suffering, as a consequence. Simply following a ritualised sets of behaviours, will not have enough power to break-through the incessant flow of thoughts that cause the suffering. Whatever our physical practice is, we must perform are daily tasks with the appropriate 'one-pointedness' required for Ch'an practice. And this means to be fully aware, from moment to moment. Fully in the 'moment', with no leakages of attention. One literally fouces the Mind upon its own essence, without let-up, until the Mind Ground is perceived - this is 'one-ponitedness'.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Sept 1, 2007 9:00:32 GMT 1
Richard often used the expression 'grasping the tiger by the whiskers', to explain the behaviour of Ch'an monks and teachers, who deliberately stood-up to the secular authorities, when those authorities interferred in spiritual matters, or who passed laws that made it difficult to practice Ch'an properly, without fear of persecution and oppression.
In his own life, Richard manifest this ability with measured ease, despite how difficult life got. When his private circumstances were not too good, in the late 1980's, to early 1990's, he continued to teach me with an even hand, so even infact, that I did not know that things were not that good for him. As a good teacher, he never let his expedient circumstance intrude in the teacher-student relationship.
And this is the interesting aspect of attainment of enlightenment, or, to put it less dramatically, to penetrate and perceive the essence of 'sunyata', or 'emptiness'. This not just an idea, for its realisation lies beyond ideas. It is a 'turning about', in the base Mind, that profoundly alters one's viewpoint of the world. And in such an attainment, one realises that one is not one's circumstance. One is freed from the tyranny of matter, and the tryanny of one's one deluded thought stream. With further, consolidatery training, one is neither 'attached to the void, or hindered by phenomena'!
A Ch'an practitioner then, is free in ALL circumstance. This is the key to interaction within the real world. Their is no discriminaion between 'this' or 'that' set of circumstance, only the realisation of the emptiness that underlies ALL and every possible manifestation on the physical plane.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Sept 2, 2007 8:51:58 GMT 1
I last saw Richard Hunn in person, in September, 2004, at the departure lounge of the Heathrow airport, London, UK. During that visit, we had discussed the Yi Jing, or book of Classics (Richard had been working on a translation for quite sometime), and amongst other things, we had discussed the possibility of starting this website, in the hope that by putting forward the work of Charles Luk, and the teachings of master Xu Yun, people might benefit in their practice, wherever those people might happen to be.
Usually, there comes a time of secluded training in one's practice. A withdrawal of the Mind from the attention of everyday stimulus. During this time, exact and profound Ch'an guidance is required. Ch'an masters in old China word often write to their lay followers. Today, we also have an extensive written media to assist us in the task. A carefully compiled and translated sutra, or sastra, or a skillful Ch'an dialogue between a Ch'an master and d student, can serve to 'turn' the Mind, so that one might realise the Mind Ground. A well placed word or phrase, so-to-speak.
Nowadays, excessible media includes the personal computer, laptop, and mobile 'phone. Whilst being in complete, physical isolation, a Ch'an practitioner can keep intouch with virtually everywhere and everyone! This forum was set-up so that during this process of hyper-communiability, one might access the true Ch'an teaching. Master Xu Yun often said that the path required but knowledge of the Way.
Oddly enough, and purely by coincident - and firmly in jest, as Richard was entering through the passport barrier at heathrow, I had the urge to ask him for his 'Final Word'. This is a word, phrase or action, that communicates the ultimate from Ch'an master to Ch'an student, usually just prior to 'leaving',. And this leaving can take any form, from actually leaving a place with no intention of ever returning, to the preparation of physical death. As it transpired, Richard never set-foot in the UK, again. As his illness set-in, his travelling diminished. And it was with ironic humour, I feel, that Richard's 'final word' was;
'I am going.'
He stepped through the barrier, and never looked back.....
The last two years of his life, we communicated by letter and telephone. And in 2006, we communicated exclusively by 'phone, but his illness prevented him from having his usual, long conversations. And he had problems seeing to write, etc. He would become very tired, partly through the effect of the cancer, and partly through the effect of the cancer drugs.
His last conversation with me, involved him asking that I try and work to keep the works of Charles Luk in circulation, so that others might benefit from the translations.
Through all this process of change however, Richard never stopped, not even for a moment, to teach that the underlying essence remains unchanged, even in the midst of apparent, surface chaos.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Sept 3, 2007 9:06:51 GMT 1
Virtually at the beginning of my training with Richard, he made it clear that Ch'an, although related to Japanese Zen, (and certainly sharing the same ultimate aim), had its own distinct characteristics. To start with, the Japanese system had codied Ch'an into two major schools (there were, or are others), the Rinzai and the Soto. The former advocates the use of the 'koan', a word or phrase of a master, to help the Zen student transcend the intellect. The latter school employs the 'shikantaza' or 'silent illumination' method of Zen, whereby the practitioners 'just sits', serenely becoming Buddha as s/he does so.
These are methods of Ch'an, but if one were to read the biographies of the founding masters - Lin Chi (Rinzai), and Dong-Cao (Soto) - of the schools under discussion, one would see that Lin Chi did not exclusively use the koan method whilst sitting in formal meditation, and masters Dong and Cao did not exclusively 'sit silently'. These great masters, on the contrary, used whatever was at hand, to enlighten their students, with the expedient method employed, being as much to do with the character and current attainment level of the student, as it did to any arbitrary Ch'an method.
Richard says;
'Although we have no intention of "opposing" or "combating" the Japanese Zen tradition, admiring Japanese masters such as Hakuin Ekatu, Bankei, Bunen, etc, etc, and have friends in the Zen schools (I keep in touch with some American roshis every year), we nevertheless feel that the Japanese schools have become rather rigid in some cases today, especially as regards the "polarisation" between the Rinzai and Soto schools. The Chinese tradition has not been so sharply split in this way. Hsu Yun, for instance, both revived and was successor to - all "five schools" (wu chia) and in the T'ang dynasty they were all doing very much the samething. So another of our aims is to encourage people to explore the T'ang teachings, not simply in terms of "dead history," or "past culture" in the formal sense, but as a practical possibility for the present (after-all, none of these people saw themselves as founders of institutions, they simply gathered their followers around them and were expediently referred to by their place-names or ordination names as a matter of convenience. In many ways, the directions of their teachings is more relevant than the heavily intitutionalised forms that exist today.
The modern Japanese "koan system," by contrast, really date back no further than the 18th century and were not devised by master Lin Chi (Rinzai) himself, though such systems are now called "Rinzai Zen" and indeed, that is how Rinzai Zen is now taught in Japan. Similarly, the Soto school in Japan today is now closely identified with "Za-zen only," (i.e.-"just sitting") of Dogen Zenji but we hear nothing about this from Dong Shan, the Chinese founder of the Soto (Chn: Dong-Cao). So you see, there are some important practical insights to be gleamed from exploring the roots of tradition.'
Letter dated 3.1.89.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Sept 4, 2007 8:20:35 GMT 1
In the initial part of my time with Richard - the first ten years or so, he taught me in such away, so as to continuously draw my Mind away from externals, toward the inner, Mind Ground. Usually, we as human beings, have are Minds enmeshed upon the externals. Attached and displaced into the chao of multiplicity without end, and no way of getting out of the mire. With attachment comes discrimination and emotional over-lay. We literally become what we are attached to, and to what we are obcessed by. It is, as the Ch'an masters have already taught, mistaking a shadow for our true selves.
In this state, we are not content. Contentment can not be built upon a ground that does not exist. And yet, whilst mistaking the shadow for the real object, the situation is compounded by assuming that if we grasp the shadow firmly enough, the insubstantiality of the situation will be solved! When infact, to grasp the illusion of 'self' ever more tightly, simply leads to a compounding of the separation between 'self' and 'other', and between our Mind Ground and that which we mistakenly think is our 'self'.
The perceived 'gap' between the two, is the essence of human suffering. But it is all an illusion that can be pierced, transcended and over-come, in a moment, when the Mind is put right, and the discrimination of 'subject-object' is brought to an end, through the correct perception of the Mind Ground - that transcends perception, as the 'subject-object' dichotomy then has no real relevance, other than a theoretical categorisation for assessing the perspective of information, that is gathered together, through the senses.
The Ch'an master then, acts as a continuous light on the path. The light does not only light the way, but serves to continuously draw us to it, and away from delusion. It is the Ch'an method that the teacher assumes the role of the Mind Ground as function in the world. He/She, manifests the reality of the Mind Ground in every facet of life, without a moments hesitation. Every act or word and phrase becomes loaded with a meaning that is beyond 'meaning'. With a direction that is beyond 'direction', but nevertheless never ceases to guide and instruct. This is the compassionate nature of the master.
The student however, with their Mind separated into 'subject-object', is always separating the Ch'an master from his/her essence. Trying to bring the Ch'an master down to the level of personal friend, and fellow perpetuater of deluded living. Out of compassion for the suffering this way of life entailstmaster remains 'unmoved' by such petting distractions. The student however, will have to ride the waves of emotional attachment, pain and suffering, until the Ch'an method breaksthrough the constant flow of thoughts, that bind us to the wheel of samsaric ignorance. The Ch'an master then, is a beckon of hope for us all
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