Application due on 5/11/2014
Date: 5/16/2014 (Friday) ~ 5/20/2014 (Saturday)
Registration: 5/16/2014 (Friday) 6pm (Great Buddha Hall Office ), Introduction: 7pm.
Cundi Dharani, also called the Supreme, Profound, and Subtle Esoteric Teaching, has been passed down by Professor Huai-Chin Nan. In his early years, Mr. Nan had obtained enlightenment while studying under his mentor, Mr. Huanxian Yuan. As a renowned Chan master, Mr. Nan taught at Sichuan University, Yunnan University, Chinese Culture University, Fu Jen Catholic University, and National Chengchi University. In fact, you cannot only call Mr. Nan a Chan Master; Mr. Nan has mastered and integrated not only Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, and Hundred Schools of Thought, but also the various branches of the Mahayana and Theravada traditions. He was the Great Master of our time. A spiritual teacher like Mr. Nan could not be sought, but only be met by chance.
The completion stage of Cundi Dharani is essentially the Mind-Ground (Dharma Realm) practice of the Chinese Chan tradition, which is called Mindfulness of the Buddha with the Understanding of the Dharma. At the same time, Cundi Dharani also includes Patikkulamanasikara from the Theravada tradition, and the insight meditation from the Huayan and the Tiantai Schools. Thus Cundi Dharani is called the Core Essence of Perfection and Achievement of the Buddhahood for both Exoteric and Esoteric Buddhism.
The Origin of the Teaching’s Rituals
Regarding the printing of The Overview of the Cundi Dharani Teaching’s Ritual; in accordance with the tradition of the Esoteric Buddhism, you may not practice the method unless you are initiated with the abhisheka rite. Without the initiation, you will not even see a copy of the teaching. I had previously obtained the consent of Mr. Nan to extract an outline from the original copy of the teaching. It was only after Mr. Nan’s approval that the printing of The Overview of the [Cundi Dharani Teaching’s] Ritual became available to all of you. Whether you will have the opportunity to be initiated with the abhisheka rite or you yourself request the Buddha and the Bodhisattva for the initiation, if you ever enter the meditation stage where your entire body is covered with light, then that is the abhisheka of prajna. In other words, this is the abhisheka initiated by the prajna light of the Buddha and the Bodhisattva, this is the only authentic prajna.
Retreat led by: Master Shoyu
Ven. Shoyu, the Founding Abbot of the Ten Directions Monastery in Taiwan, holds the ideal of “Building a Majestic World, Walking the Path of Dharma,” and commits himself to promote the Dharma throughout the world. Ven. Shoyu had been the Vice Chairman of the Buddhist Association of United States (BAUS), the Abbot of the Chuang-Yen Monastery and Temple of Enlightenment in New York. Throughout the East and the West, Ven. Shoyu has been to the United States, Canada, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao… etc, to promote the Chinese Buddhism. Among his teachings, Ven. Shoyu especially advocates the long-lost Tang-Dynasty Esoteric practice of Cundi Dharani, which is a fusion of Mahayana, Hinayana, and Vajrayana traditions.
Ven. Shoyu was born to the Liu family in 1947 in Taichung, Taiwan. In 1969, while serving the military duty, Ven. Shoyu was awaken after reading the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch. He realized that the path to Enlightenment was shown in all activities in life, be it walking, standing, sitting, or laying. At the moment, Ven. Shoyu aspired himself to be enlightened, and to re-establish the tradition and lineage of the Chinese Chan Buddhism.
Ven. Shoyu was ordained in 1971 by Ven. Renjun and Ven. Guangshan. He was given the Dharma Name “Hong-Shan” (Pormoting the Wholesomeness) and the Dharma Title “Cong-Zhi” (Following the Wisdom). Later on, with the encouragement of Mr. Huai-Chin Nan, Ven. Shoyu chose “Shoyu” (Foolish Head) as his humble title. From 1972-1977, Ven. Shoyu entered the graduate program of the Oriental Buddhist Institute and Fo Guang University College of Buddhist Studies, where he studied the Yogacara school for four years. During his study, Ven. Shoyu also entered four retreats to practice the Pratyutpanna Samādhi under the guidance of Mr. Huai-Chin Nan.
In 1979, Mr. Huai-Chin Nan founded the Mahayana Society. Ven. Shoyu held its post as the Temple Superintendent. During a Cundi Dharani retreat, Ven. Shoyu was initiated by Mr. Nan as an Acharya who was capable of passing on the Cundi Dharani practice.
In 1990, under an arrangement by Mr. Huai-Chin Nan, Ven. Shoyu entered a five-month retreat in the South Putuo Temple. During the retreat, Ven. Shoyu focuses on the Cundi Dharani implemented with Pratyutpanna Samādhi, and attained an auspicious epiphany. From 1992-1994, Ven. Shoyu again entered into retreat three times in Buddha’s Tooth Relic Pagoda (in Beijing Lingguang Temple), and nine more times in Taiwan. To date, Ven. Shoyu has entered almost thirty retreats in Taiwan and China since he was ordained, which served as a solid foundation for his insight, practice, and faith.
After his retreat in the South Putuo Temple, Ven. Shoyu began to host Cundi Dharani retreats for monastery members and laypersons. Every year, during each of the four Vassa in spring, summer, autumn and winter, Ven. Shoyu personally lead 7-day and 49-day (and 13-week in summer) Cundi Dharani retreats to benefit the people.
During mid-September 1995, Ven. Shoyu received the invitation from BAUS to lead Cundi Dharani retreats in New York Chuang-Yen Monastery and in New Jersey. The retreats were well-received by the public, and they were the prelude to Ven. Shoyu’s Dharma teachings in the United States and Canada. Later on, in May 1999, Ven. Shoyu was appointed as the Vice Chairman of the BAUS, and as the Abbot for New York Chuang-Yen Monastery and Temple of Enlightenment for two years.
In 2009, with his faith to promote Buddhism, Ven. Shoyu started intensive Cundi Dharani retreats in Taiwan, China and Malaysia. Starting from 2010, Ven Shoyu would first enter a retreat before promoting Dharma outside, as to accumulate merits for karma and wisdom.
In his Cundi Dharani practice, Ven. Shoyu integrates the Prajna Insight Meditation, which develops an insight on the svabhava through the eye-consciousness; the Kuan-Yin Samadhi Meditation, which develops an insight on the svabhava through the ear-consciousness; and the Prajna Samadhi Meditation, which is blessed by Buddhas in all realms, past, present and future.
It is the Venerable’s wish that he along with all Dharma practitioners continue to study the Kuan-Yin Meditation, develop the Vajra Chanting, and penetrate deeply into the Lunar Wheel Insight. With those, we may transform our habit-driven karmic body into enlightened Trikaya to benefit all sentient beings.
Ven. Shoyu aspires himself to accomplish Mundane tasks with the spirit of Liberation. He established the Ten Directions Monastery, which is a temple for the all-compassionate thousand-armed and thousand-eyed Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. Ven. Shoyu also re-established the Ten Directions Buddhist Academy to continue Mr. Huai-Chin Nan’s will to promote Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and the Hundred Schools Thought, and to bridge the chasm between the traditional Chinese culture and the modern society. Utilizing Mr. Nan’s core principle of “Insight, Practice, and Faith” as the guideline, it is Ven. Shoyu’s goal to educate the public, promote the traditional culture, and provide philanthropy; and to benefit the society, people, and all sentient beings;
Application:
1. Fax the application form to 845-228-4283. Bring in the original copy when register.
2. Mail the application form. Please specify “Zhunti retreat” on the envelope. Please apply as early as possible for meal and lodging arrangement
3. We will only call or email for those who won’t be receiving admission. For any further concern, welcome to contact us.
4. Fill out the application online.
Fee:
Chuang Yen Monastery is run on the basis of donation. It welcomes your donation to help cover its costs for hosting this retreat. If you will sponsor a vegetarian meal, please let us know before the retreat: Arahant Meal $100, Fortune Meal $200, Auspiciousness Meal $300, Compassion Meal $400,Triple Gem Meal $500, Peace Meal ($any amount)
If you are unable to participate, we welcome your joyfully engagement and merit sharing by sponsoring this retreat, or making offering to the Buddha and Sangha. Please make the check payable to “B.A.U.S.” All the donation are tax-deductible, send the check to: 2020 Route 301, Carmel, NY 10512. Please note “Zhunti retreat” on the bottom of the check.
Transportation:
1. By Car: Please visit www.baus.org for direction. If you have extra seats to offer, please let us know.
2. By Train: Please take Metro North from Grand Central Station to Cold Spring Station. We will provide transportation from Cold Spring train station to Chuang Yen Monastery (CYM) on 5/16.
3. By Shuttle: Contact private shuttle bus from Flushing, Queens718-888-1016。Chinatown 917-687-6720
4. By Plane: Please fly to La Guardia airport.
★During the Zhunti Retreat, all participants will be observing “Noble Silence” and “Eight Precepts (except for those who are suffering from a certain healthy issue)”.
★No telephone is allowed during the Zhunti Retreat, so please inform your family members and friends. In case of emergency, please contact office at the Chuang Yen Monastery.