Master Hsin Tao, Founding Abbot of the Ling Jiou Mountain Buddhist Society (LJM), visits the Fo Guang Shan Monastery (FGS) on February 6th to render his condolence to Venerable Master Hsing Yun, Founder of the Fo Guang Shan Order who passed away on February 5th at age 97. Admiring the Venerable’s effort on promoting the Humanistic Buddhism in order to create a Buddha’s land in the mundane world to benefit both the nation and its people, guiding them to the path of Dharma and mindfulness, Master Hsin Tao offered his blessing to the late Venerable, chanting the name of Buddha Shakyamuni and wishing the Venerable to return to the world with his great vow to continue the career of propagating Buddha dharma. The LJM members of the four assemblies also offer lamps and recite sutras to present their best wishes to the late Venerable. 

 Venerable Master Hsin Yun is the first teacher to enlighten my path of Dharma practice, says Master Hsin Tao

 Master Hsin Tao was accompanied by Master Huei Lung, Abbot of the FGS Ching Teh Temple in Nantou, to pay homage to the Venerable. Master Hsin Tao is convinced that the late Venerable will rebirth to the mundane world upon his great vow. Venerable Hsing Yun passed away on the 15th day of the first lunar month that is marked as the Lantern Festival, both of which are traditionally seen related to the sages and the Buddha, Master Hsin Tao explained, adding that many special days of the Buddha also fall on the 15th day of the lunar calendar. To Master Hsin Tao, he is even more grateful to the late Venerable for the latter’s approval of his leaving the FGS Monastery to embark on the journey of Dhutanga, or ascetic practices taught in Buddhism, and founding the LJM.

Master Huei Lung concurred with Master Hsin Tao’s praise and respect to the Venerable, revealing that the FGS disciples heartily appreciate Venerable Hsing Yun’s kindness to leave them after the Monastery completed the busy task of this year’s New Year Lantern celebrations. The Venerable already gave his instructions that all his disciples should not be sad about his leaving, instead, he hopes to see that the FGS members to sing for him and chant the name of Buddha Shakyamuni. He promised to return to carry on the career of benefiting all sentient beings, said Master Huei Lung.   

 Master Hsin Tao met the Venerable in 1973 and became tonsured under him. He received full ordination under the Venerable in 2013 as the 49th Bearer of the Linji School and the second Bearer of the Fo Guang Shan Order. Despite leaving the FGS Monastery, Master Hsin Tao often returned to the FGS to visit the Venerable, paying tribute to the first teacher who guided him to embark on the Dharma path. The Venerable kindly gave him a lot of teaching on the promotion of Humanistic Buddhism. The endless and enthusiastic efforts that Venerable Master Hsing Yun has displayed can definitely be a model for all Buddhist disciples on fulfilling the duty of safeguarding the Three Jewels, commented Master Hsin Tao, who revealed his following to the late Venerable’s emphasis on the tradition and lineage of Buddha dharma. The emphasis he mentioned incorporates four rules of Dharma practice highlighted by the Linji School that “Perfecting the inherent awareness of Buddhahood by realizing the nature of the mind; Accomplishing both the inner part and outer function by having our spirituality be present in every part of the universe” 

 On the morning of February 6th at 5 AM as dawn broke, a thousand monastic and lay members of the FGS Order knelt in the Monastery’s Main Shrine Courtyard, listening to the solemn announcement made by Most Ven. Hsin Bau, Chairperson of the FGS Board of Directors, about Ven. Master Hsing Yun’s pass away on February 5th at 5PM. “With great sadness and sorrow, the congregation mourned the loss of such an eminent Buddhist Master. Faced with the reality that his heavenly and human eyes of wisdom have now closed, and his ferry of wisdom has now sunk, we pray for his swift rebirth into this world,” said Ven. Hsin Bau. The FGS members of the four assemblies have obeyed the Venerable’s instruction to carry out his funeral in a plain and simple way. Upon the instruction of the Venerable, the FGS neither form a task force dedicated to hosting his funeral service nor deliver the obituary to any individuals. Venerable Master Hsing Yun has asked his disciples to skip all the traditional Dharma services for the deceased. Instead of the routines, the FGS Order will hold a public memorial service for the Venerable at the Monastery on February 13th. 

 A monastic should not be afraid of death, says Ven. Hsing Yun

Born on August 19, 1927, in Jiangdu, Jiangsu Province of China, Venerable Master Hsing Yun became tonsured under Venerable Master Zhi Kai at a very young age. He was given the Dharma name Wuche and the moniker Jingjue as the 48th Patriarch of the Linji School. He came to Taiwan with the KMT government in 1949, establishing the FGS Order in 1967 as the base to promote culture, education, and charity. In the past 56 years since the founding of the FGS, Ven. Master Hsing Yun had established over 300 temples worldwide and founded five universities in Taiwan, USA, Australia, and the Philippines, as well as the Buddha’s Light International Association with millions of members. Countless people have benefited from his compassionate endeavors. Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s life is epitomized in the following verse:
With a heart filled with compassion and vows to save others,
My body is like the ocean of the dharma, unbound;
Should you ask what have I achieved in this lifetime?
Peace and happiness now shine over the five continents.
Having suffered from the chronic illness of diabetes for more than four decades, two strokes deteriorated the Venerable Master’s health in his old age, forcing him to rely on a wheelchair and almost lost his eyesight. Receiving hemodialysis at the Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital twice a week, the Venerable was fearless in the face of such suffering. He told the medical team that “A monastic is not afraid of death.”

 The Venerable once disclosed that he had thought about dying at 80, and then he made a will at 85. In 2013 when he was 88, the Venerable made public the open letter “An Honest Revelation” as the final instruction to his followers: “In regards to the conclusion of this life, there will be no relics, and all unnecessary and over-elaborate formalities are to be completely omitted. A few simple words written or Buddhist songs chosen from the “Sounds of the Human World” may be sung by those who miss me. The most fitting way to honor my memory and my sincere wish is for everyone to bear the teachings of Humanistic Buddhism in mind and always practice Humanistic Buddhism.”

The Venerable also unveiled his view about death in the open letter. He said that it is never an issue to him since he kept on the practice of facing the moment of dying. The most terrifying parts of death are that one cannot give up all the belongings in this life, refuses to be prepared for passing, and being afraid of the world after death. Life and death are actually one thing with two sides, according to Venerable Master Hsing Yun. We will face the moment of death since our birth, which rotates like the passage of four seasons. Humans are definitely to face the circle of being born, ageing, falling ill and dying now that all the materials in the universe are destined to be created and ultimately vanished, he explained.

Keep on your progress on the great path of Humanistic Buddhism and make sure that the lamp of wisdom must never be extinguished, urges the Ven. Master

Throughout his life, the Venerable had faced several moments of life or death. He struggled over wars, got imprisoned for political reasons, received heart surgery, and suffered from physical pains for becoming a chronic patient of diabetes, having two strokes and bone fractures. He overcame these challenges, encouraging disciples that “the monastic traditions from the Buddha's era, such as owning only three robes and one bowl, having a total of no more than two and a half catties in personal possessions, and adhering to the eighteen ascetic practices, are exemplary traditions that align with the vinayas and should be deeply considered and remembered.” The Venerable told his disciples that he has abided by the principle that “to retreat in order to advance; to regard the multitude as myself; to own nothing in order to have something; and to take joy in the truth of emptiness”. Live a life of simplicity and refrain from accumulating material possessions, he urged. Death will be no more a hindrance, according to the Venerable, when one develops such mindset in the face of life.

Despite having encountered many ordeals of time, the Venerable told his disciples that he felt fortunate. “I have enjoyed hardship, poverty, struggle, and having nothing. I have understood that all Four Elements are existence. I have felt flowers blooming in all four seasons.” In the stream of life, a new life is expected when current one ends, therefore, Buddhist followers should work on advancing the path of Humanistic Buddhism with endless effort to safeguard the Dharma and the lamp of Wisdom, the Venerable reminded.(Courtesy of LJM)

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