Holiday Message
The Zen Buddhist Order of Hsu Yun is happy to announce that on this month of November 2018, our Chan/Zen Order, the Zen Buddhist Order of HsuYun (ZBOHY), founded on November 8 1997 by Master WeiMiao JyDin of the Linji school of Chan/Zen (One of Master HsuYun’s direct disciples), by Dharma Teacher Ming Zhen Shakya of the Linji and Yunmen school of Chan/Zen celebrate its 20th anniversary!
This 20th anniversary, like all anniversaries, means a lot and not much at the same time. It is a time to celebrate our roots and to look ahead at the same time. A time to value our heritage, to thank our founders and to celebrate the spirit that unites us and allows everyone to express his most profound nature in his own local community and ways.
The path the new generation of priests of the order is taking is a more horizontal way to look at a sangha. A way that consists of simplified forms with the aim to keep the heart of our Chinese Chan by means of sincere practice.
I am writing these lines just after I learned about the awful terrorist attack that happened in Strasbourg last night. I have in mind all the other attacks and their lot of victims. No need to take sides. Misunderstanding and possible violence exists at every level in our world, our societies, even our families and Buddhist sanghas. We all can be divided by illusion, greed and hatred.
So, beyond the separations between each sangha, priory, even between the two parts of our original Chan order, may we all celebrate our founders, their lineage, and all the abbots who followed them. May we honor the Chan teachings they gave us as a treasure, and share it openly. May we fight illusions, greed and hatred and rejoice between all heirs of JyDin and Ming Zhen Shakya.
May we keep the spirit of humble daily practice. That is the spirit symbolized by the typical robe of lay Chan Buddhists, that monks use also in their day to day practice, the ManYi Kasaya (One Panel Kesa). A plain fabric with the simplest borders and four squares. The spirit of keeping one mind even when being in the world, surrounded by suffering, because we live by the four pillars, the four Noble Truths. In a nutshell, the spirit of ‘zen householders’ as our Old Sun liked to say.
We hope that this new year for our order will be a year of Simplicity, Sincerity and Humility! I bow in gratitude for those who came before us and for those who will continue to pass on the flame of ZBOHY Dharma after us. I bow especially in gratitude to Our Old Sun, Venerable Dharma Teacher Ming Zhen Shakya!
May our own houses be the monasteries of daily life,
And our hearts be the temples of the Buddha of Light.
May we all manifest KuanYin hands and eyes in this world!
May we all dedicate ourselves in the coming year to know ourselves and act for union in this world!
If you’d like to comment or ask a question to Master Fa Shi Yao Xin Shakya you may contact him by email: yaoxinshakya.zbohy@gmail.com
