Fayun
Fayun | |
|---|---|
| Title | Ch'an-shih |
| Personal | |
| Born | 1933 Jiangxi province, China |
| Died | 2003 (aged 69–70) |
| Religion | Buddhism |
| School | YunmenCh'an |
| Senior posting | |
| Teacher | Hsu Yun |
Venerable MasterFayun(also romanized asFa Yun) (Traditional Chinese: Pháp vân pháp sư; Simplified Chinese: Pháp vân pháp sư; Pinyin: Fǎ Yún Fǎ Shī) (1933–2003) was a Chinese Buddhist monk and thirteenth generation successor in theYunmen( vân môn; Cloud Gate) lineage of the Chan (Zen) school ofChinese Buddhism.
Early life and monkhood
[edit]Master Fayun was born in 1933 in Jiangxi province, China. Hislay namewasYu Heng-sheng.He entered the Buddhist monastic order at thirteen years of age and received the religious nameFayunmeaningDharma Cloud(Cloud of the Buddha's Teachings).
He was a disciple of the eminent Chinese monkHsu Yun( hư vân; Pinyin: Xuyun) (1840–1959) and was also one of his personal attendants who served him, most notably during theYunmen incidentin 1951-52 when Master Hsu Yun and his monks were beaten and tortured by thugs that surrounded Yunmen Monastery ( vân môn tự; Yunmen Si) inShaoguan,Guangdongprovince, soon after the Communist Revolution in China.[1][2]
Coming to the West
[edit]In 1969, Master Fayun came to the United States at the invitation of a Buddhist devotee to teachChan Buddhism(i.e.Zen Buddhism) andPure Land Buddhismin America. In 1974, he founded the Grace Gratitude Buddhist Temple ( mỹ quốc nữu ước phật ân tự; Meiguo Niuyue Fo'en Si) in New York City. Today, it is one of the oldest Chinese Buddhist temples in the city. Starting in 1985, he served as a liaison coordinator for theWorld Buddhist Sangha Council( thế giới phật giáo tăng già hội; Shijie Fojiao Sengqie Hui). From 1979 to 2002, he served as vice president of the American Buddhist Confederation ( mỹ quốc phật giáo liên hợp hội; Meiguo Fojiao Lianhe Hui). Master Fayun was known by all for his utmost compassion towards all people and living beings.
Passing
[edit]Master Fayun died on September 25, 2003. Soon after his cremation, manyrelics(Sanskrit:Sarira;Chinese: Sheli xá lợi; Tibetan:Ringsel), round pellet-size material that look like beads, crystals, or pearls of any color that are found in the cremated ashes of those who are believed to possess advanced spiritual qualities, were discovered amongst his cremains. The cremains were brought back to Yunmen Monastery in Guangdong province, China in November 2003 and they, along with some of his relics, were finally interred into a memorialstupathere in 2004.
References
[edit]- ^Xu Yun (Author); Luk, Charles (Translator); Hunn, Richard (Revised & edited): "Empty Cloud: The Autobiography of the Chinese Zen Master Xu Yun", pages 138-140. Element Books, 1988,ISBN1-85230-031-0
- ^Venerable Master Hsuan Hua (Composed by); Buddhist Text Translation Society/Dharma Realm Buddhist University (Translator): "A Pictorial Biography of the Venerable Master Hsu Yun, Vol. 1", pages 433-435. Dharma Realm Buddhist University, 1983,ISBN0-88139-008-9
External links
[edit]- https://archive.today/20130203011652/http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040120/LIFE/301209962&cid=sitesearch"Pilgrimage for a Venerated Man: Two men join sacred mission to return ashes of revered Buddhist monk to his native China", by Harry Leong, Special to The Standard Times, page B1, January 20, 2004
