Being sincere and dedicated is paying back your Dharma obligation

Today on Kuan Yin day , We commemorate 49 days since Master Henry passed away. The immeasurable gift of having met a True Dharma Teacher is beyond words or symbols. In order to honour Master's benevolence and compassion, I left a virtual footprint of this rare meeting. I humbly put together these few pictures , words and scatered thoughts that i gathered over the years. In all honesty I never witnessed Master comitting to writing any teachings related to Ch'an , the simple fact that I did not speak any Mandarin or Cantonese and that english was not our first native language was very helpful to find new dimensions to how we comunicated. I do have a clear memory imprinted when after asked (fortunately because I wrote down on my Journal) a translator said Master was quoting the Wise Patriarchs of past when asked about the Prajnaparamita during Ch'an Retreat : The Perfection of Wisdom What I can tell you is not esoteric. If you turn your light inwardly, you will find what is esoteric within. To meditate means to realize inwardly the imperturbability of the essence of mind. Those who train themselves for imperturbability should, in their contacts with all types of men, ignore the faults of others. As to the dharma, [teaching, path] this is transmitted from heart to heart, and the recipient must realize it by his own efforts. All depends on self-practice...

Bowing with Respect Jorge

A True Dharma Master from Korea, Master Mangong once said : I have been teaching Ch'an -Zen- Seon students on this mountain for almost forty years. Many people come to visit me thinking they are visiting a Zen Master but they only see my form body, the house where my true nature lives. They don’t see my true nature. That is not a problem but it means that they have not seen their true nature. Because they haven’t seen their true nature, they cannot see their parents, siblings, wife, and children, or anybody. They wander through life in vain, like a crazy person. We have to say that this is truly a world of darkness. Students who receive my teaching must do it with sincerity and dedication, not forgetting the methods I used. Ultimately, being sincere and dedicated is paying back your Dharma obligation, so you will not waste your practice or suffer a mental loss. By Seon - Ch'an - Zen Korean Master *ManGong 1871~1946 *Mangong left behind not a single written work. The only thing left to us were his Seon teachings given to his many disciples. However, his disciples compiled a volume of his dharma talks, and from this we can catch a glimpse of Mangong’s thought. In order to ascertain this "true self," Master Mangong stressed that we must practice Seon-Ch'an, Zen meditation. Therefore, he exerted all of his energy leading his disciples in proper Seon-Ch'an, Zen practice. It is perhaps because of this, and also because of the dangers inherent in the tendency for the meanings of words and letters to become fixed, that Master Mangong left behind no written works. Therefore, he settled upon the "observing the hwadu" Hua Tou method of Seon, Ch'an , Zen, meditation that totally rejects theory and speculation and observes with the spirit of “no discriminating mind,” .

Master Henry passed away suddenly at the Sunshine Ch'an Temple on the Sunshine Coast

All this decay. A Buddha can only point the way. Become a lamp unto yourself. Work out your salvation. Strive on diligently...Growing old is the dharma of all composite things." Buddha Shakyamuni Ashvagosha, 'Buddhacarita,' XXVI, 83-6, 88-106 reads: “Thereupon the Buddha turned to his Disciples, and said to them: 'Everything comes to an end, though it may last for an aeon. The hour of parting is bound to come in the end. Now I have done what I could do, both for myself and for others. To stay here would from now on be without any purpose. I have disciplined, in heaven and on earth, all those whom I could discipline, and I have set them in the stream. Hereafter this my Dharma, 0 monks, shall abide for generations and generations among living beings. Therefore, recognize the true nature of the living world, and do not be anxious; for separation cannot possibly be avoided. Recognize that all that lives is subject to this law; and strive from today onwards that it shall be thus no more ! When the light of gnosis has dispelled the darkness of ignorance, when an existence has been seen as without substance, peace ensues when life draws to an end, which seems to cure a long sickness at last. Everything, whether stationary or moveable, is bound to perish in the end. Be ye therefore mindful and vigilant! The time for my entry into Nirvana has now arrived. These are my last words!' , [Source: Edward Conze, in Conze (ed.), “Buddhist Scriptures” (Penguin Books, 1959), pp. 62-4

Video Master Henry meditating at the top of the Sunshine Cha'n Temple Recording Master Henry playing the conch at the Sunshine Ch'an Temple September 10- 2010

Master Henry's Art Calligraphy 2007 -2021

CH'AN The Essence of All Buddhas

DharmaRain Vacio Cielo

Rain might be falling for ten thousand years, yet if our cup is upside down it will remain empty. ... Text From Lectures by the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua Edited and Translated by the Editorial Committee of the Buddhist Text Translation Society Edited by Xing-Kong

When spring returns to the earth, the myriad things are born.

Smashing empty space to pieces, one is free and at ease.

One will never again become attached to self or others.

Although the Dharma Realm is vast, one can encompass it all.

With Empty Space Shattered, the Mind Is Understood...

There are many different meditation topics that can be used in investigating Chan. Some people investigate "Who was I before my mother bore me?" Others may investigate the word "Nothing." "Nothing" means there isn't anything at all. Everything is nonexistent. Or does everything exist? They investigate "nothing" and "existence." They investigate how things cease to exist. Everything in the world is subject to coming into being, dwelling, decaying, and becoming empty. What is there that is not subject to coming into being, dwelling, decaying, and becoming empty? That's what they investigate.

Some investigate "Does a dog have the Buddha nature?" Whether or not a dog has the Buddha nature can be a topic too. Others investigate "dried turd." You laugh when you hear that, but when you investigate it, there's a lot of flavor in it! Not smelly, though, so you don't need to laugh. Since it's dry it doesn't smell. There are many different meditation topics. Whichever topic you respond to best is the one for you. For instance: When you investigate "Who is mindful of the Buddha?" things may get vague. You keep on investigating, but you can't find out "who?" Unable to find the "who," you give rise to a "feeling of doubt." Once this feeling of doubt arises, great doubt will bring great enlightenment. Small doubt will bring small enlightenment. No doubt will bring no enlightenment. Continual doubt will bring continual enlightenment. Brief doubt will bring brief enlightenment. What is meant by a "feeling of doubt"? It's being unable to find out "who?" Hmm. "Who?" Sustained investigation of this word "who" for hours nonstop can bring you to the point that your breath ceases, your pulse stops, your thoughts come to a standstill, and you attain a profoundly great samadhi. With that kind of samadhi, you are in samadhi when you are walking; you are in samadhi when you are sitting; you are in samadhi when you are standing; and you are in samadhi when you are lying down. You neither enter it nor leave it, and so it's called a profoundly great samadhi. At that time, above, there will be no heaven; below, there will be no earth; in between, there will be no people; and afar, there will be no objects. Absolutely everything will be empty. Even emptiness will not exist. Once emptiness is obliterated, what kind of state remains? Take a look. Think about it. Do you still have false thoughts? Do you still have extraneous ideas? When there isn't even any emptiness, where could the false thoughts and extraneous ideas be located? Where could lust be found? At that time, it's very easy to become enlightened. It's very easy to return to the root and go back to the source, to understand your mind and see your nature. When you understand your mind and see your nature, nothing that happens presents any difficulties; there are no obstructions. Once you see your nature, you never worry.

Carefully Investigate While Walking, Standing, Sitting, and Lying Down

Now we are having a Chan session. Concentration is of vital importance in a Chan session. Your body, mind, and thoughts must be concentrated. Here, your body must walk when it's time to walk, sit when it's time to sit, and lie down when it's time to lie down. Walking, sitting, and reclining, you must follow the rules. Your mind must not give rise to false thinking; then the mind can be concentrated. Your thoughts should be devoid of greed, devoid of hatred, and devoid of stupidity. Single-mindedly investigate "Who is mindful of the Buddha?"

Investigating is like using a drill to drill a hole. You drill and drill until you drill through the piece of wood. Once the drill penetrates, you can see through to the other side. That's what becoming enlightened is like. Prior to penetrating, we are only doing the daily work of drilling. Prior to becoming enlightened, we investigate "Who is mindful of the Buddha?"

Now we are putting in the work that it takes to become enlightened. During the period of working, you don't want to say, "Oh! This drill won't penetrate and make a hole." Then you don't want to drill any more. But if you don't drill, no hole will be made. You must drill the hole today, drill it tomorrow, and drill it the next day¡... drilling and drilling until your work is realized. After a time, you will penetrate. That penetration is enlightenment. That means what you weren't clear about before, you will be clear about. What you didn't understand, you will understand.

What is this skill like? It's like a cat poised to catch a mouse. The cat waits beside the mouse hole. If the mouse comes out, the cat catches it with one swipe of its claws. Your investigation of "Who is mindful of the Buddha" is like a cat stalking a mouse. Your false thinking is the mouse, and the phrase "Who is mindful of the Buddha" is the cat. The cat is waiting to catch the mouse. That's what this analogy means.Investigation is also like a dragon guarding its pearl. A dragon is always protecting his dragon pearl. His attention never strays from it.

When One Solves the Meditation Topic, A Clue Appears

The same principle applies when we investigate Chan. We must pay attention at all times and not have any discursive thoughts. As the saying goes,

When not a single thought arises, the entire substance manifests.

When the six senses suddenly move, one is covered by clouds.

When not a single thought arises, the vast functioning of the entire substance is seen. One's inherent wisdom manifests. When the six sense faculties--the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind--suddenly move, it is as if the sky were suddenly covered by clouds. When not a single thought arises, then "Inside there is no body or mind, and outside there is no world." When you reach that level in your meditation, your breath stops. Although you stop breathing, you are not dead. When your breath stops, not a single thought arises. But if you suddenly think, "Oh, my breath has stopped. It's gone!" Then it will come back. When you are devoid of thoughts, the breath stops; but as soon as you have a thought, the breath resumes. Actually, your breathing does not completely cease, or else you wouldn't be alive. Rather, an internal breathing begins to function, so you no longer need to rely on external breathing. This is known as turning the great Dharma wheel--singing the soundless song and turning the invisible Dharma wheel. However, you should not become attached to this state.

Cultivators alternately advance and retreat in their practice. We may be vigorous for a few days, but then, feeling that we aren't getting any benefit, we slack off. After being lazy for a while, we become vigorous again. In cultivation, we should follow the Middle Way and be neither too hasty nor too relaxed.

Go too fast and you'll trip; dally and you'll fall behind.

Never rush and never dally, and you'll get there right on time.

Don't be nervous and don't be lax. Don't go too fast means don't be nervous. Don't dally means don't be lazy. Enjoy developing your skill. Develop it to the point that you are free and at ease when walking, free and at ease when sitting, free and at ease when standing, and free and at ease when sleeping. Walking, standing, sitting and lying down, you have self-mastery. Self-mastery means that your skill is progressing. When your skill progresses, you will be able to truly investigate Chan. Then, even if you consider stopping, there will be no way to do so.

Walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, you won't lose track of "who?" But even though you won't lose track of "who?" you still will not recognize "who?" You want to become familiar with "who?" You can't let the "who?" be cut off. At all times and in all places you investigate Chan until you become one with it. When you become one with it, then "you eat each day but it is as if you hadn't eaten a single grain of rice." It's not that you don't eat, but that you are not attached to eating. You eat but it's as if nothing had happened.

Smash the Black Barrel and Reveal the Source

Smashing the black lacquer barrel refers to enlightenment. Although the thought of investigating "who" is also a false thought, this one false thought is used to defeat all the other false thoughts. Investigation should be done in every moment; it is not that you investigate on the out-breath, and then don't investigate on the in-breath; or that you investigate on the in-breath and then not on the out-breath. No, counting your breaths is of no use because it creates a duality. It adds a head on top of a head--it is superficial. The true and proper method for investigating chan meditation is the method for entering deeply. Thus, our patriarchs investigated their meditation topic breathing in as well as breathing out; their one thought of investigation continued on forever without interruption.

Those who truly know how to work do not lose track of the topic "who?" Little by little they inquire into "who" until mind, intellect, and consciousness all vanish. The mind becomes empty; the body is also empty; the intellect is empty, and the consciousness is empty. When you strike up false thoughts, it is the sixth consciousness that they come from. The sixth consciousness causes you to strike up false thought, causes you to register pain, and causes you to be unable to bear any more. All of those are distortions of the sixth consciousness. If you are able to smash the mind, intellect and consciousness--if you investigate until you break through them, so that you can't be turned by such thoughts--then you are one who truly knows how to work. Not to mention gaining responses every day in your application of effort, if you gain a response for even the space of a thought, you can open your wisdom, which is another way of saying you can become enlightened.

There's an old proverb that goes,

If someone sits quietly for an instant, Then that is better than building pagodas made of the seven jewels in number like the Ganges' sands.

If you can genuinely enter samadhi--stay quiet--for an instant, for just a moment in time, then that in itself can eradicate infinite kalpas of offenses that bind us to birth and death.

Those who know how to practice are always in samadhi, while those who don't are constantly in the midst of falseness. Within samadhi, one produces wisdom, while within falseness one's stupidity increases. How can one obtain samadhi? One must return the false to the true. We, however, are ever eager to pursue false conditions and unwilling to return to a state of samadhi. That's why we constantly indulge in discursive thoughts and cannot return to the truth. As a result, the truth becomes false. If you didn't have so many discursive thoughts, but instead reflected within at all times and worked on your own nature, you would be able to return to the truth. Our Chan session is also for the purpose of turning the false back into the truth, getting rid of the false and keeping the truth. That's why we have set everything aside to come here to walk and sit. Walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, we must not be apart from "this." To separate from this is a mistake. "This" is just the meditation topic, which we must always bring to mind.

We should resolve to meditate until we figure out what we are all about. We were born in a confused way, and life would be meaningless if we also have to die in confusion. We need to find out how we were born and how we will die. Can we be free and independent when we die? The goal of our practice is to attain freedom over birth and death, which is true freedom--the ability to come and go whenever we want, without afflictions or worries. If we wish to go to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, we can simply get into full lotus posture, bid farewell to everyone, and go.

That's true freedom over birth and death.

In order to escape death One must have death-defying skill.

To gain freedom from birth and death, you must practice without fear of death. You must not be afraid of pain, difficulty, suffering, or anything else.

Chan is the essence of all Buddhas. The Buddhas of the ten directions were born from Chan samadhi.

Full Text at:

http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/Buddhism/VenHua/Chan.html http://vimeo.com/6518109

Summer Retreat August 18th to August 25 2011

A 7 day Cha'n Retreat will start on August 2011,
under the instruction of Master Chieh Harne aka Master Henry,

Pre-registration is not required, if you wish to come for a short time drop ins will be welcome.

Sunshine Zen Centre
11148 Sunshine Coast Highway 101
Tel 604 883 1167

~*~

Thousands of years ago, the Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree.
He realized that all sentient beings possess inherent Buddha nature with the potential to achieve ultimate freedom, eternal peace and perfect enlightenment

Ch'an, widely known as Zen in the West, is directly seeing one's true mind, which is the mind of the Buddha.

The object of ch'an training is to realize the mind for the perception of (self-)nature.

No Attachment to Dust

Zengetsu, a Chinese master of the tang dynasty, wrote the following advice for his pupils:

Living in the world yet not forming attachments to the dust of the world is the way of the true Zen student.

When witnessing the good action of another encourage yourself to follow his example. Hearing the mistaken action of another, advise yourself not to emulate it.

Even though alone in a dark room, be as if you were facing a noble guest. Express your feelings, but become no more expressive than your true nature.

Poverty is your treasure. Never exchange it for an easy life.

A person may appear a fool and yet not be one. He may be only guarding his wisdom carefully.

Virtues are the fruit of self-discipline and do not drop from heaven themselves as does rain or snow.

Modesty is the foundation of all virtues. Let your neighbours discover you before you make yourself known to them.

A noble heart never forces itself forward. Its words are as rare gems, seldom displayed and of great value.

To a sincere student, everyday is a fortunate day. Time passes but he never lags behind. Neither glory nor shame can move him.

Censure yourself, never another. Do not discuss right or wrong.

Some things though right, were considered wrong for generations. Since the value of righteousness may be recognized after centuries, there is no need to crave an immediate appreciation.

Live with cause and leave the results to the great law of the universe. Pass each day in peaceful contemplation.

from Heart to Heart

Om Homage to the Perfection of Wisdom, the Holy !

Avalokita, the Holy Lord and Bodhisattva, was moving in the deep course of the Wisdom which has gone beyond.

He looked down from on high, He beheld but five heaps, and He saw that in their own-being they were empty.

Here, O Sariputra,

form is emptiness and the very emptiness is form ;

emptiness does not differ from form, form does not differ from emptiness, whatever is emptiness, that is form,

the same is true of feelings, perceptions, impulses, and consciousness.

Here, O Sariputra,

all dharmas are marked with emptiness ;

they are not produced or stopped, not defiled or immaculate, not deficient or complete.

Therefore, O Sariputra,

in emptiness there is no form nor feeling, nor perception, nor impulse, nor consciousness ;

No eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind ; No forms, sounds, smells, tastes, touchables or objects of mind ; No sight-organ element, and so forth, until we come to :

No mind-consciousness element ; There is no ignorance, no extinction of ignorance, and so forth, until we come to : There is no decay and death, no extinction of decay and death. There is no suffering, no origination, no stopping, no path.

There is no cognition, no attainment and no non-attainment.

Therefore, O Sariputra,

it is because of his non-attainmentness that a Bodhisattva, through having relied on the Perfection of Wisdom, dwells without thought-coverings. In the absence of thought-coverings he has not been made to tremble,

he has overcome what can upset, and in the end he attains to Nirvana.

All those who appear as Buddhas in the three periods of time fully awake to the utmost, right and perfect Enlightenment because they have relied on the Perfection of Wisdom.

Therefore one should know the prajnaparamita as the great spell, the spell of great knowledge, the utmost spell, the unequalled spell, allayer of all suffering, in truth -- for what could go wrong ? By the prajnaparamita has this spell been delivered. It runs like this :

gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha.

( Gone, gone, gone far beyond, gone altogether beyond, O what an awakening, all-hail ! -- )

This completes the Heart of perfect Wisdom.

(Translated by E. Conze)

"Avalokiteshvara proclaimed the pith of the prajnaparamita, the essence of the rug-pulling-out experience, the essence of the fearless, open state of mind. It came in the form of a mantra: "OM GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA." Just as a seed contains the tree, this mantra contains the entire teachings on abiding in prajnaparamita, abiding in the fearless state. "OM gone, gone, gone beyond, gone completely beyond, awake, so be it." This is a description of a process, a journey, of always stepping out further and further. We could also say, "OM groundlessness, groundlessness, more groundlessness, even beyond groundlessness, fully awake, so be it!" No matter where we are on the bodhisattva path, whether we are just beginning or we've practiced for years, we're always stepping further into groundlessness. Enlightenment is not the end of anything. Enlightenment, being completely awake, is just the beginning of fully entering into we know not what. When the great bodhisattva finished teaching, the Buddha came out of his meditation and said, "Good, good! You expressed it perfectly, Avalokiteshvara." And those in the audience who hadn't walked out or died from heart attacks rejoiced. They rejoiced at hearing this teaching on stepping beyond fear." From The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times. ©2001 by Pema Chödrön.

Meditation Retreat 2009

A university professor visits Master Nan-in to find out about Zen.
Nan-in serves him tea, but keeps pouring even tho' the cup is full.
"Master, the cup is overflowing. Please stop.".... "you are like this cup,
full of your own views. If you do not empty your cup how can i show you Zen?"





The non-dwelling mind is the mind of the Buddha, it is the mind of liberation, it is the mind of Bodhi, and it is the mind of non-birth. So, if you really want meditation to come about, sit properly erect and close your eyes. Then purify your mind, lay down everything and think of neither good nor evil. Just observe your thoughts. As you look for their place of origin, you discover that they suddenly rise up and just as suddenly disappear, and that this process goes on and on. Be patient and continue to observe them, and you will, in time, know the thoughts to be devoid of any self-nature; also you will, thereby, know original emptiness. Do not attempt to follow the thoughts, to trace them in any way or have any intention of getting rid of them, and, in time, awareness will manifest as your mind illumines a thought. Then, there will suddenly be a stillness that becomes suchness. At some point, another thought will arise, and you will observe it in the same way.

Do this at least once a day, sitting from fifteen minutes to an hour. As your concentration deepens, your thoughts slow down and diminish in number, and your power of illumination increases until you eventually find out that not a single thought arises. Then, there is only stillness and voidness, for then the mind is clear and pure. This is your self-nature as known directly through wisdom (Prajna)

Author by

Dharma Master Lok To
based on the meditation manual
of Ting Chen





A 30 day meditation retreat will take place in the Sunshine Zen Centre, under the guidance of Master Henry, if you require further information please contact the Monastery by phone or e-mail us at sunshinezencenter@gmail.com

Dates

August 20 2009

to

Sept 20 2009



Namo Amituofo