RHACS – SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR)

My New English Translation of the Yijing!

UK: Honouring Richard Hunn – My Finished Translation of the Book of Change! (4.5.2026)

04/05/2026 Adrian (釋大道)

I was studying the reading (interpretation) of ancient and traditional Chinese ideograms with my teacher – Richard Hunn (1949-2006) – between 1989 and 2006 (as a private student). An offshoot of this was the mastering of the modern (simplified) Chinese text and its corresponding “pinyin” (spell-hear) phonetic alphabet. Since 1949, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has worked wonders reversing the 90% illiteracy-rate and turning it completely around. Today, throughout the entirety of China (a big place) around 90% of the people are literate with some elderly and/or disabled people suffering various (understandable) barriers to being able to read and write. In these cases, various literate citizens are tasked with reading and writing for these individuals – so as to ensure that all their rights are fully pursued and applied under the 1956 Socialist Constitution (and its various updates and improvements).

Master Shao Yun (1938-2022) - Disciple of Master Xu Yun (1840-1959)

Ch’an Buddhism – Sit But Do Not Wobble! (5.5.2025)

05/05/2025 Adrian (釋大道)

Nowadays, the situation of Ch’an Buddhism in China is precarious. This is because the Ch’an Path is difficult to follow and is not easy to practice. Of course, there are many people who chant the Buddha’s Name and practice Tantric Buddhism – but there are very few who are truly able to practice Ch’an. Many temples focus on building Buddha Chanting Halls which are popular – with the required practice relatively simple to perform – whilst the establishment of disciplined Ch’an Halls are rare. Even if some temples have established Ch’an Halls, but these places often lack dedicated teachers and practitioners who will sit in meditation for long periods of time – and forget about the body and environment. It should be noted that the inheritance of Buddhism in China is largely due to the talents cultivated in Ch’an Halls.

Ch’an Dialectics

22/12/2016 Adrian (釋大道)

This is the latest Ch’an Digest put out through RHACS – a no nonsense Chinese Ch’an research and study group in the UK, that rejects the Western ‘mystification’ of this quintessential Chinese school of dialectical thought.

Master Xu Yun: Dao of Wu Wei

25/08/2016 Adrian (釋大道)

The Buddha clearly taught that ‘rebirth’ only seems to exist in the deluded state, but that in the enlightened state, no such agency exists.

Master Xu Yun and Tibet 1911-12

24/01/2015 Adrian (釋大道)

Xu Yun achieved this by requesting that the well known Tibetan Lama living in China – the Venerable Dong Bao – also known as the ‘The Dharma King of the Four Gems’, be sent to Tibet to mediate between the Tibetan authorities and the Nationalist Government. Xu Yun was sent to personally meet with Dong Bao and deliver a Government letter requesting his help. At first Dong Bao declined due to old age, but Xu Yun said that the Tibetan people still tremble at the memory of a previous punitive Chinese army led by Zhao Er Feng – and that bloodshed could be avoided through discussion.