: Mirror Pond on Mount Taibo in Shanxi){kind=link}
Venerable Master Xu Yun (Empty Cloud): Mirror Pond on Mount Taibo in Shanxi
Photo: Venerable Master Xu Yun (aka Empty Cloud) in Beijing, Guang Ji Monastery. Master Xu Yun (1840 – 1959) was a renowned Chinese Chan master and one of the most influential Buddhist teachers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Although he was a Chinese Buddhist, he traveled over to Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam, as well as Tibet and taught his teachings there. He was well received in Southeast Asian countries and drew a considerable number of followers. When the Chinese communist government established the Chinese Buddhist Association in 1953 in order to centralize all Buddhist communities, Xu Yun was elected as one of four honorary chairmen together with Dalai Lama, the Panchen Lama, and the Grand Lama of Inner Mongolia. Xu Yun was one of a small number of contemporary Chinese Buddhists who made significant contribution to the development of Buddhism in Southeast Asia. Although he was less known in the West, he was considered as one of the greatest Buddhist teachers and a bodhisattva in Southeast Asia, particularly in Vietnam and Myanmar. As with other religious teachings, truth in his Buddhist teachings contributed to the spiritual awakening of people beyond social, racial, political, and cultural differences.
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The water and my mind have both settled down
Into perfect stillness.
Sun and moon shine bright in it.
At night I see in the surface
The enormous face of my old familiar moon.
I don't think you've ever met the source of this reflection.
All shrillness fades into the sound of silence.
But now and then a puff of mist floats across the mirror.
It confuses me a little
But not enough to make me forget to forget my cares.
(Venerable Master Xu Yun)
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Recommended Reading:
'Buddhism: A Concise Introduction'
by Huston Smith (Author), Philip Novak (Author)
Purchase Book:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Description:
Bookshelves abound with introductions to Buddhism, many written by luminaries and spiritual giants of the faith. But this primer co-written by Smith, whose magnum opus The World's Religions has sold more than two million copies, is distinguished by its gentlemanly erudition and thoughtful attention to Buddhist diversity. The book's first half is an expanded and updated version of the Buddhism sections of The World's Religions and was penned by Smith. Special attention is given to Theravada Buddhism, which "was overshadowed by Mahayana" in the original version; one chapter provides a helpful side-by-side chart illuminating the basic differences between the traditions, while the next features an in-depth discussion of Theravada's influence in South Asia and its emphasis on insight meditation. The primer's all-new second half-written by Smith's former doctoral student Novak-presents the story of Buddhism in the West, discussing its multifaceted presence in the United States. While Novak devotes time to the rise of Buddhism in Germany, England and France, it is clear that he finds the "New Buddhism" of America, with its emphasis on lay involvement, social engagement and the cross-pollination between Buddhist traditions, to be the source of the most exciting contemporary innovations. Smith's helpful afterword gauges the rising importance of Pure Land Buddhism in America, though this vital information should have merited a full chapter. Novak and Smith's collaboration is a fine contribution to the admittedly crowded corpus of introductions to Buddhism: the strokes are broad, the writing style engaging and the chapters short and accessible.
'Buddhism: A Concise Introduction'
by Huston Smith (Author), Philip Novak (Author)
Purchase Book:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Description:
Bookshelves abound with introductions to Buddhism, many written by luminaries and spiritual giants of the faith. But this primer co-written by Smith, whose magnum opus The World's Religions has sold more than two million copies, is distinguished by its gentlemanly erudition and thoughtful attention to Buddhist diversity. The book's first half is an expanded and updated version of the Buddhism sections of The World's Religions and was penned by Smith. Special attention is given to Theravada Buddhism, which "was overshadowed by Mahayana" in the original version; one chapter provides a helpful side-by-side chart illuminating the basic differences between the traditions, while the next features an in-depth discussion of Theravada's influence in South Asia and its emphasis on insight meditation. The primer's all-new second half-written by Smith's former doctoral student Novak-presents the story of Buddhism in the West, discussing its multifaceted presence in the United States. While Novak devotes time to the rise of Buddhism in Germany, England and France, it is clear that he finds the "New Buddhism" of America, with its emphasis on lay involvement, social engagement and the cross-pollination between Buddhist traditions, to be the source of the most exciting contemporary innovations. Smith's helpful afterword gauges the rising importance of Pure Land Buddhism in America, though this vital information should have merited a full chapter. Novak and Smith's collaboration is a fine contribution to the admittedly crowded corpus of introductions to Buddhism: the strokes are broad, the writing style engaging and the chapters short and accessible.
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