Difference between revisions of "Hsuan Hua" - New World Encyclopedia

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{{dablink|This article is about the contemporary Buddhist monk. For the city, now a district, previously in [[Republic of China]]'s [[Chahar (province)|Chahar Province]] and now part of [[Hebei]], see [[Xuanhua District]].}}
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{{dablink|This article is about the contemporary Buddhist monk. For the city, now a district, previously in [[Republic of China]]'s [[Chahar (province)|Chahar Province]] and now part of [[Hebei]], see [[Xuanhua District]].}}
 
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'''Hsuan Hua''' ([[Traditional Chinese]]: 宣化上人; [[Hanyu Pinyin]]: ''Xuān Huà Shàng Rén'', literal meaning:''"proclaim and transform"'') (16 April, 1918 – 7 June, 1995), also known as '''An Tzu''' and '''Tu Lun''', was an influential [[Ch'an]] [[Buddhist]] [[bhikkhu|monk]] and an important figure in Western [[Buddhism]].
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'''Hsuan Hua''' ([[Traditional Chinese]]: 宣化上人; [[Hanyu Pinyin]]: ''Xuān Huà Shàng Rén'', literal meaning:''"proclaim and transform"'') ([[April 16]], [[1918]] – [[June 7]], [[1995]]), also known as '''An Tzu''' and '''Tu Lun''', was an influential [[Ch'an]] [[Buddhist]] [[bhikkhu|monk]] and an important figure in the development of Western [[Buddhism]] in the [[United States]] during the 20th century. Hsuan Hua was the ninth lineage holder of the Guiyang Ch'an School of Buddhism (潙仰宗), one of the five Ch'an families (Caodong, Linji, Fayan and Yunmen) and was granted [[dharma transmission]] from that lineage from the Venerable Master [[Hsu Yun]], one of the most influential [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] teachers of the [[Nineteenth century|19th]] and [[Twentieth century|20th]] centuries.  Hsuan Hua was one of the first known Chinese Buddhist Ch'an masters to transmit orthodox East Asian Buddhism to the West and ordained some of the first native-born Buddhist monks in the United States.  
 
 
Hsuan Hua was the founder of the [[Dharma Realm Buddhist Association]]<ref>[http://www.drba.org/dharma/hsuanhuabio.asp DRBA Founder's Bio]</ref> (DRBA), a Buddhist organization with chapters in the [[United States]], [[Canada]], [[Malaysia]], [[Taiwan]], and [[Hong Kong]], the [[City of Ten Thousand Buddhas]] in [[Ukiah, California]], one of the first Ch'an Buddhist monasteries in the United States, the Dharma Realm Buddhist University, also one of the first Buddhist colleges<ref>[http://www.drbu.org/about/ DRBU Info]</ref>, and the Buddhist Text Translation Society, which works on the phonetics and translation of Buddhist scriptures from Chinese into English, Vietnamese, Spanish, and many other languages.
 
 
 
Venerable Master Hsuan Hua was one of the first Chinese Buddhist Ch'an masters to transmit Orthodox Buddhism to the west and ordained the some of the first native-born Buddhist monks in the United States.
 
 
 
Hsuan Hua was the ninth lineage holder of the Guiyang Ch'an School of Buddhism (潙仰宗), one of the five Ch'an families (Caodong, Linji, Fayan and Yunmen) and was granted [[dharma transmission]] of the Wei-Yang lineage from the Venerable Master [[Hsu Yun]].
 
 
 
Hsuan Hua Bodhisattva often referred to himself as "a living dead person," or "the Monk in the Grave," and never wanted fame or profit. He had no desire to contend with others, but instead, said that he would rather be "a little bug," or "a small ant" beneath the feet of all living beings, and use his body as a stepping stone for sentient beings who sought to transcend [[samsara]] and go straight to the ground of the Buddha.
 
  
==Early life==
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During his time in the United States, Hsuan Hua founded the [[Dharma Realm Buddhist Association]]<ref>[http://www.drba.org/dharma/hsuanhuabio.asp DRBA Founder's Bio]</ref> (DRBA), a Buddhist organization with chapters in the [[North America]] and [[Asia]], the [[City of Ten Thousand Buddhas]] in [[Ukiah, California]], one of the first Ch'an Buddhist monasteries in the America; the Dharma Realm Buddhist University, one of the first American Buddhist colleges<ref>[http://www.drbu.org/about/ DRBU Info] Dharma Realm Buddhist University  Retrieved November 15, 2008.</ref>; and the Buddhist Text Translation Society, which works on the phonetics and translation of Buddhist scriptures from Chinese into English, Vietnamese, Spanish, and many other languages. Hsuan Hua is also known for his efforts to distinguish the practice of Buddhism from the ritual and superstition associated with it in China. He attempted to heal the 2,000-year-old rift between Mahayana and Theravada Buddhist monastic communities, and initiated a number of relationships with leaders of other religions, believing that it was important for people of all religions to learn from the strengths of each religious tradition
Hsuan Hua, a native of Shuangcheng County of [[Jilin Province]], was born '''Bai Yushu''' (白玉書) on  April 16, 1918. His father was diligent and thrifty in managing the household. His mother was a faithful Buddhist who ate only [[vegetarian]] food and recited the Buddha's name every day.
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=Life=
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==Early life==
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Hsuan Hua, a native of Shuangcheng County of [[Jilin Province]], was born '''Bai Yushu''' (白玉書) on  [[April 16]], [[1918]]. His father was diligent and thrifty in managing the household. His mother was a Buddhist and a [[vegetarian]] who [[Nianfo|recited the Buddha's name]] daily.
  
When she was pregnant with Yushu, she constantly prayed to the [[Buddhas]] and [[Bodhisattvas]] for her well being. The night before his birth, in a dream she saw [[Amitabha Buddha]] emitting a light. Shortly after, she gave birth to her youngest son. When the Master was born, supposedly the room was filled with a fragrance. For three days and nights, Yushu cried continuously, a sign of his deep sympathy for beings suffering birth and death in this world.
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When she was pregnant with her child, she constantly prayed to the [[Buddhas]] and [[Bodhisattvas]] for its well-being. It is said that in a dream the night before his birth, she saw [[Amitabha]] emitting a light. Shortly after, she gave birth to her youngest son. When the master was born, the room was filled with a fragrance. For three days and nights, Yushu cried continuously, considered a possible sign of his deep sympathy for beings [[Samsara|suffering birth and death]].
  
As a child, Yushu followed his mother's example and ate only vegetarian food and recited the Buddha's name. Yushu was quiet and uncommunicative by nature, but he had a righteous and heroic spirit. At the age of eleven, upon seeing a neighbor's infant who had died, he became aware of the great matter of [[Samsara|birth and death]] and the brevity of life and resolved to leave the home-life.  
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As a child, Yushu followed his mother's example, eating only vegetarian food and reciting the Buddha's name. Yushu was quiet and uncommunicative by nature, but had a righteous and heroic spirit. At the age of eleven, upon seeing a neighbor's infant who had died, he became aware of the great matter of [[Samsara|birth and death]] and the brevity of life, and resolved to leave the home-life.  
  
At the age of twelve, he heard of how someone who would later become a great Buddhist master, had practiced [[filial piety]] and attained enlightenment. Yushu decided to follow that young man's example. Repenting for being unfilial to his parents in the past, Yushu decided to bow to his parents every morning and evening as a way of acknowledging his faults and repaying his parents' kindness. He gradually became renowned for his filial conduct, and people called him "Filial Son Bai."
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At the age of twelve, he heard of someone who later became a great Buddhist master, who had attained enlightenment by practicing the philosophy of [[filial piety]]. Following this person's example, Yushu began to repent for being unfilial to his parents in the past and decided to bow to his parents every morning and evening as a way of acknowledging his faults and repaying his parents' kindness. He gradually became renowned for his filial conduct, and people in the village called him "Filial Son Bai."
  
At the age of 15, he took [[refuge]] in the [[Three Jewels|Triple Gem]] under the Venerable Chang Zhi. That same year he began to attend school and studied texts of various [[Hundred Schools of Thought|Chinese schools of thought]], and the fields of medicine, divination, astrology, and physiology.  
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At the age of 15, under the Venerable Chang Zhi, he took [[refuge]] in the [[Three Jewels|Triple Gem]] (Buddha, the teachings of Buddha and the community of enlightened ones) and formally became a Buddhist. He began to attend school and studied texts of various [[Hundred Schools of Thought|Chinese schools of thought]], and the fields of medicine, divination, astrology, and physiology. During his student years, he also participated in the Path of Virtue Society and other charitable societies. He explained the [[Platform Sutra|Sixth Patriarch's Sutra]], the [[Diamond Sutra]], and other sutras for those who were illiterate, and started a free school for those who were poor and needy.
  
During his student years, he also participated in the Path of Virtue Society and other charitable societies. He explained the [[Platform Sutra|Sixth Patriarch's Sutra]], the [[Diamond Sutra]], and other Sutras for those who were illiterate, and started a free school for those who were poor and needy.
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==Leaving home==
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When he was 19 years old, Yushu's mother died, and he requested his master's permission to leave the life of a householder. (Young monks cannot be ordained without the permission of the parents; both of Yushu’s parents were now dead.). He became a monastic under the Dharma name An Tzu (安慈).  
  
===Leaving Home===
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An Tzu built a simple hut of sorghum thatch by his mother's grave and observed the practice of filial piety for three years. During that period, he made eighteen great vows, paid reverence to the [[Avatamsaka Sutra]], performed worship and pure repentance, practiced Ch'an meditation, studied Buddhist teachings, ate only one meal a day, and did not lie down to sleep at night. An Tzu won the admiration and respect of the villagers. His intensely sincere efforts to purify and cultivate himself led to occurrence of auspicious omens. As news of these supernatural events spread, An Tzu came to be regarded as an extraordinary monk.
At 19 years of age, Yushu's mother died. At that time, he requested his master's permission to allow him to leave the householder's life. He was now a monastic, under the Dharma name An Tzu. (安慈)
 
  
Dressed in the left-home robes, An Tzu built a simple hut by his mother's grave and observed the practice of filial piety for three years. During that period, he made eighteen great vows, paid reverence to the [[Avatamsaka Sutra]], performed worship and pure repentance, practiced Ch'an meditation, studied the teachings, ate only one meal a day, and did not lie down to sleep at night.  
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One day, An Tzu had a vision that the Sixth Patriarch, [[Huineng|Hui Neng]] (慧能 or 惠能; [[Pinyin]]: Huìnéng, 638–713) came to him in his hut and told An Tzu that in the future, he would go to the West, and that the number of people he would preach to would be numerous. An Tzu remembered Hui Neng saying:
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<blockquote> The five schools will divide into ten to teach and transform living beings: a hundred and then a thousand, until they are endless, . . . countless like the sands of the Ganges . . . the genuine beginning [of Buddhism] in the West.<ref> Dharma Realm Buddhist Association [http://www.drba.org/dharma/hsuanhuabio.asp Laying the Foundation] Retrieved November 15, 2008.</ref>
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</blockquote>
  
An Tzu won the admiration and respect of the villagers. His intensely sincere efforts to purify and cultivate himself was enough to move the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. As news of these supernatural events spread, An Tzu came to be regarded as an extraordinary monk.
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Afterwards An Tzu rose to accompany the Patriarch out of the hut. Only after the Patriarch had disappeared did the Master remember that the Patriarch had entered Nirvana centuries before.
  
One day, An Tzu had a vision that the Sixth Patriarch, [[Huineng|Hui Neng]] came to him and told An Tzu that in the future, he would go to the west, and that the number of people he would preach to would be numerous, marking the spread of the Dharma in the West. Huineng then disappeared.
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When An Tzu's observance of filial piety was completed, he practiced [[asceticism]] in seclusion. Later he returned to the monastery where his master, the Venerable Chang Zhi, had once been the leader, and was chosen to be the abbot. During the period that he lived in [[Manchukuo]], An Tzu concentrated on understanding each student’s potential and offering appropriate teachings.
  
When An Tzu's observance of filial piety was completed, he practiced the ways of [[asceticism]] in seclusion. Later he returned to the monastery where his master was once head of, and was chosen to be the abbot. During the period that he lived in [[Manchuria]], An Tzu contemplated people's potentials and bestowed appropriate teachings.
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==Dharma transmission from Hsu Yun==
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In 1946, after the end of World War II, when travel inthe emancipation of China from the Japanese An Tzu traveled to [[Guangzhou]] to pay respects to the Venerable Master [[Hsu Yun]], one of the great Ch'an teachers of his time, whom An Tzu had revered as a hero of Buddhism for many years. During his arduous journey, he stayed at many of the renowned monasteries of mainland China. In 1947 he went to [[Mount Putuo]] ( 普陀山) to receive the complete ordination. In 1948 he reached Nanhua Monastery at Caoxi of Guangzhou, where he paid homage to Elder Master Hsu Yun and was assigned to be an instructor in the Nanhua Monastery Vinaya Academy. Later he was appointed Dean of Academic Affairs. The Elder Master Hsu Yun saw that the Master was an outstanding individual in Buddhism and transmitted the Dharma lineage to him, giving him the Dharma name Hsuan Hua, meaning "Proclaim and Transform," and making him the ninth lineage holder of the Guiyang school of Ch'an, the forty-fifth generation since [[Mahakashyapa]] (one of the principal disciples of [[Shakyamuni Buddha|Śākyamuni]] Buddha who convened and directed the first [[Buddhist Councils|council]]).
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<ref>The Sagely City of Ten Thousand Buddhas [http://www.cttbusa.org/founder2/causes_venerableyun.asp A recollection of my causes and conditions with the Venerable Master Hsu Yun], Hsuan Hua. Retrieved November 15, 2008.</ref>
  
==Dharma Transmission from Hsu Yun==
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===Residence in Hong Kong===
In 1946, An Tzu headed out to [[Guangzhou]] to pay respects to the Venerable Master [[Hsu Yun]]. For many years, An Tzu revered him as a hero of Buddhism. During his arduous journey, he stayed at many of the renowned monasteries of mainland China. In 1947 he went to Potola Mountain to receive the complete ordination. In 1948 he reached Nanhua Monastery at Caoxi of Guangzhou, where he paid homage to Elder Master Hsu Yun and was assigned to be an instructor in the Nanhua Monastery Vinaya Academy. Later he was appointed as Dean of Academic Affairs. The Elder Master Hsu Yun saw that the Master was an outstanding individual in Buddhism and transmitted the Dharma lineage to him, giving him the Dharma name Hsuan Hua, meaning "Proclaim and Transform" and making him the ninth lineage holder of the Wei-Yang school of Ch'an, the forty-fifth generation since [[Mahakashyapa]].
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In 1948, Hsuan Hua left Guangzhou, bid farewell to Master Hsu Yun and went to Hong Kong to propagate Buddhism. Hsuan Hua gave equal importance to the five schools&mdash;[[Ch'an]], [[Abhidharma|Doctrine]], [[Vinaya]], [[Vajrayana|Esoteric]], and [[Pure Land]]&mdash;thus putting an end to [[sectarianism]]. Hsuan Hua also renovated and built temples, printed sutras and constructed images. He lived in Hong Kong for more than ten years and had his first substantial experience of Western culture.
  
[http://www.cttbusa.org/founder2/causes_venerableyun.asp The Venerable Master Hua's conditions with the Venerable Master Hsu Yun]
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===Bringing the Dharma to the West===
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After Hsu Yun passed away in 1959, and Hsuan Hua completed the proper ceremonies in his memory, he felt the time was ripe for pursuing his Dharma mission in the West. Several of his lay disciples from Hong Kong had already gone to the United States to study. <ref> Dharma Realm Buddhist Association [http://www.drba.org/dharma/hsuanhuabio.asp Laying the Foundation] Retrieved November 15, 2008.</ref><ref>Epstein, Ronald (1995). "The Venerable Master Hsuan Hua Brings the Dharma to the West." In Memory of the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua, Volume One. Burlingame, CA:Buddhist Text Translation Society, pp. 59-68. Reprinted in The Flower Adornment Sutra, Chapter One, Part One “The Wondrous Adornment of the Rulers of the Worlds; A Commentary by Venerable Master Hsuan Hua. Burlingame, CA: Buddhist Text Translation Society, 2004, pp. 274-286.</ref> He instructed them to establish a Buddhist association. It was established in the United States as the Buddhist Lecture Hall, later renamed the Sino-American Buddhist Association and then the [[Dharma Realm Buddhist Association]]. <ref>Dharma Realm Buddhist Association [http://www.buddhanet.net/masters/hsuan_hua.htm Hsuan Hua] Masters and Their Organisations  Retrieved November 16, 2008.</ref>
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Hsuan Hua traveled to [[Australia]] in 1961 to investigate the conditions for the growth of Buddhism there. After a difficult year, he returned to Hong Kong in 1962. That same year, at the invitation of his Buddhist disciples in San Francisco, Hsuan Hua traveled alone to the United States. His intent was to "come to America to create Patriarchs, to create Buddhas, to create Bodhisattvas".<ref>Prebish, Charles (1995). "Ethics and Integration in American Buddhism". ''Journal of Buddhist Ethics'', Vol. 2, 1995.</ref>
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He arrived there early in 1962.
  
==Residing in Hong Kong==
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===Building the foundation of Buddhism in America===
In 1948, Hsuan Hua left Guangzhou, and bid farewell to Master Hsu Yun. He went to Hong Kong to propagate Buddhism. Hsuan Hua gave equal importance to the five schools&mdash;[[Ch'an]], [[Abhidharma|Doctrine]], [[Vinaya]], [[Vajrayana|Esoteric]], and [[Pure Land]]&mdash;thus putting an end to [[sectarianism]]. Hsuan Hua also renovated and built temples, printed sutras and constructed images. He lived in Hong Kong for more than ten years.
 
  
==Bringing the Dharma to the West==
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===="Monk in the Grave"====
In 1959, Ven. Master Hsuan Hua sought to bring the Dharma to the west, just as what Hui Neng told him in his dreams many years before.<ref>Epstein, Ronald (1995). "The Venerable Master Hsuan Hua Brings the Dharma to the West." In Memory of the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua, Volume One. Burlingame, CA:Buddhist Text Translation Society, pp. 59-68. Reprinted in The Flower Adornment Sutra, Chapter One, Part One “The Wondrous Adornment of the Rulers of the Worlds; A Commentary by Venerable Master Hsuan Hua. Burlingame, CA: Buddhist Text Translation Society, 2004, pp. 274-286.</ref> He instructed his disciples back in America to establish a Buddhist association. It was established in the United States as the Buddhist Lecture Hall, and was later renamed as the Sino-American Buddhist Association. It would be renamed again with its present name, as the [[Dharma Realm Buddhist Association]].
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In the fall of 1962, the [[Cuban missile crisis]] occurred between the United States and the [[Soviet Union]], and Hsuan Hua fasted for thirty-five days to pray for an end to the hostilities and for world peace.  
  
Hsuan Hua traveled to [[Australia]] in 1961 and propagated the Dharma there for one year. Since the conditions were not yet ripe there, he returned to Hong Kong in 1962. That same year, at the invitation of Buddhists in America, the Master traveled alone to the United States, his intent was to " come to America to create Patriarchs, to create Buddhas, to create Bodhisattvas".<ref>Prebish, Charles (1995). "Ethics and Integration in American Buddhism." ''Journal of Buddhist Ethics'', Vol. 2, 1995.</ref>
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In 1963, Hsuan Hua left Chinatown and moved the Buddhist Lecture Hall to a first-floor apartment on the corner of Sutter and Webster Streets on the edge of San Francisco's Fillmore District and Japantown. There he lived in relative seclusion until 1968. Because the damp and windowless basement apartment resembled a grave, he nicknamed himself the "monk in the grave." He later continued to refer to himself in that way and wrote the following poem:
  
==="Monk in the Grave"===
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<blockquote>Each of you now meets a monk in the grave. <br>
Ven. Master Hsuan Hua at the time, was residing in San Francisco, where he built a lecture hall. Because Ven. Master Hsuan Hua started out living in a damp and windowless basement that resembled a grave, he nicknamed himself the "monk in the grave."
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Above there is no sun and moon, below there is no lamp. <br>
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Affliction and enlightenment—ice is water. <br>
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Let go of self-seeking and become apart from all that is false. <br>
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When the mad mind ceases, enlightenment pervades all. <br>
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Enlightened, attain the bright treasury of your own nature. <br>
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Basically, the retribution body is the Dharma body. <ref> Dharma Realm Buddhist Association [http://www.drba.org/dharma/hsuanhuabio.asp Laying the Foundation] Retrieved November 15, 2008.</ref>
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</blockquote>
  
Ven. Master Hsuan Hua first started having regular contact with young Americans who were interested in [[meditation]]. Some came to him daily, with public meditation sessions from seven to eight every evening, and plenty of Americans also attended his sutra lectures. Translators were hired for those who could not understand Chinese; on some occasions, Ven. Master Hsuan Hua himself spoke to them in English to the best of his ability.
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At that Sutter Street location Hsuan Hua started having regular contact with young Americans who were interested in [[meditation]]. Some came daily to his public meditation sessions from seven to eight every evening, and many also attended his sutra lectures. Translators were hired for those who could not understand Chinese; on some occasions, Hsuan Hua himself spoke to them in English to the best of his ability.
  
At that time, the [[Cuban missile crisis]] occurred between the United States and the [[Soviet Union]], and Ven. Master Hsuan Hua embarked on a fasting period for thirty-five days to pray for an end to the hostilities and for world peace. By the end of his fast, the threat of war had dissolved. In 1967, Ven. Master Hsuan Hua moved the Buddhist Lecture Hall back to Chinatown, locating it in the [[Matsu (goddess)|Tianhou]] Temple. This marked the end of his "Monk in the Grave" period.
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In 1967, Hsuan Hua moved the Buddhist Lecture Hall back to Chinatown, locating it in the [[Mazu (goddess)|Tianhou]] Temple. There he lectured on the Verses of the Seven Buddhas of Antiquity and the "Universal Door" Chapter of the Lotus (Dharma Flower)Sutra.<ref>Ibid.</ref>
  
===The First American [[Sangha]]===
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====The first American [[Sangha]]====
<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[Image:Americansangha.JPG|thumb|right|250px|The first five disciples to leave the home-life under the Venerable Master were ordained in [[Taiwan]]. Also seen in this photo are Taiwanese laypeople who made offerings to the Sangha.]] —>
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In the spring of 1968, a group of university students at the University of Washington in Seattle wrote to Hsuan Hua and requested that he come to Seattle to lead a week-long meditation session. Hsuan Hua replied with an invitation to a Buddha-recitation session and a Chan (Zen) meditation session, each a week long, held  at the Buddhist Lecture Hall in San Francisco.
  
In 1968, Ven. Master Hsuan Hua held a [[Shurangama Sutra|Shurangama]] Study and Practice Summer Session. Over thirty students from the [[University of Washington]] in [[Seattle]] came to study the Buddha’s teachings. After the session was concluded, five young Americans [Bhikshus Heng Chyan, Heng Jing, and Heng Shou, and Bhikshunis Heng Yin and Heng Ch'ih] requested permission to shave their heads and leave the home-life, marking the beginning of the native-born Sangha in the history of American Buddhism. <ref>Tucker, Mary (2003). ''Worldly Wonder: Religions Enter Their Ecological Phase''. Carus Publishing, 2003.</ref>
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In the summer of 1968, Hsuan Hua held a [[Shurangama Sutra|Shurangama]] Study and Practice Summer Session. Over thirty students from the [[University of Washington]] in [[Seattle]] came to study the Buddha’s teachings. After the session was concluded, five young Americans (Bhikshus Heng Chyan, Heng Jing, and Heng Shou, and Bhikshunis Heng Yin and Heng Ch'ih) requested permission to shave their heads and become monks, beginning the tradition of native-born Sangha in American Buddhism. <ref>Tucker, Mary (2003). ''Worldly Wonder: Religions Enter Their Ecological Phase''. Carus Publishing, 2003.</ref>
  
==A Road of Hardship==
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With the founding of a new American Sangha, Hsuan Hua embarked on a building program for [[American Buddhism]], concentrated on three main areas:  
With the founding of a new American Sangha, Master Hsuan Hua was then ready to embark on an incredible building program for [[American Buddhism]]. Master Hsuan Hua explained that his life's work lay in three main areas:
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*bringing the true and proper teachings of the Buddha to the West and establishing a proper monastic community of the fully ordained Sangha;
*bringing the true and proper teachings of the Buddha to the West and establishing a proper monastic community of the fully ordained Sangha here;
 
 
*organizing and supporting the translation of the entire Buddhist canon into English and other Western languages;<REF>Epstein,Ronald  (1969). “The Heart Sūtra and the Commentary of Tripiṭaka Master Hsüan Hua.” Master’ Thesis, University of Washington.</ref><ref>Epstein, Ronald (1975). “The Śūraṅgama-sūtra with Tripiṭaka Master Hsüan-hua’s Commentary An Elementary Explanation of Its General Meaning: A Preliminary Study and Partial Translation.” Ph.D. Dissertation. University of California at Berkeley.</ref> and
 
*organizing and supporting the translation of the entire Buddhist canon into English and other Western languages;<REF>Epstein,Ronald  (1969). “The Heart Sūtra and the Commentary of Tripiṭaka Master Hsüan Hua.” Master’ Thesis, University of Washington.</ref><ref>Epstein, Ronald (1975). “The Śūraṅgama-sūtra with Tripiṭaka Master Hsüan-hua’s Commentary An Elementary Explanation of Its General Meaning: A Preliminary Study and Partial Translation.” Ph.D. Dissertation. University of California at Berkeley.</ref> and
 
*promoting wholesome education through the establishment of schools and universities.  
 
*promoting wholesome education through the establishment of schools and universities.  
  
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====First ordination ceremonies on Western soil====
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Increasing numbers of people wished to leave secular life and become monks and nuns under Hsuan Hua's guidance. In 1972 he organized the first formal, full [[ordination]] ceremonies for Buddhist monks and nuns to be held in the West at Gold Mountain [[Dhyana]] Monastery, and invited elder masters to preside with him over the ordination platform. Two monks and one nun received ordination. Subsequent ordination platforms were held at the [[City Of Ten Thousand Buddhas]] in 1976, 1979, 1982, 1989, 1991, and 1992, and progressively larger numbers of people received full ordination. Over 200 people from countries all over the world were ordained in these ceremonies.
  
===Building the Foundation of Buddhism in America===
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====Reform of Buddhism====
In the present Dharma-ending age, the Buddha's valuable teachings need people to propagate them so that living beings will be able to understand the Buddha’s teachings and follow it to walk the path of liberation. Seeing that [[Buddhism in China]] was only concentrating on superficial aspects and could not plant its roots deeply, and wishing to cause Buddhism to flourish, Master Hsuan Hua said,
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Hsuan Hua supported the {{IAST|Śūraṃgama-sūtra}} (usually spelled Shurangama Sutra or Surangama Sutra in [[English language|English]]), a [[Mahayana]] [[sutra]] and one of the main texts used in the [[Zen|Chan]] school in [[Chinese Buddhism]], which emphasized the worthlessness of the [[Dharma]] when unaccompanied by [[meditation]]al ability (see [[samadhi]]) and the importance of moral precepts as a foundation for the [[Noble Eightfold Path|Path]]. He felt that Buddhism in China had in many cases degenerated into superstition and the practice of rituals and ceremonies without an underlying discipline and cultivation of a moral life. He hoped that by propagating Buddhism in the West, where it had no historical tradition, he could demonstrate the genuine principles of Buddhism. While encouraging his disciples to learn the ancient traditions, he cautioned them against mistaking cultural overlay and ignorant superstition for the true Dharma, and encouraged them to understand the logical reasons behind the ancient practices.  
 
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Among his reforms, Hsuan Hua re-established the wearing of the precept sash (kashaya) as a sign of a member of the Sangha; emphasized dietary and ascetic practices; and promoted a simple code of conduct,  Six Great Guidelines: not contending, not being greedy, not seeking, not being selfish, not pursuing personal profit, and not lying. He also attempted to heal the two thousand year old rift between Mahayana and Theravada monastic communities by encouraging cordial relations between the Sanghas, inviting distinguished Theravada monks to preside with him in monastic ordination ceremonies, and initiated talks aimed at resolving areas of difference. <ref> Dharma Realm Buddhist Association [http://www.drba.org/dharma/hsuanhuabio.asp Laying the Foundation] Retrieved November 15, 2008.</ref>
''"I knew that I was only an insignificant person whose words were of no consequence in China. I didn't have any status or position, and so even if I shouted until my throat was sore, no one would have believed me. So I made a vow to make a fresh start in the West by reforming Buddhism and causing it to flourish here, so that people would know what Buddhism is really all about. Why did I come to America to propagate the Buddha’s teachings? This country's history is not very long, and the people have not developed crafty habits. They are all very honest, so it's very easy for them to cultivate according to the Dharma and accept the principles of Buddhism. That's the reason I came to this country to propagate the Buddha’s teachings. I hope all the people will be able to understand the genuine principles of Buddhism."''
 
  
===Hosting Ordination Ceremonies on Western Soil===
 
Because of the increasing numbers of people who wished to leave the home-life to become monks and nuns under Master Hsuan Hua's guidance, in 1972 the Master decided to hold at Gold Mountain [[Dhyana]] Monastery the first formal, full [[ordination]] ceremonies for Buddhist monks and nuns to be held in the West. He invited virtuous elder masters to preside with him over the ordination platform. Two monks and one nun received ordination. Subsequent ordination platforms have been held at the [[City Of Ten Thousand Buddhas]] in 1976, 1979, 1982, 1989, 1991, and 1992, and progressively larger numbers of people have received full ordination. Over two hundred people from countries all over the world were ordained under him.
 
  
For more information on the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua, please click on: [http://www.cttbusa.org/founder.asp Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua]
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==Death==
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On [[June 7]], [[1995]], Hsuan Hua died in [[Los Angeles]] at [[Cedars-Sinai Medical Center]] from complications of exhaustion. His funeral lasted from June 8th to July 29th, 1995, and was attended by more than 2,000 disciples from the [[United States]], [[Canada]], and various Asian and European countries.
  
===Protecting the Dharma===
+
After the funeral, memorial services commemorating Hsuan Hua's life were held in various parts of the world, such as [[Taiwan]], [[mainland China]], and [[Canada]]. His sarira,  [[pearl]] or [[crystal]]-like [[bead]]-shaped objects that are purportedly found among the [[cremation|cremated]] ashes of Buddhist spiritual masters, were distributed to many of his temples, disciples and followers.
====Upholding the Shurangama Sutra====
 
The Master repeated his instructions about protecting and supporting the Proper Dharma many times:
 
  
''"In Buddhism all the sutras are very important, but the [[Shurangama Sutra]] is even more important. Wherever the Shurangama Sutra is, the Proper Dharma abides in the world. When the Shurangama Sutra is gone, that is a sign of the Dharma Ending Age. In the Extinction of the Dharma Sutra it says that in the Dharma Ending Age, the Shurangama Sutra will become extinct first. Then gradually the other Sutras will also become extinct. The Shurangama Sutra is the true body of the Buddha; the sharira of the Buddha; the stupa of the Buddha. If the Shurangama Sutra is false, then I am willing to fall into the unintermittent hell, stay there forever, and never come back to the world to see all of you."''<ref>"Foreword" by Ronald Epstein. The Fifty Skandha-Demon States: A Simple Explanation by the Venerable Master Hsüan Hua. The Shurangama Sutra, Volume VIII, pp. vii-ix. Burlingame, CA: Buddhist Text Translation Society, 1996. </ref>
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==Legacy==
  
====Breaking Misconceptions and [[Superstitions]]====
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===Uniting world religious traditions===
In the past, [[Buddhism in China]] always gave people the mistaken impression that it was a religion that specialized in crossing over dead souls and so the intelligentsia looked down on and tried to get rid of Buddhism. Two years prior to Master Hsuan Hua’s passing, he gave this warning:
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Hsuan Hua had traveled to Thailand and Burma in his youth to investigate the Southern Tradition of Buddhism, and wished to heal the 2,000-year-old rift between the Northern ([[Mahayana]]) and Southern ([[Theravada]]) traditions. In the United States, he encouraged cordial relations between the Sangha communities from both the Northern and Southern traditions and set a personal example. On the occasion of the opening ceremony for the Dharma Realm Buddhist University, he presented Venerable [[K. Sri Dhammananda]] of the [[Theravadin]] tradition with an honorary [[Ph.D.]] Hsuan Hua also regularly invited [[Bhikkhu]]s from both traditions to jointly conduct the High Ordination.
 +
Hsuan Hua often referred to Buddhism as the “teaching of living beings.” He believed that sectarian divisions within Buddhism were not in the true spirit of the Dharma, and felt that it was important for people of all religions to learn from the strengths of each religious tradition. He invited Paul Cardinal Yu Bin, the Catholic cardinal of Taiwan, to join him in establishing a World Religions Center at the Sagely City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and to be its first director. He suggested that the cardinal be a "Buddhist among the Catholics" and that he himself would be a "Catholic among the Buddhists." The cardinal's untimely death delayed plans for the Center, which opened in Berkeley in 1994 as the Institute of World Religions.
 +
Dharma Realm Buddhist University hosted a World Religions Conference in 1987 at the Sagely City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, and the same year Hsuan Hua gave an address at the Third International Buddhist-Christian Dialogue Conference in Berkeley.  He once gave a eulogy at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, and was invited in 1989 to the Quaker Retreat Center at Pendle Hill, Pennsylvania to give a series of talks, and in 1992 to be the guest speaker at the yearly Vedanta Society gathering at Olema, California. He also maintained an ongoing friendship with Father John Rogers, Catholic Chaplain of Humboldt State University
 +
===Buddhist education ===
 +
Hsuan Hua felt that one of the weaknesses of Buddhism in China was that it did not emphasize education and failed to develop a widespread network of Buddhist schools and universities. In the West, he founded Dharma Realm Buddhist University, primary and secondary schools, and developed financial aid programs for students. Dharma Realm Buddhist University was established in 1976, with its main campus at the Sagely City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. The University currently offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in Buddhist Study and Practice, Translation of Buddhist Texts, Buddhist Education, and Chinese Studies<ref>[http://www.drbu.org/about/ DRBU Info] Dharma Realm Buddhist University  Retrieved November 15, 2008.</ref>.
 +
In 1982 Hsuan Hua established the Sangha and Laity Training Programs. The Laity Training Program emphasizes Buddhist Studies and Practice for lay people in a monastic setting, with an emphasis on moral discipline. The Sangha Training Program teaches religious practice, monastic discipline and temple management.
 +
Hsuan Hua  founded an elementary school, Developing Goodness School, in 1976. It offered a bilingual Chinese-English curriculum and taught the fundamentals of both Western and Chinese cultural heritages. Instilling Virtue Secondary School opened its doors in 1980, and a separation into boys' and girls' schools occurred in 1981.
 +
===City of Ten Thousand Buddhas===
 +
[[Image:CTTBgate.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The mountain gate to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas.]]
  
''"Chinese Buddhism's Water, Land, and Air Repentance Ceremonies, Yogacara Flaming Mouth ceremonies, and other ceremonies and their saving of souls have become the “status quo” in Chinese Buddhism. They never stop to think that if they keep it up, they are going to be doing nothing but handing out free meals to unemployed vagrants under the guise of Buddhism. What a terrible shame! All they know how to do is make money saving souls! Actually, in order to save souls, you must have a foundation in virtuous conduct. Then, not to speak of reciting mantras or reciting sutras, the single sentence "you can go to rebirth" is sufficient for a soul to be able to gain rebirth in the [[Sukhavati|Land of Ultimate Bliss]]. For those of you who lack any virtue in the Way, who don't have any cultivation, I ask you, what's your basis for being able to save souls? What you are actually doing is running up a debt with the donor. Besides that, you are destroying the basic system of Buddhism."''
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The City Of Ten Thousand Buddhas (萬佛聖城, ''Wànfó Shèngchéng''), an international [[Buddhist]] community and monastery founded by [[Hsuan Hua]], is one of the first [[Ch'an|Chinese Zen]] Buddhist temples in the United States, and one of the largest Buddhist communities in the [[Western Hemisphere]].  
  
Among Asian Buddhists who have taken refuge there is a popular misconception. Most people were known to think that the more teachers people take refuge with, the better. It is said by monks that this is a sign of the Dharma Ending Age. By taking refuge with one master and then taking refuge with another master, they cause contention among venerables, who quarrel with each other over who has the Dharma affinities and who gets the disciples. Hsuan Hua however always asked those who had already taken refuge not to sign up to take refuge again—that they could just follow along and rejoice from the sidelines. The Master said:
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The city is situated in [[Talmage, California|Talmage]], [[Mendocino County]], [[California]] about {{convert|2|mi|km}} east of [[Ukiah, California|Ukiah]], and 110 miles (180 km) north of [[San Francisco]]. It was one of the first Buddhist monasteries built in the [[United States]]. The temple follows the Guiyang Ch’an School, one of the five houses of classical Chinese [[Ch'an]]. The city is noted for their close adherence to the ''[[vinaya]]'', the austere traditional Buddhist monastic code.
 
 
''"Some people say, “The youth [[Sudhana]] visited fifty-three teachers; why can't I bow to a few more teachers?” But you need to realize that Sudhana was always sent on by his previous teacher to the next teacher. It wasn't that he greedily longed for another Dharma Master endowed with virtuous conduct and so turned his back on his current teacher and stole away to take refuge with another teacher. A lot of older Chinese Buddhist disciples have taken refuge with another teacher or teachers. A lot of older Chinese Buddhist disciples have taken refuge tens or hundreds of times. But when you ask them what “taking refuge” means, they don't know. Isn't that pathetic? They say that all left-home people are their teachers. But I say they don't have any teacher at all because their minds lack faith, so how can they be crossed over?"''
 
 
 
====Exposing deviant teachers====
 
Hsuan Hua, on many occasions, warned people about deviant teachers that may teach improper dharma. He also held many forums on the fifty Skanda-demons of the [[Shurangama Sutra]] so that everyone would have the ability be able to recognize demonic states and will not go astray on the wrong path.
 
 
 
According to Chen Youbing's thesis, ''A Discussion of Venerable Master Hsuan Hua's Contributions to Buddhism'', in one lecture, Hsuan Hua warned disciples about a teacher who was called by his disciples a "[[Lu Sheng-yen|lotus-born living Buddha]]." He stated:
 
 
 
''"Alas! In the evil time of the dharma-ending age, living beings' blessings are slight; it is difficult to train them. Far indeed from the Sages of the past! Their deviant views are deep. Demons are strong, the Dharma is weak; many are the wrongs and injuries. Hearing of the door of the Tathagata's Sudden Teaching, they hate not destroying it as they would smash a tile. In the dharma-ending age, people are not able to distinguish between deviant and proper. You need only look to see: does he have any greed, any fighting, any seeking, any selfishness, or any self-benefiting in his mind? Is he lying and cheating others all day and all night long? I don't know what this person is. I call him a demon runt."''
 
 
 
===Working towards a harmonious Sangha=== 
 
====Uniting Theravada and Mahayana traditions====
 
<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[Image:UnitingMahayana.JPG|thumb|right|250px|In May 1991, the Amaravati Buddhist Centre in England sent senior monk Ajahn Amaro as a representative to make offerings of robes and almsbowls to the Sangha led by the Venerable Master. This ritual symbolized an exchange between the Northern and Southern traditions, writing a new page in the history of Buddhism]] —>
 
Having traveled to Thailand and Burma in his youth to investigate the Southern Tradition of Buddhism, Master Hsuan Hua was set to heal the two thousand year old rift between the Northern ([[Mahayana]]) and Southern ([[Theravada]]) traditions.  
 
 
 
In America, Master Hsuan Hua encouraged cordial relations between the Sangha communities from both the Northern and Southern traditions. As always, he would set an example by leading the way. For example, on the occasion of the opening ceremony for the Dharma Realm Buddhist University, he presented Venerable [[K. Sri Dhammananda]] of the [[Theravadin]] tradition with an honorary [[Ph.D.]]
 
 
 
Master Hsuan Hua would also invite [[Bhikkhu]]s from both traditions to jointly conduct the High Ordination.
 
  
 
===Chinese and American Buddhism===   
 
===Chinese and American Buddhism===   
From July 18 to the 24th of 1987, Master Hsuan Hua hosted the Water, Land, and Air Repentance Dharma Assembly, the largest and grandest Buddhist service, at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and invited over 70 Sangha members from [[mainland China]] to attend. This was the first time this rare and auspicious service was held in the United States. This was a historical assembly symbolized by the cooperation between the American Sangha and the Chinese Sangha.
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From July 18 to the 24th of 1987, Hsuan Hua hosted the ''Water, Land, and Air Repentance Dharma Assembly,'' a centuries old ritual often regarded as the "king of dharma services" in Chinese Buddhism, at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and invited over seventy high Sangha members from [[mainland China]] to attend. This was the first time the service was known to have been held in North America, and was a historical assembly because of the cooperation between the American and Chinese sangha.
  
On November 6th, 1990, Hsuan Hua sent his disciples to [[Beijing]] to bring the Dragon Treasury (Long Zang) edition of the Buddhist [[wiktionary:canon|canon]] back to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, thus symbolizing the taking of a further step in the relationship between Eastern and Western Buddhism and the transmission of the Buddha’s teachings to the West. <!-- The Master specifically stated that he did not teach "Chinese" Buddhism —>  
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On November 6th, 1990, Hsuan Hua sent his disciples to [[Beijing]] to bring the Dragon Treasury (Long Zang) edition of the Buddhist canon back to CTTB, symbolizing a further advance in the relationship between Eastern and Western Buddhism and the transmission of the Buddha’s teachings to the West.  
 
 
 
 
From January 8 to the 20th of 1991, at the invitation of Mingru Monastery in [[Jilin]], China, the Master sent several of his disciple nuns to reside as visitors, where they participated in the daily monastic life and gave talks on Dharma to the public and talks on the precepts to the resident nuns.
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In 1991, several of Hsuan Hua’s disciple nuns were invited to reside as visitors at Mingru Monastery in [[Jilin]], China, where they participated in the daily monastic life, gave public talks, and lectured on the precepts to the resident nuns. In 1995, the American monks [[Heng Sure]], Heng Lyu and Heng Bin went to [[Shanghai]], China, to take part in the transmission of the Complete Precepts at Dragon Flower (Longhua) Monastery at the invitation of Venerable Ming Yang.
 
On December 12th, 1995, Venerables [[Heng Sure]], Heng Lyu and Heng Bin went to [[Shanghai]], China, to take part in the transmission of the Complete Precepts at Dragon Flower (Longhua) Monastery at the invitation of Venerable Ming Yang.
 
  
===Teaching and Protecting All Nations===
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===Works===
====With President George H.W. Bush====
 
On January 20, 1989, Master Hsuan Hua was a special guest of President [[George H.W. Bush]] at his [[Presidential Inauguration]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] He was the only Asian representative at a national interfaith service.
 
 
In May 1990, when Master Hsuan Hua sent five monks to the Longhua Monastery in Shanghai, China, to help administer the Ordination Ceremony, President Bush sent a fax to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas congratulating him and his disciples.
 
 
On April 28th, Master Hsuan Hua accepted the invitation of President Bush and went with eighteen members of the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association to attend the President's dinner in Washington, D.C. In 1992, the Master advised that if the President would refuse to take a salary, he would certainly win the election.
 
 
 
====With other officials from abroad====
 
Master Hsuan Hua was always concerned of the welfare of all nations. For that, he was respected by many leaders from many parts of the world. Whenever Master Hsuan Hua spoke to them, he would always exhort them to work for the benefit of the society and nation.
 
Many leaders from abroad paid respects to him. Among them was the Minister of Justice Lin Yanggang; former Prime Minister of Vietnam [[Phan Van Khai]], Liang Su-yung, former Speaker of the Legislative Yuan and others.
 
 
 
==Manifesting stillness==
 
In his final years, Master Hsuan Hua had become so sick he couldn't even climb a single step. Even when the doctors diagnosed that he had only seven days left to live, Master Hsuan Hua refused to rest or seek treatment. Leaning on his cane and riding in a wheelchair, he continued to speak the Dharma in various places. He then became so ill that he couldn't get up from the bed, yet he still instructed his disciples over the phone or even appeared in their dreams to teach them, according to some of his disciples. Finally, he collapsed from illness.
 
 
 
On [[June 7th]], 1995, Master Hsuan Hua died in [[Los Angeles]]. He was 77 years old. His sudden passing came as a shock to his disciples. Prior to his death, he asked his disciples:
 
 
 
''"After I depart you can recite the [[Avatamsaka Sutra]] and the name of [[Amitabha]] Buddha for however many days you would like, perhaps seven days or forty-nine days. After the cremation, scatter my remains in empty space. I do not want you to do anything else at all. Do not build me any pagodas or memorials. I came into the world without anything; when I depart, I still do not want anything, and I do not want to leave any traces in the world."''
 
 
 
===Funeral===
 
Master Hsuan Hua's funeral lasted from June 8th to July 29th. On June 12th, his body was placed in a casket at a branch monastery in [[Long Beach, California|Long Beach]], nearby where he passed away. Various memorial services were held at the monastery. On June 16th, ceremonies were held for the moving of the casket. On June 17th, Master Hsuan Hua’s was taken from Southern to Northern California to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. His casket was then moved into the Hall of No Words. From June 17th to the 28th, more memorials services were held. All services were presided over by Venerable Ming Yang, abbot of Longhua Temple in Shanghai.
 
 
 
On July 28th, Masters from both Theravada and Mahayana traditions hosted a ceremony for inviting the Venerable Master from the Hall of No Words to the Patriarchs' Hall in front of the Grand Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas. The two thousand and some followers from the [[United States]], [[Canada]], and various Asian and European countries, including many of Master Hsuan Hua’s American disciples, came to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas to take part in the funeral service for Master Hsuan Hua. Letters of condolences from Buddhist monks and dignitaries, including from President [[George H. W. Bush|Bush]], were read during the memorial service.
 
 
 
The [[cremation]] began at 1:00 in the afternoon. Two thousand disciples and admirers lined up and walked into the Patriarchs' Hall one by one to gaze at Master Hua's open casket for the final time. At three o'clock, Master Hua's casket was carried to the cremation site by a procession of over two thousand people. At 4:20, Master Hua’s body was cremated. His disciples all sincererly knelt and bowed, bidding farewell to their spiritual teacher. All watched mournfully as the remains were burned.
 
 
 
A day after the cremation, June 29th, Master Hsuan Hua's ashes were scattered in the air above the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas by two disciples, Reverends [[Heng Sure]] and Heng Chau, one of Master Hua's first disciples, in a hot air balloon, fulfilling Master's wish, "I came from empty space, and to empty space I will return." This was the most emotional event of Master Hsuan Hua's forty-nine day funeral. Even cries of "Master, don't go!" could be heard when his ashes were scattered. The vast majority of the disciples continued solemnly reciting the name of the Buddha, completing the funeral.
 
 
 
After the funeral, memorial services commemorating Master Hua's life were held in various parts of the world, such as [[Taiwan]], [[mainland China]], and [[Canada]]. His 10,000+ sharira was distributed to many of his disciples and followers.
 
 
 
===Sharira===
 
According to a tradition in Buddhism, a person can be proven to have possessed great cultivation skills if upon their death the bone remains have obtained a [[patina]] which makes them look like gems. This is known as ''[[sarira|sharira]]''. Master Hua's bones did in fact become covered in a patina and this was regarded as evidence that he was indeed a good cultivator.
 
 
 
About 4,000 to 10,000 of Master Hua's sharira seeds were found after his ashes were scattered, among them included teeth sharira. The many sharira that were found consisted of many colors of white, light yellow, green, blue, sky blue, light blue, black, pink, silver, and other colors. Some of the sharira which were formed on the bones even gleamed like green jade.
 
 
 
One of Master Hua's disciples, moved by the sight of the Master's teeth sharira said, "In his life, the Venerable Master lectured on the Sutras and spoke Dharma in several tens of thousands of assemblies. No wonder his cremation yielded teeth relics!"
 
 
 
Master Hua's relics were distributed to the many temples his organization founded. The rest are now kept in the Hall of No Words where he [[lie in state|laid in state]] during the 49-day mourning period.
 
 
 
[http://www.cttbusa.org/inmemoriam/inmemoriam9.htm An article and photographs of Master Hua's sharira]
 
 
 
==Master Hua's legacy==
 
Even in death, Hsuan Hua’s legacy still is prevalent in all of his disciples. His image is found in every hall of every branch temple he established, and though his physical self is gone, every lecture given by a monk, nun or disciple always starts with greeting the absent master.
 
 
 
While many remember Hsuan Hua as the monk who introduced Eastern Buddhism to America, he is remembered by many of his disciples for his ability to speak the Dharma. Some people have likened Master Hua's propagation of Dharma in the United States to the patriarch [[Bodhidharma]]'s journey eastward to bring the treaure of Dharma to China, and to [[Xuanzang]]'s journey westward to bring the sutras back to China.
 
 
 
His life had been one of hardship and distinctive achievement. He endured what others could not take, which is probably why his strict observance of the precepts is well known by the Buddhist community. Therefore, many will remember Hsuan Hua Bodhisattva as the eminent monk of today's world, the Buddhist specialist, the leader of sutra translation, and as an educator.
 
 
 
==Lectures==
 
*''To Prevent A Nuclear Holocaust, People Must Change Their Minds''
 
*''The Heart of [[Prajna]] [[Paramita]] Sutra Without the Stand''
 
*''Should One Be [[Filial]]''
 
*''[[Guanyin]] Bodhisattva is Our Brother''
 
*''Master Hsuan Hua on Stupidity Versus Wisdom''
 
*''In An Emergency''
 
*''Doing It Just Right is the Middle Way''
 
*''[[Zen|Chan]]''
 
*''The Dharma Door Of Mindfulness''
 
*''Causes And Conditions''
 
*''The Efficacious Language''
 
*''Exhortation to Resolve Upon Bodhi''
 
*''Herein Lies the Treasure Trove''
 
*''Listen to Yourself, Think Everything Over''
 
*''Water Mirror Reflecting Heaven''
 
*''Why Should We Receive And Uphold The Five Precepts?''
 
 
 
==Books==
 
 
*''The Fifty Skandha Demon States''
 
*''The Fifty Skandha Demon States''
 
*''The Intention of Patriarch [[Bodhidharma]]'s Coming from the West''
 
*''The Intention of Patriarch [[Bodhidharma]]'s Coming from the West''
Line 232: Line 157:
 
*[[Western Buddhism]]
 
*[[Western Buddhism]]
  
== References ==
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== Notes ==
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
  
 +
==References==
 +
* In memory of the venerable master Hsuan Hua. 1995. Burlingame, Calif: Buddhist Text Translation Society.
 +
* Nagler, Michael N. 2005. Our spiritual crisis: recovering human wisdom in a time of violence. Chicago: Open Court. 9780812695816
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*Rosemont, Henry. 2001. Rationality and religious experience: the continuing relevance of the world's spiritual traditions. Chicago: Open Court. 9780812694468
 +
===Works===
 +
* Hsüan Hua. 1977. The Shurangama sutra. [San Francisco]: Sino-American Buddhist Association, Buddhist Text Translation Society. 0917512170
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* Hsüan Hua, and Kuo Chou Rounds. 1977. A general explanation of The Buddha speaks, The sutra in forty-two sections. [San Francisco]: Buddhist Text Translation Society. 9780917512155
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* HSÜAN HUA, & LETHCOE, K.-L. (1977). The wonderful Dharma lotus flower sutra: translated into Chinese by Tripitaka Master Kumarajiva of Yao Chʻin. San Francisco, Buddhist Text Translation Society. 0917512162
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* Huineng, and Hsüan Hua. 1977. The Sixth Patriarch's Dharma jewel platform sutra, with the commentary of Tripitaka Master Hua [translated from the Chinese by the Buddhist Text Translation Society]. San Francisco: Sino-American Buddhist Association. 9780917512193
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
 
*[http://www.cttbusa.org/founder.asp Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua]
 
*[http://www.cttbusa.org/founder.asp Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua]
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[[Category:Republic of China Buddhists]]
 
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[[Category:1918 births]]
 
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[[Category:1995 deaths]]
 
[[Category:Chan Buddhists]]
 
[[Category:Chan Buddhists]]
 
[[Category:Zen Buddhist monks and priests]]
 
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[[Category:Hong Kong Zen Buddhists]]
 
[[Category:Hong Kong Zen Buddhists]]
  
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Revision as of 12:53, 17 November 2008

Hsuan Hua
Information
Born: April 16 1918(1918-04-16)
Place of birth: Jilin Province, China
Died: June 7 1995 (aged 77)
Place of death: Los Angeles, California, United States
Religion: Ch'an
School(s): Guiyang Ch'an
Title(s): Ch'an master


Teacher(s): Hsu Yun

Hsuan Hua (Traditional Chinese: 宣化上人; Hanyu Pinyin: Xuān Huà Shàng Rén, literal meaning:"proclaim and transform") (April 16, 1918 – June 7, 1995), also known as An Tzu and Tu Lun, was an influential Ch'an Buddhist monk and an important figure in the development of Western Buddhism in the United States during the 20th century. Hsuan Hua was the ninth lineage holder of the Guiyang Ch'an School of Buddhism (潙仰宗), one of the five Ch'an families (Caodong, Linji, Fayan and Yunmen) and was granted dharma transmission from that lineage from the Venerable Master Hsu Yun, one of the most influential Buddhist teachers of the 19th and 20th centuries. Hsuan Hua was one of the first known Chinese Buddhist Ch'an masters to transmit orthodox East Asian Buddhism to the West and ordained some of the first native-born Buddhist monks in the United States.

During his time in the United States, Hsuan Hua founded the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association[1] (DRBA), a Buddhist organization with chapters in the North America and Asia, the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in Ukiah, California, one of the first Ch'an Buddhist monasteries in the America; the Dharma Realm Buddhist University, one of the first American Buddhist colleges[2]; and the Buddhist Text Translation Society, which works on the phonetics and translation of Buddhist scriptures from Chinese into English, Vietnamese, Spanish, and many other languages. Hsuan Hua is also known for his efforts to distinguish the practice of Buddhism from the ritual and superstition associated with it in China. He attempted to heal the 2,000-year-old rift between Mahayana and Theravada Buddhist monastic communities, and initiated a number of relationships with leaders of other religions, believing that it was important for people of all religions to learn from the strengths of each religious tradition

Life

==Early life==

Hsuan Hua, a native of Shuangcheng County of Jilin Province, was born Bai Yushu (白玉書) on April 16, 1918. His father was diligent and thrifty in managing the household. His mother was a Buddhist and a vegetarian who recited the Buddha's name daily.

When she was pregnant with her child, she constantly prayed to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for its well-being. It is said that in a dream the night before his birth, she saw Amitabha emitting a light. Shortly after, she gave birth to her youngest son. When the master was born, the room was filled with a fragrance. For three days and nights, Yushu cried continuously, considered a possible sign of his deep sympathy for beings suffering birth and death.

As a child, Yushu followed his mother's example, eating only vegetarian food and reciting the Buddha's name. Yushu was quiet and uncommunicative by nature, but had a righteous and heroic spirit. At the age of eleven, upon seeing a neighbor's infant who had died, he became aware of the great matter of birth and death and the brevity of life, and resolved to leave the home-life.

At the age of twelve, he heard of someone who later became a great Buddhist master, who had attained enlightenment by practicing the philosophy of filial piety. Following this person's example, Yushu began to repent for being unfilial to his parents in the past and decided to bow to his parents every morning and evening as a way of acknowledging his faults and repaying his parents' kindness. He gradually became renowned for his filial conduct, and people in the village called him "Filial Son Bai."

At the age of 15, under the Venerable Chang Zhi, he took refuge in the Triple Gem (Buddha, the teachings of Buddha and the community of enlightened ones) and formally became a Buddhist. He began to attend school and studied texts of various Chinese schools of thought, and the fields of medicine, divination, astrology, and physiology. During his student years, he also participated in the Path of Virtue Society and other charitable societies. He explained the Sixth Patriarch's Sutra, the Diamond Sutra, and other sutras for those who were illiterate, and started a free school for those who were poor and needy.

Leaving home

When he was 19 years old, Yushu's mother died, and he requested his master's permission to leave the life of a householder. (Young monks cannot be ordained without the permission of the parents; both of Yushu’s parents were now dead.). He became a monastic under the Dharma name An Tzu (安慈).

An Tzu built a simple hut of sorghum thatch by his mother's grave and observed the practice of filial piety for three years. During that period, he made eighteen great vows, paid reverence to the Avatamsaka Sutra, performed worship and pure repentance, practiced Ch'an meditation, studied Buddhist teachings, ate only one meal a day, and did not lie down to sleep at night. An Tzu won the admiration and respect of the villagers. His intensely sincere efforts to purify and cultivate himself led to occurrence of auspicious omens. As news of these supernatural events spread, An Tzu came to be regarded as an extraordinary monk.

One day, An Tzu had a vision that the Sixth Patriarch, Hui Neng (慧能 or 惠能; Pinyin: Huìnéng, 638–713) came to him in his hut and told An Tzu that in the future, he would go to the West, and that the number of people he would preach to would be numerous. An Tzu remembered Hui Neng saying:

The five schools will divide into ten to teach and transform living beings: a hundred and then a thousand, until they are endless, . . . countless like the sands of the Ganges . . . the genuine beginning [of Buddhism] in the West.[3]

Afterwards An Tzu rose to accompany the Patriarch out of the hut. Only after the Patriarch had disappeared did the Master remember that the Patriarch had entered Nirvana centuries before.

When An Tzu's observance of filial piety was completed, he practiced asceticism in seclusion. Later he returned to the monastery where his master, the Venerable Chang Zhi, had once been the leader, and was chosen to be the abbot. During the period that he lived in Manchukuo, An Tzu concentrated on understanding each student’s potential and offering appropriate teachings.

Dharma transmission from Hsu Yun

In 1946, after the end of World War II, when travel inthe emancipation of China from the Japanese An Tzu traveled to Guangzhou to pay respects to the Venerable Master Hsu Yun, one of the great Ch'an teachers of his time, whom An Tzu had revered as a hero of Buddhism for many years. During his arduous journey, he stayed at many of the renowned monasteries of mainland China. In 1947 he went to Mount Putuo ( 普陀山) to receive the complete ordination. In 1948 he reached Nanhua Monastery at Caoxi of Guangzhou, where he paid homage to Elder Master Hsu Yun and was assigned to be an instructor in the Nanhua Monastery Vinaya Academy. Later he was appointed Dean of Academic Affairs. The Elder Master Hsu Yun saw that the Master was an outstanding individual in Buddhism and transmitted the Dharma lineage to him, giving him the Dharma name Hsuan Hua, meaning "Proclaim and Transform," and making him the ninth lineage holder of the Guiyang school of Ch'an, the forty-fifth generation since Mahakashyapa (one of the principal disciples of Śākyamuni Buddha who convened and directed the first council). [4]

Residence in Hong Kong

In 1948, Hsuan Hua left Guangzhou, bid farewell to Master Hsu Yun and went to Hong Kong to propagate Buddhism. Hsuan Hua gave equal importance to the five schools—Ch'an, Doctrine, Vinaya, Esoteric, and Pure Land—thus putting an end to sectarianism. Hsuan Hua also renovated and built temples, printed sutras and constructed images. He lived in Hong Kong for more than ten years and had his first substantial experience of Western culture.

Bringing the Dharma to the West

After Hsu Yun passed away in 1959, and Hsuan Hua completed the proper ceremonies in his memory, he felt the time was ripe for pursuing his Dharma mission in the West. Several of his lay disciples from Hong Kong had already gone to the United States to study. [5][6] He instructed them to establish a Buddhist association. It was established in the United States as the Buddhist Lecture Hall, later renamed the Sino-American Buddhist Association and then the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association. [7] Hsuan Hua traveled to Australia in 1961 to investigate the conditions for the growth of Buddhism there. After a difficult year, he returned to Hong Kong in 1962. That same year, at the invitation of his Buddhist disciples in San Francisco, Hsuan Hua traveled alone to the United States. His intent was to "come to America to create Patriarchs, to create Buddhas, to create Bodhisattvas".[8] He arrived there early in 1962.

Building the foundation of Buddhism in America

"Monk in the Grave"

In the fall of 1962, the Cuban missile crisis occurred between the United States and the Soviet Union, and Hsuan Hua fasted for thirty-five days to pray for an end to the hostilities and for world peace.

In 1963, Hsuan Hua left Chinatown and moved the Buddhist Lecture Hall to a first-floor apartment on the corner of Sutter and Webster Streets on the edge of San Francisco's Fillmore District and Japantown. There he lived in relative seclusion until 1968. Because the damp and windowless basement apartment resembled a grave, he nicknamed himself the "monk in the grave." He later continued to refer to himself in that way and wrote the following poem:

Each of you now meets a monk in the grave.

Above there is no sun and moon, below there is no lamp.
Affliction and enlightenment—ice is water.
Let go of self-seeking and become apart from all that is false.
When the mad mind ceases, enlightenment pervades all.
Enlightened, attain the bright treasury of your own nature.
Basically, the retribution body is the Dharma body. [9]

At that Sutter Street location Hsuan Hua started having regular contact with young Americans who were interested in meditation. Some came daily to his public meditation sessions from seven to eight every evening, and many also attended his sutra lectures. Translators were hired for those who could not understand Chinese; on some occasions, Hsuan Hua himself spoke to them in English to the best of his ability.

In 1967, Hsuan Hua moved the Buddhist Lecture Hall back to Chinatown, locating it in the Tianhou Temple. There he lectured on the Verses of the Seven Buddhas of Antiquity and the "Universal Door" Chapter of the Lotus (Dharma Flower)Sutra.[10]

The first American Sangha

In the spring of 1968, a group of university students at the University of Washington in Seattle wrote to Hsuan Hua and requested that he come to Seattle to lead a week-long meditation session. Hsuan Hua replied with an invitation to a Buddha-recitation session and a Chan (Zen) meditation session, each a week long, held at the Buddhist Lecture Hall in San Francisco.

In the summer of 1968, Hsuan Hua held a Shurangama Study and Practice Summer Session. Over thirty students from the University of Washington in Seattle came to study the Buddha’s teachings. After the session was concluded, five young Americans (Bhikshus Heng Chyan, Heng Jing, and Heng Shou, and Bhikshunis Heng Yin and Heng Ch'ih) requested permission to shave their heads and become monks, beginning the tradition of native-born Sangha in American Buddhism. [11]

With the founding of a new American Sangha, Hsuan Hua embarked on a building program for American Buddhism, concentrated on three main areas:

  • bringing the true and proper teachings of the Buddha to the West and establishing a proper monastic community of the fully ordained Sangha;
  • organizing and supporting the translation of the entire Buddhist canon into English and other Western languages;[12][13] and
  • promoting wholesome education through the establishment of schools and universities.

First ordination ceremonies on Western soil

Increasing numbers of people wished to leave secular life and become monks and nuns under Hsuan Hua's guidance. In 1972 he organized the first formal, full ordination ceremonies for Buddhist monks and nuns to be held in the West at Gold Mountain Dhyana Monastery, and invited elder masters to preside with him over the ordination platform. Two monks and one nun received ordination. Subsequent ordination platforms were held at the City Of Ten Thousand Buddhas in 1976, 1979, 1982, 1989, 1991, and 1992, and progressively larger numbers of people received full ordination. Over 200 people from countries all over the world were ordained in these ceremonies.

Reform of Buddhism

Hsuan Hua supported the Śūraṃgama-sūtra (usually spelled Shurangama Sutra or Surangama Sutra in English), a Mahayana sutra and one of the main texts used in the Chan school in Chinese Buddhism, which emphasized the worthlessness of the Dharma when unaccompanied by meditational ability (see samadhi) and the importance of moral precepts as a foundation for the Path. He felt that Buddhism in China had in many cases degenerated into superstition and the practice of rituals and ceremonies without an underlying discipline and cultivation of a moral life. He hoped that by propagating Buddhism in the West, where it had no historical tradition, he could demonstrate the genuine principles of Buddhism. While encouraging his disciples to learn the ancient traditions, he cautioned them against mistaking cultural overlay and ignorant superstition for the true Dharma, and encouraged them to understand the logical reasons behind the ancient practices. Among his reforms, Hsuan Hua re-established the wearing of the precept sash (kashaya) as a sign of a member of the Sangha; emphasized dietary and ascetic practices; and promoted a simple code of conduct, Six Great Guidelines: not contending, not being greedy, not seeking, not being selfish, not pursuing personal profit, and not lying. He also attempted to heal the two thousand year old rift between Mahayana and Theravada monastic communities by encouraging cordial relations between the Sanghas, inviting distinguished Theravada monks to preside with him in monastic ordination ceremonies, and initiated talks aimed at resolving areas of difference. [14]


Death

On June 7, 1995, Hsuan Hua died in Los Angeles at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from complications of exhaustion. His funeral lasted from June 8th to July 29th, 1995, and was attended by more than 2,000 disciples from the United States, Canada, and various Asian and European countries.

After the funeral, memorial services commemorating Hsuan Hua's life were held in various parts of the world, such as Taiwan, mainland China, and Canada. His sarira, pearl or crystal-like bead-shaped objects that are purportedly found among the cremated ashes of Buddhist spiritual masters, were distributed to many of his temples, disciples and followers.

Legacy

Uniting world religious traditions

Hsuan Hua had traveled to Thailand and Burma in his youth to investigate the Southern Tradition of Buddhism, and wished to heal the 2,000-year-old rift between the Northern (Mahayana) and Southern (Theravada) traditions. In the United States, he encouraged cordial relations between the Sangha communities from both the Northern and Southern traditions and set a personal example. On the occasion of the opening ceremony for the Dharma Realm Buddhist University, he presented Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda of the Theravadin tradition with an honorary Ph.D. Hsuan Hua also regularly invited Bhikkhus from both traditions to jointly conduct the High Ordination. Hsuan Hua often referred to Buddhism as the “teaching of living beings.” He believed that sectarian divisions within Buddhism were not in the true spirit of the Dharma, and felt that it was important for people of all religions to learn from the strengths of each religious tradition. He invited Paul Cardinal Yu Bin, the Catholic cardinal of Taiwan, to join him in establishing a World Religions Center at the Sagely City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and to be its first director. He suggested that the cardinal be a "Buddhist among the Catholics" and that he himself would be a "Catholic among the Buddhists." The cardinal's untimely death delayed plans for the Center, which opened in Berkeley in 1994 as the Institute of World Religions. Dharma Realm Buddhist University hosted a World Religions Conference in 1987 at the Sagely City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, and the same year Hsuan Hua gave an address at the Third International Buddhist-Christian Dialogue Conference in Berkeley. He once gave a eulogy at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, and was invited in 1989 to the Quaker Retreat Center at Pendle Hill, Pennsylvania to give a series of talks, and in 1992 to be the guest speaker at the yearly Vedanta Society gathering at Olema, California. He also maintained an ongoing friendship with Father John Rogers, Catholic Chaplain of Humboldt State University

Buddhist education

Hsuan Hua felt that one of the weaknesses of Buddhism in China was that it did not emphasize education and failed to develop a widespread network of Buddhist schools and universities. In the West, he founded Dharma Realm Buddhist University, primary and secondary schools, and developed financial aid programs for students. Dharma Realm Buddhist University was established in 1976, with its main campus at the Sagely City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. The University currently offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in Buddhist Study and Practice, Translation of Buddhist Texts, Buddhist Education, and Chinese Studies[15]. In 1982 Hsuan Hua established the Sangha and Laity Training Programs. The Laity Training Program emphasizes Buddhist Studies and Practice for lay people in a monastic setting, with an emphasis on moral discipline. The Sangha Training Program teaches religious practice, monastic discipline and temple management. Hsuan Hua founded an elementary school, Developing Goodness School, in 1976. It offered a bilingual Chinese-English curriculum and taught the fundamentals of both Western and Chinese cultural heritages. Instilling Virtue Secondary School opened its doors in 1980, and a separation into boys' and girls' schools occurred in 1981.

City of Ten Thousand Buddhas

The mountain gate to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas.

The City Of Ten Thousand Buddhas (萬佛聖城, Wànfó Shèngchéng), an international Buddhist community and monastery founded by Hsuan Hua, is one of the first Chinese Zen Buddhist temples in the United States, and one of the largest Buddhist communities in the Western Hemisphere.

The city is situated in Talmage, Mendocino County, California about 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Ukiah, and 110 miles (180 km) north of San Francisco. It was one of the first Buddhist monasteries built in the United States. The temple follows the Guiyang Ch’an School, one of the five houses of classical Chinese Ch'an. The city is noted for their close adherence to the vinaya, the austere traditional Buddhist monastic code.

Chinese and American Buddhism

From July 18 to the 24th of 1987, Hsuan Hua hosted the Water, Land, and Air Repentance Dharma Assembly, a centuries old ritual often regarded as the "king of dharma services" in Chinese Buddhism, at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and invited over seventy high Sangha members from mainland China to attend. This was the first time the service was known to have been held in North America, and was a historical assembly because of the cooperation between the American and Chinese sangha.

On November 6th, 1990, Hsuan Hua sent his disciples to Beijing to bring the Dragon Treasury (Long Zang) edition of the Buddhist canon back to CTTB, symbolizing a further advance in the relationship between Eastern and Western Buddhism and the transmission of the Buddha’s teachings to the West.

In 1991, several of Hsuan Hua’s disciple nuns were invited to reside as visitors at Mingru Monastery in Jilin, China, where they participated in the daily monastic life, gave public talks, and lectured on the precepts to the resident nuns. In 1995, the American monks Heng Sure, Heng Lyu and Heng Bin went to Shanghai, China, to take part in the transmission of the Complete Precepts at Dragon Flower (Longhua) Monastery at the invitation of Venerable Ming Yang.

Works

  • The Fifty Skandha Demon States
  • The Intention of Patriarch Bodhidharma's Coming from the West
  • Commentary on The Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra
  • Commentary on The Sutra in Forty-Two Sections
  • Commentary on The Sixth Patriarch's Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra
  • Chan: the Essence of All Buddhas
  • Guanyin, Guanyin, Guanshiyin
  • The Professor Requests a Lecture From the Monk in the Grave
  • Venerable Master Hua's Talks on Dharma, Volumes I-XI
  • Buddha Root Farm
  • News From True Cultivators

See also

  • Buddhism in America
  • Timeline of Zen Buddhism in the United States
  • Western Buddhism

Notes

  1. DRBA Founder's Bio
  2. DRBU Info Dharma Realm Buddhist University Retrieved November 15, 2008.
  3. Dharma Realm Buddhist Association Laying the Foundation Retrieved November 15, 2008.
  4. The Sagely City of Ten Thousand Buddhas A recollection of my causes and conditions with the Venerable Master Hsu Yun, Hsuan Hua. Retrieved November 15, 2008.
  5. Dharma Realm Buddhist Association Laying the Foundation Retrieved November 15, 2008.
  6. Epstein, Ronald (1995). "The Venerable Master Hsuan Hua Brings the Dharma to the West." In Memory of the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua, Volume One. Burlingame, CA:Buddhist Text Translation Society, pp. 59-68. Reprinted in The Flower Adornment Sutra, Chapter One, Part One “The Wondrous Adornment of the Rulers of the Worlds; A Commentary by Venerable Master Hsuan Hua. Burlingame, CA: Buddhist Text Translation Society, 2004, pp. 274-286.
  7. Dharma Realm Buddhist Association Hsuan Hua Masters and Their Organisations Retrieved November 16, 2008.
  8. Prebish, Charles (1995). "Ethics and Integration in American Buddhism". Journal of Buddhist Ethics, Vol. 2, 1995.
  9. Dharma Realm Buddhist Association Laying the Foundation Retrieved November 15, 2008.
  10. Ibid.
  11. Tucker, Mary (2003). Worldly Wonder: Religions Enter Their Ecological Phase. Carus Publishing, 2003.
  12. Epstein,Ronald (1969). “The Heart Sūtra and the Commentary of Tripiṭaka Master Hsüan Hua.” Master’ Thesis, University of Washington.
  13. Epstein, Ronald (1975). “The Śūraṅgama-sūtra with Tripiṭaka Master Hsüan-hua’s Commentary An Elementary Explanation of Its General Meaning: A Preliminary Study and Partial Translation.” Ph.D. Dissertation. University of California at Berkeley.
  14. Dharma Realm Buddhist Association Laying the Foundation Retrieved November 15, 2008.
  15. DRBU Info Dharma Realm Buddhist University Retrieved November 15, 2008.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • In memory of the venerable master Hsuan Hua. 1995. Burlingame, Calif: Buddhist Text Translation Society.
  • Nagler, Michael N. 2005. Our spiritual crisis: recovering human wisdom in a time of violence. Chicago: Open Court. 9780812695816
  • Rosemont, Henry. 2001. Rationality and religious experience: the continuing relevance of the world's spiritual traditions. Chicago: Open Court. 9780812694468

Works

  • Hsüan Hua. 1977. The Shurangama sutra. [San Francisco]: Sino-American Buddhist Association, Buddhist Text Translation Society. 0917512170
  • Hsüan Hua, and Kuo Chou Rounds. 1977. A general explanation of The Buddha speaks, The sutra in forty-two sections. [San Francisco]: Buddhist Text Translation Society. 9780917512155
  • HSÜAN HUA, & LETHCOE, K.-L. (1977). The wonderful Dharma lotus flower sutra: translated into Chinese by Tripitaka Master Kumarajiva of Yao Chʻin. San Francisco, Buddhist Text Translation Society. 0917512162
  • Huineng, and Hsüan Hua. 1977. The Sixth Patriarch's Dharma jewel platform sutra, with the commentary of Tripitaka Master Hua [translated from the Chinese by the Buddhist Text Translation Society]. San Francisco: Sino-American Buddhist Association. 9780917512193

External links

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