Chan is not necessarily any one thing, nor does Chan affirm or deny anything. However, whatever you need, Chan gives to you.
For regular meditators, this book provides basic sitting meditation techniques. Exceptionally busy people are advised to try and use the Chan cultivation methods in this book to harmonize themselves, and dissolve their attachment to "self." From relaxing the body and mind for as little as three minutes to attending to body and mind throughout daily life, these methods show the simplicity and practicality of expedient Chan methods.--Master Sheng Yen
●作者簡介:
Master Sheng Yen (1930-2009)
聖嚴法師1930年生於江蘇南通,1943年於狼山出家,後因戰亂投身軍旅,十年後再次披剃出家。曾於高雄美濃閉關六年,隨後留學日本,獲立正大學文學博士學位。1975年應邀赴美弘法。1989年創建法鼓山,並於2005年開創繼起漢傳禪佛教的「中華禪法鼓宗」。
聖嚴法師是一位思想家、作家暨國際知名禪師,曾獲臺灣《天下》雜誌遴選為「四百年來臺灣最具影響力的五十位人士」之一。著作豐富,中、英、日文著作達百餘種,先後獲頒中山文藝獎、中山學術獎、總統文化獎及社會各界的諸多獎項。
聖嚴法師提出「提昇人的品質,建設人間淨土」的理念,主張以大學院、大普化、大關懷三大教育推動全面教育,相繼創辦中華佛學研究所、法鼓佛教學院、僧伽大學、法鼓大學等院校,也以豐富的禪修經驗、正信的佛法觀念和方法指導東、西方人士修行。
法師著重以現代人的語言和觀點普傳佛法,陸續提出「心靈環保」、「四種環保」、「心五四運動」、「心六倫」等社會運動,並積極推展國際弘化工作,參與國際性會談,促進宗教交流,提倡建立全球性倫理,致力世界和平。其寬闊胸襟與國際化視野,深獲海內外肯定。
Master Sheng Yen was born in 1930 and became a monk in 1943. He conducted a six-year solitary retreat, after which he went to Japan for further study and obtained a doctorate in Buddhist literature at Rissho University. In 1975, he began sharing the Dharma in the US, and in 1989, founded the Dharma Drum Lineage of Chan Buddhism.
He authored more than 100 publications in Chinese, English, and Japanese, and received the Sun Yat-sen Art and Literary Award, the Sun Yat-sen Academic Award, and the Presidential Cultural Award, among other honorary awards.
He proposed the vision of “uplifting the character of humanity and building a pure land on earth,” founded the Chung Hwa Institute of Buddhist Studies, Dharma Drum Buddhist College, Dharma Drum Sangha University, and Dharma Drum University. Experienced in Chan using correct approaches, he guided practice in both the West and East. Popularizing the Dharma in modern language, the Master initiated movements including Protecting the Spiritual Environment, Four Kinds of Environmentalism, the Fivefold Spiritual Renaissance Campaign, and the Six Ethics of the Mind. He shared the Dharma globally with a broadminded perspective, winning him worldwide recognition.
The Thirty-seven Aids to Enlightenment are a set of fundamental teachings of Buddhism in the form of a list. The list’s seeming simplicity belies the fact that it is in fact a kind of road map to enlightenment for anyone who follows it with diligence and sincerity. The Thirty-seven Aids comprise seven practices conducive to awakening. Each of the seven practices is itself a set of elements, which add up to the total of thirty-seven: (1) The Four Foundations of Mindfulness, (2) The Four Proper Exertions, (3) The Four Steps to Magical Powers, (4) The Five Roots, (5) The Five Powers, (6) The Seven Factors of Enlightenment, and (7) The Noble Eightfold Path. Master Sheng Yen’s down-to-earth teachings take the reader on a progression through each of the practices—many of which are familiar to all major schools of Buddhism—illustrating how they relate to the reader’s own practice on the path toward enlightenment.
To my knowledge there are no anthologies of Ch’an poetry in Chinese, Japanese or English which describe in detail the method of practice and the experience of Ch’an Furthermore, there are few prose sources in English dealing with the same topics On the other hand, there are numerous books in English that relate the episodes of the kung-ans(koans)The prevailing view that comes from reading these stories is that the practice of Ch’an is methodless, and since there is no way to describe the experience of Ch’an, it is suggested that we just go ahead and practice by studying the kung-ans The purpose of these poems is different in that they specifically show you how to practice, what attitudes to cultivate and what pitfalls to beware of Finally, they attempt to describe the ineffable experience of Ch’an itself These poems flow directly from the minds of the enlightened Ch’an masters; we get a glimpse into their experience at the time of, and after their enlightenment In contrast, in reading a kung-an we get an objective story of what happened and we don’t really know what was in their minds. It is my hope that this collection of poems will give those who are interested in the practice a new way of looking at Ch’an and a more balanced view of the scope of Ch’an literature The present selection is offered to make this tradition available to Western readers who may otherwise not be aware of their existence.
Huatou is a skillful method for breaking through the prison of mental habits into the spacious mind of enlightenment. The huatou is a confounding question much like a Zen koan. Typical ones are 「What is wu (nothingness)?」 or 「What was my original face before birth-and-death? 」 But a huatou is unlike a koan in that the aim is not to come up with an answer. The practice is simple: ask yourself your huatou relentlessly, in meditation as well as in every other activity. Don’t give up on it; don’t try to think your way to an answer. Resolve to live with the sensation of doubt that arises, and it will pervade your entire existence with a sense of profound wonder, ultimately leading to the shattering of the sense of an independent self. Master Sheng Yen brings the traditional practice to life in this practical guide based on talks he gave during a series of huatou retreats. He teaches the method in detail, giving advice for dealing with the typical pitfalls and problems that arise, and answering retreat participants’ questions as they experience the practice themselves. He then offers commentary on four classic huatou texts, grounding his instructions in the teaching of the great Chan masters.
Master Sheng-Yen has devoted much of his life to spreading the teachings of Chinese Buddhism—a practice that antedates the more familiar Japanese and Tibetan traditions—throughout the world. He became known in the United States after he began founding meditation centers here in 1980. Now in his late seventies, he tells the remarkable story of his life and spiritual education in FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW. From descriptions of the private world of Buddhist masters to first-hand accounts of Chinese history, it is a rare document that is both an important look at China’s past and a compelling spiritual journey across a lifetime. Sheng-Yen’s story is of a life lived in the last years of the Republic of China, the Sino-Japanese War, and the founding of the People’s Republic of China. An eye-opening slice of modern history as well as an authoritative introduction to an ancient religious tradition, FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW will appeal to spiritual seekers, travelers who want to understand more about China, or anyone looking for a fascinating story.
From The Preface By Dan Stevenson EN. SHENG YEH is a master in the Caodong and Linji lineages of Chan〈Zen〉 school, who for twenty five years now has been guiding students from Taiwan, the United States, and Europe in the practice of Chan Buddhism. Hoofprint of the Ox provides a systematic introduction ─ in Sheng yen,s own words ─ to the principles that inform his particular style of Chan training.... In the final analysis, it is an unabashedly normative work ─ a book on Chan practice addressed to an English speaking audience with a personal interest in Buddhism. To the extent that this audience is also primarily Western, Hoofprint is more than passive report of Sheng yen,s personal convictions. It situates those convictions in responsive relation to specific expectations about Chen practice current among Western students, with specific points to be made.