As a conclusion, I compose the following verse: Busy with nothing, growing old. Within emptiness, weeping, laughing. Intrinsically, there is no “I.” Life and death, thus cast aside. Bhikkhu Sheng Yen 1930-2009 Founder, Dharma Drum Mountain Spring 2009 Chan Magazine Chan Magazine Volume 23,29, Number 42 Autumn,Spring, 2009 2003 Chan Magazine is published quarterly by the Institute of Chung-Hwa BuddhistBuddhist Culture, Culture, Chan Chan Meditation Meditation Center, Center, 90- 90-5656 Corona Corona Avenue, Avenue, Elmhurst, Elmhurst, NY NY 11373. 11373. The The magazine magazine is isa non-profita non-profit venture; venture; it accepts it accepts no advertisingno advertising and isand sup is- supportedported solely solely by contributionsby contributions from frommembers members of the of Chan the ChanCenter Center and the and readership. the readership. Donations Donations to support to support the maga the- magazinezine and otherand other Chan Chan Center Center activities activities may maybe sent be sentto the to theabove above address address and and will will be begratefully gratefully appreciated. appreciated. Please Your donationmake checks is tax-deductible.payable to Chan For Meditation information Center; about your Chan do- Centernation activitiesis tax-deductible. please call For (718)information 592-6593. about For Chan Dharma Cen- Drumter activities Publications please callplease (718) call 592-6593. (718) 592-0915.For Dharma E-mail Drum thePublications Center at please [email protected], call (718) 592-0915. or E-mailthe magazine the Center at [email protected],at [email protected], or orthe visit magazine us online at at:chanmaga - http://[email protected], or visit us online at: http://www.chancenter.org. Founder/Teacher Founder/TeacherChan Master Ven. Dr. Sheng Yen Chan Master Ven. Dr. Sheng Yen Editor-in-chief Editor-in-chiefDavid Berman David Berman Coordinator AssociateVirginia Tan Editor Buffe Laffey News editor CoordinatorBelia Pena Virginia Tan Photography PhotographyDavid Kabacinski (Chang Wen) John Feng, Jerry Roach, Kaifen Hu Contributing editors ContributingErnie Heau, Chris editors Marano, Virginia Tan, Wei Tan Ernie Heau, Kevin Mathewson, Virginia Tan, Wei Tan, ContributorsGuogu Rikki Asher, Berle Driscoll, Jeffrey Kung, Rebecca Li, Char- Contributorslotte Mansfield, Mike Morical, Bruce Rickenbacker, Wei Tan,Rikki Tan Asher, Yee TinaWong Kacandes, (Chang Ji) Jeffrey Kung, Rebecca Li, Mike Morical, Bruce Rickenbacker, Ayn Steele, Tan Yee AdministratorWong (Chang Ji Fa Shi), Chang Wen Fa Shi Guo Chen Shi Administrator Chang Hwa Fa Shi Chan Magazine Spring 2009 2 From Dharma Drum Mountain 4 Official notification of Shifu’s passing Last Will and Testament 6 Transmission 8 Dharma teachers-in-training meet Shifu for the final time New Year Greetings 20 Master Sheng Yen’s final talks Gratitude and Vows 24 by Guogu The Noble Eightfold Path 26 The third of four articles by Chan Master Sheng Yen The Past News from the Chan Meditation Center and DDMBA 33 The Future Retreats, classes and other upcoming events 36 Chan Center Affiliates 38 Page One poem translated by Guogu Spring 2009 Chan Magazine 3 From Dharma Drum Mountain Official Notifications to DDM Disciples Regarding Shifu’s Passing Translated by Ven. Chang Wen and Chang Ji Dear supporters and Dharma upholders of Shifu’s tireless lifelong mission of spreading Dharma Drum Mountain, Amituofo! the Dharma and bringing benefit to all sen- tient beings through his travels and under- Our guiding teacher in life, Master Sheng Yen takings could not have been realized without (Shifu), passed away peacefully on Febru- your involvement. Shifu was always grateful ary 3rd, 2009 at 4 PM (Taiwan time) on the for all of the support and devotion that you way back to DDM from the hospital in Tai- have shown him throughout his life. As Shifu wan. With this letter, we are proceeding with had instructed, we would like to convey to Shifu’s instructions to notify you of his pass- you on his behalf his utmost gratitude, bless- ing as soon as it occurred. ings, and bid of farewell. Shifu once described the course of his life as Under Shifu’s leadership, Dharma Drum being full of illness and difficulty, yet he was Mountain has developed into a well-estab- always full of gratitude. He said this about lished organization and it will continue to himself: “Although I led a very busy life, very operate to carry on Shifu’s legacy by way of seldom was I troubled by matters out of con- DDM’s ethos in making contributions to so- cern for myself.” While advocating “Protect- ciety and to all sentient beings. In addition, ing the Social Environment,” Shifu pointed DDM’s devotees, monastic or lay, are all under out that “Death is neither a joyful matter, nor Shifu’s orders to never dispute over matters an occasion for grief; rather it’s an occasion regarding properties, funds, power, and posi- for a noble and solemn Buddhist ritual.” He tions. Rather, we are expected to uphold the stated in his will in 2004: “Busy with noth- standards of “Compassion, Wisdom, Harmony, ing, growing old. Within emptiness, weeping, and Respect and to carry out the education laughing. Intrinsically, there is no ‘I.’ Life and based on the Four Kinds of Environmental- death, thus cast aside.” Shifu viewed matters ism.” In accordance with Shifu’s vow—“Al- concerning aging, sickness, birth and death though the universe may one day perish, yet with an open-mindedness, demonstrating my vows are eternal. What I am unable to ac- the expansive breadth of his mind that tran- complish in this life, I vow to push forward scends the vexations of birth and death. This through countless future lives. What I am un- is Shifu’s most earnest admonition to us, and able to accomplish personally, I exhort every- his spirit serves as an exemplary model for us one to undertake together,”—we will be unit- all to emulate. ed in heart and vows and set out to spread the Chan Magazine Spring 2009 4 Buddhadharma to benefit all sentient beings. ritual to all who are also concerned about Let us transform our grief into the strength Shifu and DDM. Please go to any DDM-af- of making vows and repaying kindness by filiated monasteries and branch centers to jointly perpetuating Shifu’s vows of great join our 14-day “Buddha-name recitation compassion. Dharma ritual: Repaying the Benevolence of Our Master” to show our gratitude and send We’ve been truly blessed to have been able to our blessings to Shifu. Please stay in close study under Shifu. Today, he displayed for us contact with your DDM society and/or group the ease of being “Thus Come, Thus Gone.” We (i.e. Buddha-name Chanting Society, Medita- know just like us, you all must also feel the tion Society, etc.). For more related news and deep sense of sadness in having to part with information, please visit the DDM website at Shifu. Yet we must remember that although www.dharmadrum.org Shifu’s physical body is no longer here with us, his Dharma-body has never left us, as his With palms joined, inexhaustible power of compassionate vows will forever remain in our hearts. Ven. Guo Dong, Abbot President and the Sangha of Dharma Drum Mountain At this time, we sincerely ask that you pass on the information on the following Buddhist Spring 2009 Chan Magazine Last Will and Testament The following is Master Sheng Yen’s will, written in 2004, translated into English by his disciple Chang Wen Fa Shi. 1. I was born in 1930 in the Jiangsu Province 3. All the Dharma centers that I have found- of China, and my family’s surname is Zhang. ed and have been in charge of belong to the After I pass away, do not issue the obituary Dharma lineage of Dharma Drum Mountain. notice, make meal offerings, build the grave, Except that they are financially independent stupa, or monument, erect my statues, or col- in their operation, they should adopt a uni- lect my relics, if any. Please invite one to three fied mechanism with respect to the sustain- eminent elder Dharma masters to respective- ing of DDM’s Dharma tradition, education of ly preside over the rituals of sealing the cof- talents, mutual loving care, and personnel ar- fin, bidding farewell, cremation, ash burial, rangement. However, the branch Dharma cen- and so forth. All this must be carried out in ters overseas should take as their principle to a simple, frugal manner, and never in an ex- have a uniform style of Chan and make use travagant and wasteful way. In the mourning of local manpower, so that the pure, authen- hall, only hang an elegiac plaque with the tic Chan teachings will not decline and Chan words “Nirvana is Bliss” written by a callig- practice will take root and spread in societies rapher as an encouragement. Request people of different cultures. not to present flowers or elegiac couplets, but just recite “Namo Amitabha Buddha” to form 4. Whether the post of the abbot president of pure affinities for rebirth in the Western Pure DDM’s headquarters is assumed by one who Land. is elected internally or is an eminent bhikshu or bhikshuni invited from outside of DDM’s 2. If, after I pass away, there is any cash of- system, he or she, while succeeding to the fered to me by Buddhist believers and any rev- post, also succeeds to DDM’s Dharma ortho- enue from my copyright royalty, they should doxy, and shall inherit and carry on DDM’s be donated to Dharma Drum Mountain Bud- Chan lineage, and shall not relinquish the vi- dhist Foundation and Dharma Drum Moun- sion and aims of DDM, which all shall abide tain Cultural and Educational Foundation.