Mind Ground – SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR)

Venerable Old Master Xu Yun [虚云]: No Difference Between a Monk and a Lay-Person! (14.10.2023)

14/10/2023 Adrian (釋大道)

For instance, by cross-referencing the below May 1955 Dharma-Talk with the text of ‘Empty Cloud’ for that year – a more all-round picture can be built of exactly what was happening and how Master Xu Yun was reacting to it. To be clear, Master Xu Yun was adamant that an ordained Buddhist monastic must follow ALL the rules of the Vinaya Discipline and that a lay-person must follow a least five, eight or ten of the basic vows contained in the Vinaya Discipline. This is a practical distinction Master Xu Yun upheld – as he rejected the Japanese Zen tradition of monks being allowed to eat meat, drink alcohol and get married. Such individuals are ‘lay-people’ and NOT monks. This being the case, what is Master Xu Yun referring to when he states that there is ‘no difference’ between the ordained Sangha and the laity?

Email: Daoism – ‘Advanced Class’ (13.10.2020)

13/10/2020 Adrian (釋大道)

Furthermore, the mind and body can be ‘ill’ whilst the empty mind ground remains pristine and untouched by such worldly machinations. Therefore, as the Cao Dong Masters say – there is something that is never ill. As regards whether I agree or disagree – although I have opinions, I find myself in a position of being where neither makes any sense whilst in the presence of others. If the empty mind ground is fully realised, all Daoist knowledge will be yours and your martial arts practice transformed. I help Master Zhao Ming Wang (of Beijing) as a duty in recognition great grandfather who taught Charles Luk – but Charles had a different approach he learned directly from Zhao Bichen. Zhao Bichen recognised the superiority of the Ch’an method, but thought that most Chinese people could not achieve this objective, whereas they could (and would) submit to the culturally familiar rituals of Daoist methodology. Zhao Bichen, as a nod to modern logic and reason, did update much of the Daoist instruction – replacing many of the obscure Daoist idioms with terms used within Western anatomy and physiology.

Email: Why Did the Buddha Cross the Road? (8.10.2020)

08/10/2020 Adrian (釋大道)

None of this madness indicates the empty mind ground.
Going places changes scenery in-front and behind…
But perception remains non-purified and shallow.
It is better to say that none of these words contain any structure!

The Hua Tou and Pain Management

29/08/2018 Adrian (釋大道)

The sensing of external stimuli from the material world enters the body through the senses-organs. The body often responds with involuntary or unconscious bio-chemical processes

Dharmakaya, Mind Ground, and Void

25/01/2015 Adrian (釋大道)

Nagarjuna – who read virtually all the known Buddhist sutras of his time, deduced that the Buddha was teaching from this philosophical position – which by necessity – has no position.

The Difference Between Gong-an and Ko-an Practice

15/12/2014 Adrian (釋大道)

It is bizarre to consider that as Japan descended into fascism and racism prior to WWII – the distorted, nationalistic Zen Buddhism of that time was popular in the West amongst intellectuals, despite a number of its masters expressing openly hostile attitudes toward the Western people. It is even more bizarre to consider that after WWII – many of these very same masters remained popular as they quietly pushed their formerly racist rhetoric into the background, and applied a more ‘neutral’ policy toward the acquisition of Enlightenment.

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