One Thing - Zen Mirror (Sep-Oct 2011)

8/3/2019 One Thing - Zen Mirror (Sep-Oct 2011)

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MICA (P) 042/05/2011

Upcoming Actvites

禅林活动表

avender 劳明达/9 7.00pm – 9.30pm

9th Zen Meditaon Course for

eginners - by Ven. Chi Boon

6 lessons – please register)

禅修班：第六十九期开课，由

继闻法师教导（共六课,请报名）

1/9 6.30pm – 9.30pm

YCL 21st Anniversary

elebraon

庆祝观音禅林成立二十一周年

联欢晚会

/11 & 6/11 7.30pm – 9.30pm

en Dance Therapy Workshop

禅舞工作坊

/11 7.30pm – 9.30pm

azz / Blues by B3 Conspiracy

heme: Out of calm sllness

爵士音乐会：来自平静心灵的

音符

/11 - 15/11

-day Zen Meditaon Retreat

ed by Zen Master Dae Kwang

USA)

参禅精进七日修

由美国大光禅师领导

A bi-monthly newsletter brought to you by Kwan Yin Chan Lin • Singapore • Sep - Oct 2011

1

Buddhism teaches us that everything

is just “One Thing”. In fact, Zen

means become one. However, our du-

alistic thinking has us conceiving of

the world as a vast array of opposites:

good/bad, us/them, win/lose, subject/

object, life/death etc. This forms the

basis of our ignorance—we think of

ourselves and everything else as sepa-

rate. This leads to our experience of

alienation and suffering, and all of our

misguided attempts to solve our prob-

lems through satisfying our desires.

Buddha taught that our desires were

the source of our suffering. As Zen

Master Seung Sahn said, “Thinking is

desire; desire leads to suffering.” So,

if we can let go of our opposites think-

ing, its possible to return to our True

Self and then help the world.

Hui Neng, the Sixth Patriarch of Zen

and the founder of modern Zen, spent

many years in hiding after he received

transmission from the Fifth Patri-

arch. One day it came to him that he

shouldn’t live a secluded life all the

time; it was time for him to propagate

the Dharma. So, he left the forest and

traveled to the famous Dharma Nature

Temple in the city of Gwang Chou, in

southern China. At that time a Bhik-khu named Yen Chung, a Master of

the Dharma, happened to be giving a

series of lectures on the Maha Parinir-

vana Sutra. Hui Neng happened to over-

hear two monks who were arguing about

a temple ag, blowing in the wind. One

said the wind was moving, the other said

the ag was moving. They argued back

and forth futilely. “It’s not the wind or the

ag that’s moving,” Hui Neng said, “its

your minds that are moving.”

The whole assembly was awed by what

Hui Neng said. The Bhikkhu Yen Chung

then invited Hui Neng to take a seat of

honor and questioned him about various

difcult points in the Sutras. Seeing that

his answers were precise and accurate and

that they showed something more than

book-knowledge, he said, “Lay Brother,

you must be an extraordinary man. I was

told long ago that the inheritor of the Fifth

Patriarch’s robe and bowl, and the Dhar-ma had come to the South, very likely you

are that man.”

To this Hui Neng politely assented. The

monk immediately bowed and asked Hui

Neng to show the assembly the robe and

bowl. He further asked what the Fifth

Patriarch had taught him. “Apart from a

discussion on the realization of True Na-

ture,” Hui Neng replied, “he gave me no

other instruction, nor did he refer to medi-

tation or liberation.”

“Why not?” the monk asked.

>> continue on page 7

禅修弘法大会2011

Zen Conference & Workshop

2011

@新达城Suntec Convention Centre

5 & 6 Nov 201111月5至6日

大光禅师（美国）Zen Master Dae

Kwang (USA)

宇峰禅师（波兰）Zen Master Wu Bong

(Poland)

汤姆斯帕斯德指导

老师（美国）Thom Pastor JDPSN

(USA)

释继闻法师Ven. Shih Chi Boon

JDPS

主讲者Speakers



In Zen Buddhism, it is often said that everything is impermanent. Thoughts arise, take hold of our consciousness

for a while and then dissipate. That is why in Zen, great emphasis is placed on accessing “the moment”. If we

are lost in our thinking, then the precision and intelligence that is this very moment is gone forever. In a sense we

have traded reality for a daydream. Daydreams fall into one of the two categories. They are either a projection

of some perceived event in the future or a memory of the past. In either case, they have no substance. They are

mental movies and as such are simply residue.

When musicians play jazz, a unique similarity / opportunity exists. Sure there are constructs such as melody,

rhythm and harmony. Concomitant to that, it can be said that in everyday life there are mundane responsibilities

such as paying our bills on time, obeying trafc signals, both as a pedestrian and while driving, and being

courteous in all situations. My teacher, Zen Master Seung Sahn, often used phrases like “when driving, only

drive”. In effect he was telling us not to be lost in our mental movies but remain alert to the task at hand. That

could be said about anything: brushing our teeth, putting on our clothes, preparing dinner, and yes, doing thedishes afterwards.

Let’s turn back to music. When a jazz musician improvises, although the melody, chord changes and rhythm

are xed, the art of instantaneous composition relies heavily on being in the moment and just listening to the

other musicians and gleaning inspiration from each other. If your improvisation is reduced to patterns that you

developed in the practice room, creativity is stied. In other words, you’ve essentially already made up your mind

as to what you are going to play.

Music is greater than any singular manifestation of the impulse to compose. It arises out of the sacred. It is similar

to the way sculptors will note that the uncarved block of stone already contains an inherent shape. Their role is

simply to allow the shape to surface.

The members of our group, the B3 Conspiracy, are looking forward to sharing our musical energy and jazz

improvisation with the people of Singapore come November.



第一流的舞蹈。只是去做，可以吗？

学生：有时候我真被您的没有好、没有不好给搞糊涂了。

秀峰禅师：没有好，没有不好。给我好与不好，你就制造了好与不好。有好，有不好，那只是我们的知见。有好，有不好，倘若你执着好与不好，好与不好会贻误你。明白吗？没有好，

没有不好。你怎么运用“好”？你怎么运用“不好”？所以，只是去做。

有部经典记载，一位禅师对他的大弟子说：“若你证入这部经，你就会证得佛陀的头与菩提达摩的心。”弟子回答：“感谢师父，但我不需要。”禅师接着问道：“为什么？难道你不想要佛陀的头与菩提达摩的心吗？”弟子回答：“不，谢谢您。我已经有一个头与一颗心，两个是没有必要的。”于是，大禅师便传法于他，因为他已经拥有“足够的心”。意思就是时时刻刻，这个世界已经足够了。若你的心清明，这个世界就足够了。

舞蹈

学生：我们是香港芭蕾舞蹈团的成员。我们每天都很努力地提升自己，使自己的舞蹈跳得更好。您曾经说过舞蹈没有好与不好。那么，我们努力提升舞艺，要成为更好的舞者，又有什么意义

呢？秀峰禅师：没有任何意义。那么，你为何去做呢？

学生：因为这是我的工作，他们付我薪水让我跳舞。

秀峰禅师：他们付你薪水让你跳舞，不是让你思考好或不好。所以，只是去做。你说他们付你薪水跳舞，那就只是跳舞吧。他们并没有付你薪水决定好的舞蹈与不好的舞蹈。他们给你薪水只是要你跳舞而已。如果你只是跳舞，这就是第一。但是，如果你有好和不好，你就做不到，就不能成为百分百的舞者。因为当你在跳舞时想着：“啊，跳得真好。”这已经错了，已经失去了跳舞的精神。百分百地跳舞就是

秀峰禅师

This November will mark my third trip to beautiful Singapore. The sheer poetic beauty of the environment here

in Singapore is transformative. As a musician, I nd that the energy produced by Singapore’s multi-cultural and

ethnic diversity, layered within the context of the exquisite beauty of the country, inspires my compositional

skills. Having been to Sentosa Island twice now, I nd myself eagerly looking forward to a third visit.

Visiting there, I am struck by the recorded history of this fascinating and majestic place, which sadly alsowitnessed much suffering in the annals of Singapore’s past. The aftermath of human suffering always brings with

it lessons. These lessons are oftentimes steeped in sadness and mental anguish as well as in hope, hope with a

vision for a future that is peaceful.

Sentosa Island with its magnicent nature exhibits, exotic butteries, colourful fauna and an exquisite beach that

literally breathes the name Sentosa – peace and tranquility – serves as a perennial hope, not just for Singapore but

for a world which in many respects has sadly lost its way.

“Sentosa Sunrise” was inspired by both the grandeur and interesting history of this magnicent place.

Sentosa Sunrise Thom Pastor

3

Inspiration to compose this piece of music *

* Specially for the Jazz/Blues concert on Nov 7, Suntec City Theatre Hall (level 2), Thom Pastor has composed amusic piece dedicated to Sentosa Island – Sentosa Sunrise.



When I read Shifu’s write-up “Mind-Painter” in the last

edition of this newsletter, I found myself unable to let

it go. Usually, I would nish the newsletters and then

promptly put them aside. However, this time, I found

myself doing something rather odd. I kept going back

to pick it up again and again. Was it because it’s written

by Shifu, which is rather rare? With each read, it seems

as if the wisps of mist might just clear long enoughto reveal that which it hides. But just as quickly, the

tantalizing sight is gone and my vision is once more

blocked. And yet, it is very much my compass for the

moment.

Maybe it’s like a kind of glaucoma of the soul. But

fortunately glaucoma is easily treated. It often takes just

one tiny cut to correct the vision.

First cut - Shifu said “…. In our mind…an illusion

created from the fusion of causes and conditions. It is

just an illusion. It will disappear when the causes and

conditions disappear.” How do I make the causes and

conditions disappear thereby dispelling the illusion?

Second cut - Shifu’s article was extremely timely. It

resonates completely with my life situation at present.

You see, I kind of woke up one day and decided that my

life up to the present needed to be given an extremely

thorough spring-cleaning.

And so, with an attitude of hern-hern-de, take-no-

prisoners approach, I either threw or gave away thestuff that I accumulated. I wanted to see where that

would leave me. Who am I then without all the things

that have gone to dene me? Who is this me that will

remain? This mind that Shifu has spoken of, what will

it do now?

And so, it has been a very interesting exercise. My

place now echoes as empty places do. This is when I

ask myself, “Who created this ‘me’ up to this point?”

Answer: Who else but me, right? And, of course, that

also means that Shifu was right (of course, he is right).

It is I who have allowed my mind to think myself

into this person, dened by this label, surrounded by

all these trappings that have gone into making this

‘persona’ real. But am I real? I rather think not. Up to

this point, I felt like I am cleaning the slate. I can go any

which way now and be an entirely and totally different

person, one who strives to be a better person. But hold

on, have I just allowed myself to be caught yet again in

the illusion of being another ‘me’?

So maybe that’s why I keep homing in on Shifu’s next

statement: “After perceiving clearly the truth, it is an


ONLY

IF

Cate Lai



人生的重要目标，就是“了解自己”。人生的意义、生活的目标，沒比“了解自己”更可贵。但是多数人都为物质所驱，而忽视自己宝贵的生命，与难得的人身擦身而过，就这样日复一日，年复一年地追求着、污染着…，心中的烦恼

山也随着年龄的增长而越积越高！其实生命很短暂，只要一口气“吸”不进，

今生就结束了，而來生是否能得人身，还是个未知数。

佛说人身难得。今能得人身，实在是非常非常的艰难。佛曾用盲龟比喻得人身难。《杂阿含经》卷15曰：有一盲龟寿无量劫，百年一出其头，海中有浮木，止有一孔，漂流海浪，随风东西。盲龟浮木，虽复差违，或复相得。愚痴凡夫漂流五趣，暂复人身，甚难于彼所以得人身比盲龟的头在茫茫大海中，穿出漂浮在海上木板的洞孔，还来得艰难。人身难得今已得，但是何时才有“时间”了解自己呢？世间流传着一句话：年老时力不从心，中年时物不足心，那到底人们什么时候才有时间认识自己本来的面目呢?

出生一张纸，开始一辈子毕业一张纸，奋斗一辈子

婚姻一张纸，折磨一辈子做官一张纸，斗争一辈子金钱一张纸，辛苦一辈子荣誉一张纸，虚名一辈子

人生一辈子，至多不过百年，即三万六千五百日。与其迷茫地为以上几张纸奔波忙碌，身心受苦，倒不如给自己时间去淡化这些纸，超越这辈子。佛陀苦行六年成道，达摩祖师九年面壁，而我们给自己多少时间“了解自己”呢？要做好万全的准备，必须真正全然地活在当下。安住当下之功夫纯熟者，不会去忧惧死亡的到来。

人生没有几个十年，眼下不妨问问自己翻过几张纸了。再看看自己一天24小时里，可曾抽出半小时观照自己，看辛苦工作一整天后，內心是充满着纠缠不清的欲望与垢秽，还是清净、平静的喜悦。

>> continued from page 4

释

空

明

individual’s choice how to lead one’s life. It is like a painter, unable to know his mind, yet from the mind he paints.” This is what keeps me going back again and again to the article.

I am now at a point where I am very likely to do a total turnaround with respect to my job, my passion, my hobbies,

and especially the pictures that I paint. I don’t intend to paint another picture just yet. I think the most profound

thing I did was burning the paintings that I have created to-date. By burning them, I wanted to return them to where

they came from and that is, from that void where all ideas arise. And so now in this emptied space in my house, I

sit and for a change, I create these paintings in my mind. I am not picking up pen or brush. But truth be told, there

remains one particular painting that I could not yet bear to burn. Here it is…a 9 feet by 5 feet painting that seems to

sum up some things… so now you know why I say the mist remains to cloud the truth that is so tantalizingly near.

Oh, to be able to really let everything go -– every single attachment. And to live in that state of perpetual great

potential where anything is possible simply because nothing exists to box you in! Where it is just pure mind alone.That mind that creates, destroys or maintains. If only!



新大厦进展 Building Progress。缘起。曾经这样问过继闻法师：“师父，您为什么要‘搞’这么多东西？”师父都已到“退休年龄”，体力也不比从前，这个时候还“搞”个八层楼高的禅林大厦，负债累累，真是“自讨苦吃”。师父回

答道：“有人拿了买卖土地的传单给我，我觉得在芽笼这个地方，已经有很多寺庙了。。。那人却说：‘但芽笼没有禅中心呀！’”于是，因缘就这样定了下来。

。进展。很欣喜地看到禅林大厦已盖到八层楼高了，更欣慰地看到大家之前所捐出的每一笔善款，现在已发挥着重要的作用。每一次的筹款活动，都让人感受到，您的每一笔捐款都代表着您对“正法弘传”的殷重护持。因此，您的每一笔捐款，都审慎使用于禅林大厦的建设。承蒙诸位护法大德之护持，至今大厦已完成外部八层楼的建筑结构，接下来将着重于内部的建设，预计今年底将完工。

。我愿无穷。万分感慨，就因为有了师父的坚持与魄力，以及佛友们的齐心合力，才让大家看到一个从无到八层楼

高的禅林大厦外观。正所谓：虚空有尽，我愿无穷！这都有赖于大家的布施、捐赠、帮忙，也为自己的未来种下了许许多多的善因。感恩师父“搞”了这么多东西，尤其是在新加坡这个地方，“搞”个禅中心还真不容易啊！

。脉脉相续。禅林大厦的营建工程，交由Actus Builders私人有限公司承包，于去年2010年4月开始动工。整个建筑工程耗资高达400多万新元。目前尚欠100多万元的经费还未筹足，这还不包括日后的运作开销等等。这座禅修中心，目前需要凝聚大众的力量，方能顺利如期完工。盼望大家，能够给予观音禅林最慷慨的支助，做最后的冲刺！参与建寺的机会难逢，利于千秋万代的护教伟业，诸佛欢颜，龙天赞叹。让我们继续护持佛陀的慧灯，让它脉脉相续！

。活动。为了让禅林大厦的建设能如期完工，观音禅林将在来临的11月举办一系列的活动，包括禅修弘法大会、美国爵士音乐会、韩国禅舞工作坊等等。希望借此更进一步的推动禅林大厦的筹款。届时，希望大家踊跃参与，共沾法喜！

最后祝愿大家，六时吉祥。

The Beginning

A question was forwarded to Venerable Chi Boon, “Shifu, why do you want to do so many things?” The Abbot has

reached his retirement age and he may not be as energetic physically as before. To build an eight-storey construction

at this time is a hefty responsibility and it seems to be “self-torturing”. Shifu replied, “Someone showed me a sales

yer and I felt that there were already many temples in Geylang area… However, that person exclaimed, ‘But there

is no Zen centre!’” Hence, this marks its beginning.

The Progress

We are pleased that the New Zen Centre is now eight storeys tall and every single donation by each person has played

an important role in this project. Every contribution in each fundraising activity has signied your strong support

for the propagation of Dharma. The building fund has been monitored and spent carefully for the New Zen Centre’s

construction. Due to your great support, the external structure of the eight-storey building has been completed. The

next phase will focus on the internal construction. It is estimated that the building should be ready by the end of this

year.

Infnite Vow

We are very grateful to Shifu, as his persistence and resolution, together with the collective effort of Dharma friends,

enable us to witness the building of this eight-storey New Zen Centre from scratch. As the saying goes, “Space is

limiting but my vow is innite!” By practising dana (giving) and extending help in this meaningful project, everyone

has also planted seeds of merits for the future. Much gratitude goes to Shifu for “doing” so many things as this is

really not an easy task, especially in Singapore.


New Zen Centre



having two ways. From the point of view of ordinary

people, the component parts of a personality (the skan-

dhas) and factors of consciousness (the dhatus) are two

separate things, but enlightened people understand that

they are not dual in nature. Buddha-nature is non-dual.”

Around the time of Hui Neng, Chinese Buddhism beganto develop a very interesting technique which allows us

to directly experience this non-dual nature, the world of

“One Thing”. This technique is the Kong-an. Here is a

kong-an for you:

A long time ago in China a monk asked Zen Master Kuei

Shan, “What is the meaning of all the Sutras?”

Kuei Shan didn’t say anything, he just raised his st.

So, I ask you, if there is just One Thing, what was Kuei

Shan’s meaning? Quick, tell me! Thinking isn’t going

to help you.


Incessant

The construction of the New Zen Centre was awarded to Actus Builders Pte Ltd. The project started last April with

an estimated construction cost of S$4 million. Currently, there is still a shortfall of over $1 million, which does not

include any provision for operational expenses. KYCL relies on the unied effort from everybody to complete the

construction. We earnestly appeal to your generous support in this nal lap. The chance to participate in KYCL’s

construction is rare and the gift of Dharma is supreme. May the light of Buddha’s wisdom be incessantly, and

inexhaustibly, supported and protected!

Activities

To ensure the completion of the New Zen Centre, KYCL has organised a series of fundraising activities this November,

namely, the Zen Conference and Workshop, a Jazz concert, a Korean Zen Dance workshop, to raise more funds. We

deeply appreciate your warm participation as you immerse in the joy of Dharma!

Lastly, may all be well and happy!


TO DATE

至今已有

1290SHARES

3650新加入的名单李施桦吴谊莲Tan Qiu Shi

Sherlyn

王淑琴郑锦成（已故）林俊龙

黄亚月

陈梓扬陈舜婷Balamurunan Muni-

yandi吴亚妹Seah Soo Boon

潘炎萍Su Bee Liang

陈沛杉

儿童扑满

陈国兴（已故）邢汉昭

Wong Hong Kian

郑正德

陈维鹏陈銘釧（已故）

Tan Hua Moy 484

观音禅林新道场动工赞助人Sponsors for Commencement of Construction of New Zen Centre

7

“Because that would mean two ways,” Hui Neng re-

plied. “Buddha Dharma does not have two ways.”

He asked, “What is the Buddhism without two ways?”

Hui Neng explained, “The Maha Parinirvana Sutra,

which you expound, explains that Buddha-naturedoesn’t have two ways. In the Sutra, King Ko Kwai

Tak, a Bodhisattva, asked Buddha if those who carry

out gross acts of misconduct, commit the ve dead-

ly sins, or spread heretical teaching would destroy

their ‘element of goodness’ and their Buddha-nature.

Buddha replied, ‘There are two kinds of ‘element

of goodness’, the eternal and the non-eternal. Since

Buddha-nature is neither eternal nor non-eternal,

therefore their “element of goodness” is not eradi-

cated.’ Now, Buddhism is known as not having two

ways. There are good ways and evil ways, but since

Buddha-nature is neither, Buddhism is known for not



双月刊/第六十五期赠阅

精神领导：崇山禅师

住持：释继闻法师主编：廖伟权

出版：观音禅林

印刷：谦泰印刷出版有限公司

Bi-monthly Issue / Issue No. 65

Spiritual Leader : Zen Master Seung Sahn

Abbot : Ven. Chi BoonEditor : Leow Wee Kheng

Printer : Qiantai Printing &

Publishing Pte. Ltd.

(T) 6743 0478

Publisher : Kwan Yin Chan Lin

[email protected]://www.kyclzen.org

Kwan Yin Chan Lin203C Lavender Street, Singapore 338763(T) +65 6392 0265 (F) +65 6392 4256

Pengerang International ZenMeditation Centre

Lot. 109 Telok Ramunia, 81620Pengerang Johor

(T) 0207 826 4848

Documents

One Thing - Zen Mirror (Sep-Oct 2011)