Hsuan Hua
Encyclopedia
Hsuan Hua also known as An Tzu and Tu Lun, was a Chan
(Zen) Buddhist monk
and a contributing figure in bringing Chinese Buddhism to the United States
in the 20th century.
Hsuan Hua founded several institutions in the US. The Dharma Realm Buddhist Association
(DRBA) is a Buddhist organization with chapters in North America
and Asia
. The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas
in Ukiah, California
is one of the first Chan Buddhist monasteries in America. The Dharma Realm Buddhist University is a Buddhist college, and the Buddhist Text Translation Society works on the phonetics and translation of Buddhist scriptures from Chinese into English, Vietnamese, Spanish, and many other languages.
At the age of 15, he took refuge
in the Triple Gem
under the Venerable Chang Zhi. That same year he began to attend school and studied texts of various Chinese schools of thought
, and the fields of medicine, divination, astrology, and physiology. At 19 years of age, Hua became a monastic, under the Dharma name An Tzu. (安慈)
.
Hsuan Hua traveled to Australia
in 1961 and taught there for one year, returning to Hong Kong in 1962. That same year, at the invitation of American Buddhists, he traveled to the United States, his intent was to "come to America to create Patriarchs, to create Buddhas, to create Bodhisattvas".
. He conducted daily meditation sessions and frequent Sutra lectures.
At that time, the Cuban missile crisis
occurred between the United States and the Soviet Union
, and Hsuan Hua embarked on a fasting period for thirty-five days to pray for an end to the hostilities and for world peace. In 1967, Hsuan Hua moved the Buddhist Lecture Hall back to Chinatown, locating it in the Tianhou Temple.
Study and Practice Summer Session. Over thirty students from the University of Washington
in Seattle came to study the Buddha’s teachings. After the session was concluded, five young Americans (Bhikṣu Heng Chyan, Heng Jing, and Heng Shou, and Bhikṣuṇīs Heng Yin and Heng Ch'ih) requested permission to take full ordination.
Monastery. Two monks and one nun received ordination. Subsequent ordination platforms have been held at the City Of Ten Thousand Buddhas
in 1976, 1979, 1982, 1989, 1991, and 1992, and progressively larger numbers of people have received full ordination. Over two hundred people from countries all over the world were ordained under him.
) and Southern (Theravada
) traditions. In an address to Ajahn Sumedho
and the monastic community at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery
on October 6, 1990, Hsuan Hua stated:
On the occasion of the opening ceremony for the Dharma Realm Buddhist University, Hsuan Hua presented Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda
of the Theravada tradition with an honorary Ph.D.
He also donated a major piece of the land that would become Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery
, a Theravada Buddhist monastery in the Thai Forest tradition of Ajahn Chah
, located in Redwood Valley, California
.
Hsuan Hua would also invite Bhikkhu
s from both traditions to jointly conduct the High Ordination.
to attend. This was the first time the service was known to have been held in North America.
On November 6, 1990, Hsuan Hua sent his disciples to Beijing
to bring the Dragon Treasury edition of the Chinese Buddhist canon
back to CTTB, furthering his goal of bringing Chinese Buddhism to the US.
at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
. His sudden passing came as a shock to most of his disciples.
On July 28, monks from both Theravada and Mahayana traditions hosted a memorial ceremony and cremation. The two thousand and some followers from the United States
, Canada
, and various Asian and European countries, including many of Hsuan Hua’s American disciples, came to CTTB to take part in the funeral service. Letters of condolences from Buddhist monks and dignitaries, including from President Bush
, were read during the memorial service.
A day after the cremation, July 29, Hsuan Hua's remains were scattered in the air above the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas by two disciples, Reverends Heng Sure
and Heng Chau, one of Master Hua's first disciples, in a hot air balloon.
After the funeral, memorial services commemorating Hsuan Hua's life were held in various parts of the world, such as Taiwan
, China
, and Canada
. His sarira (bone fragments) were distributed to many of his temples, disciples and followers.
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
(Zen) Buddhist monk
Bhikkhu
A Bhikkhu or Bhikṣu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called a Bhikkhuni Nepali: ). The life of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis is governed by a set of rules called the patimokkha within the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline...
and a contributing figure in bringing Chinese Buddhism to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the 20th century.
Hsuan Hua founded several institutions in the US. The Dharma Realm Buddhist Association
Dharma Realm Buddhist Association
The Dharma Realm Buddhist Association is an international, non-profit Buddhist organization founded by the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua in 1959 to bring the orthodox teachings of the Buddha to the entire world...
(DRBA) is a Buddhist organization with chapters in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas
City of Ten Thousand Buddhas
The City Of Ten Thousand Buddhas is an international Buddhist community and monastery founded by the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua, an important figure in Western Buddhism...
in Ukiah, California
Ukiah, California
The average high temperature is 73.5 °F . Average low temperature is 46.1 °F . Temperatures reach 90 °F on an average of 65.6 days annually and 100 °F on an average of 14.4 days annually. Due to frequent low humidity, summer temperatures normally drop into the fifties at night. Freezing...
is one of the first Chan Buddhist monasteries in America. The Dharma Realm Buddhist University is a Buddhist college, and the Buddhist Text Translation Society works on the phonetics and translation of Buddhist scriptures from Chinese into English, Vietnamese, Spanish, and many other languages.
Early life
Hsuan Hua, a native of Shuangcheng County of Jilin Province, was born Bai Yushu (白玉書) on April 16, 1918. His parents were devout Buddhists. At an early age, Hua became a vegetarian like his mother, and decided to become a Buddhist monk.At the age of 15, he took refuge
Refuge (Buddhism)
Buddhists "take refuge" in, or to "go for refuge" to, the Three Jewels . This can be done formally in lay and monastic ordination ceremonies.The Three Jewels general signification is: * the Buddha;* the Dharma, the teachings;...
in the Triple Gem
Three Jewels
The Three Jewels, also called the Three Treasures, the Siemese Triples, Three Refuges, or the Triple Gem , are the three things that Buddhists take refuge in, and look toward for guidance, in the process known as taking refuge.The Three Jewels are:* BuddhaTaking refuge in the Three Jewels is...
under the Venerable Chang Zhi. That same year he began to attend school and studied texts of various Chinese schools of thought
Hundred Schools of Thought
The Hundred Schools of Thought were philosophers and schools that flourished from 770 to 221 BC during the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period , an era of great cultural and intellectual expansion in China...
, and the fields of medicine, divination, astrology, and physiology. At 19 years of age, Hua became a monastic, under the Dharma name An Tzu. (安慈)
Bringing Chinese Buddhism to the United States
In 1959, Hsuan Hua sought to bring Chinese Buddhism to the west. He instructed his disciples in America to establish a Buddhist association, initially known as The Buddhist Lecture Hall, which was renamed the Sino-American Buddhist Association before taking its present name: the Dharma Realm Buddhist AssociationDharma Realm Buddhist Association
The Dharma Realm Buddhist Association is an international, non-profit Buddhist organization founded by the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua in 1959 to bring the orthodox teachings of the Buddha to the entire world...
.
Hsuan Hua traveled to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1961 and taught there for one year, returning to Hong Kong in 1962. That same year, at the invitation of American Buddhists, he traveled to the United States, his intent was to "come to America to create Patriarchs, to create Buddhas, to create Bodhisattvas".
San Francisco
Hsuan Hua resided in San Francisco, where he built a lecture hall. Hsuan Hua began to attract young Americans who were interested in meditationMeditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
. He conducted daily meditation sessions and frequent Sutra lectures.
At that time, the Cuban missile crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
occurred between the United States and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, and Hsuan Hua embarked on a fasting period for thirty-five days to pray for an end to the hostilities and for world peace. In 1967, Hsuan Hua moved the Buddhist Lecture Hall back to Chinatown, locating it in the Tianhou Temple.
His First American Sangha
In 1968, Hsuan Hua held a ShurangamaShurangama Sutra
The ' is a Mahāyāna Buddhist sūtra, and has been especially influential in the Chán school of Chinese Buddhism.- Etymology :According to Ron Epstein, roughly means "indestructible." The word is composed of Śūraṅ , with Gama...
Study and Practice Summer Session. Over thirty students from the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in Seattle came to study the Buddha’s teachings. After the session was concluded, five young Americans (Bhikṣu Heng Chyan, Heng Jing, and Heng Shou, and Bhikṣuṇīs Heng Yin and Heng Ch'ih) requested permission to take full ordination.
Hsuan Hua's Vision of American Buddhism
With the founding of his American Sangha, Hsuan Hua embarked on his personal vision for American Buddhism:- Bringing the true and proper teachings of the Buddha to the West and establishing a proper monastic community of the fully ordained Sangha here
- Organizing and supporting the translation of the entire Buddhist canon into English and other Western languages
- Promoting wholesome education through the establishment of schools and universities
Hosting Ordination Ceremonies
Because of the increasing numbers of people who wished to become monks and nuns under Hsuan Hua's guidance, in 1972 he decided to hold ordination ceremonies at Gold Mountain DhyanaDhyāna in Buddhism
Dhyāna in Sanskrit or jhāna in Pāli can refer to either meditation or meditative states. Equivalent terms are "Chán" in modern Chinese, "Zen" in Japanese, "Seon" in Korean, "Thien" in Vietnamese, and "Samten" in Tibetan....
Monastery. Two monks and one nun received ordination. Subsequent ordination platforms have been held at the City Of Ten Thousand Buddhas
City of Ten Thousand Buddhas
The City Of Ten Thousand Buddhas is an international Buddhist community and monastery founded by the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua, an important figure in Western Buddhism...
in 1976, 1979, 1982, 1989, 1991, and 1992, and progressively larger numbers of people have received full ordination. Over two hundred people from countries all over the world were ordained under him.
Theravada and Mahayana traditions
Having traveled to Thailand and Burma in his youth to investigate the Southern Tradition of Buddhism, Hsuan Hua wanted to bridge what he perceived as a rift between the Northern (MahayanaMahayana
Mahāyāna is one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice...
) and Southern (Theravada
Theravada
Theravada ; literally, "the Teaching of the Elders" or "the Ancient Teaching", is the oldest surviving Buddhist school. It was founded in India...
) traditions. In an address to Ajahn Sumedho
Ajahn Sumedho
Luang Por Ajahn Sumedho is the senior Western representative of the Thai forest tradition of Theravada Buddhism. He was abbot of Amaravati Buddhist Monastery just north of London from its consecration in 1984 until his retirement in 2010...
and the monastic community at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery
Amaravati Buddhist Monastery
Amaravati is a Theravadin Buddhist monastery at the eastern end of the Chiltern Hills in south east England. The centre, in practice as much for ordinary people as for monastics, is inspired by the Thai forest tradition and the teachings of the late Ajahn Chah....
on October 6, 1990, Hsuan Hua stated:
On the occasion of the opening ceremony for the Dharma Realm Buddhist University, Hsuan Hua presented Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda
K. Sri Dhammananda
K. Sri Dhammananda was a Sri Lankan-born Buddhist monk and scholar.Born Martin Garmage in the village of Kirinde in Matara, Sri Lanka, Dhammananda spent most of his life and career in Malaysia. He was ordained as a novice monk at the age of 12 and was fully ordained in 1940...
of the Theravada tradition with an honorary Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
He also donated a major piece of the land that would become Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery
Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery
Abhayagiri, or Fearless Mountain in the canonical language of Pali, is a Theravadin Buddhist monastery of the Thai Forest Tradition in Redwood Valley, California...
, a Theravada Buddhist monastery in the Thai Forest tradition of Ajahn Chah
Ajahn Chah
Venerable Ajahn Chah Subhaddo was an influential teacher of the Buddhadhamma and a founder of two major monasteries in the Thai Forest Tradition....
, located in Redwood Valley, California
Redwood Valley, California
Redwood Valley is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California. It is located southwest of Potter Valley, at an elevation of 722 feet . It comprises the northern portion of the Ukiah Valley. It is about 8 mi north of Ukiah and 12 mi south of Willits. Potter Valley is to...
.
Hsuan Hua would also invite Bhikkhu
Bhikkhu
A Bhikkhu or Bhikṣu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called a Bhikkhuni Nepali: ). The life of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis is governed by a set of rules called the patimokkha within the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline...
s from both traditions to jointly conduct the High Ordination.
Chinese and American Buddhism
From July 18 to the 24th of 1987, Hsuan Hua hosted the Water, Land, and Air Repentance Dharma Assembly, a centuries old ritual often seen as the "king of dharma services" in Chinese Buddhism, at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and invited over seventy Buddhists from mainland ChinaMainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
to attend. This was the first time the service was known to have been held in North America.
On November 6, 1990, Hsuan Hua sent his disciples to Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
to bring the Dragon Treasury edition of the Chinese Buddhist canon
Chinese Buddhist canon
The Chinese Buddhist Canon refers to the total body of Buddhist literature deemed canonical in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese Buddhism...
back to CTTB, furthering his goal of bringing Chinese Buddhism to the US.
Death
On June 7, 1995, Hsuan Hua died in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Originally established as Kaspare Cohn Hospital in 1902, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a non-profit, tertiary 958-bed hospital and multi-specialty academic health science centre located in Los Angeles, California, US. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over...
. His sudden passing came as a shock to most of his disciples.
Funeral
Hsuan Hua's funeral lasted from June 8 to July 29. On June 17, Hsuan Hua's body was taken from Southern to Northern California, returning to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. All major services during the funeral were presided over by Venerable Ming Yang, abbot of Longhua Temple in Shanghai and a longtime friend of Hsuan Hua's.On July 28, monks from both Theravada and Mahayana traditions hosted a memorial ceremony and cremation. The two thousand and some followers from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and various Asian and European countries, including many of Hsuan Hua’s American disciples, came to CTTB to take part in the funeral service. Letters of condolences from Buddhist monks and dignitaries, including from President Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
, were read during the memorial service.
A day after the cremation, July 29, Hsuan Hua's remains were scattered in the air above the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas by two disciples, Reverends Heng Sure
Heng Sure
Heng Sure is an American Buddhist monk, born and ordained in the United States. He is a senior disciple of the late Venerable Master Hsuan Hua, and is currently the director of the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery, a branch monastery of the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association...
and Heng Chau, one of Master Hua's first disciples, in a hot air balloon.
After the funeral, memorial services commemorating Hsuan Hua's life were held in various parts of the world, such as Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. His sarira (bone fragments) were distributed to many of his temples, disciples and followers.
Master Hua's legacy
Many of his students remember Hsuan Hua as an eminent monk, a leader in sutra translation, and as an educator.Lectures
- To Prevent A Nuclear Holocaust, People Must Change Their Minds
- The Heart of PrajnaPrajñaPrajñā or paññā is wisdom, understanding, discernment or cognitive acuity. Such wisdom is understood to exist in the universal flux of being and can be intuitively experienced through meditation...
ParamitaParamitaPāramitā or pāramī is "perfection" or "completeness." In Buddhism, the pāramitās refer to the perfection or culmination of certain virtues...
Sutra Without the Stand - Should One Be FilialFilialFilial may refer to:* Filial church, a Roman Catholic church to which is annexed the cure of souls, but which remains dependent on another church* Filial piety, one of the virtues in Confucian thought...
- Guanyin Bodhisattva is Our Brother
- Master Hsuan Hua on Stupidity Versus Wisdom
- In An Emergency
- Doing It Just Right is the Middle Way
- ChanZenZen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
- The Dharma Door Of Mindfulness
- Causes And Conditions
- The Efficacious Language
- Exhortation to Resolve Upon Bodhi
- Herein Lies the Treasure Trove
- Listen to Yourself, Think Everything Over
- Water Mirror Reflecting Heaven
- Why Should We Receive And Uphold The Five Precepts?
Books
- The Fifty Skandha Demon States
- The Intention of Patriarch BodhidharmaBodhidharmaBodhidharma was a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th/6th century AD. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Ch'an to China, and regarded as the first Chinese patriarch...
's Coming from the West - Commentary on The Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra
- Commentary on The Sutra in Forty-Two Sections
- Commentary on The Sixth Patriarch's Dharma Jewel Platform SutraPlatform SutraThe Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch , is a Buddhist scripture that was composed in China. It is one of the seminal texts in the Chan/Zen schools. It is centered on discourses given at Shao Zhou temple attributed to the sixth Chan patriarch, Huineng...
- Chan: the Essence of All Buddhas
- Guanyin, Guanyin, Guanshiyin
- The Professor Requests a Lecture From the Monk in the Grave
- Venerable Master Hua's Talks on Dharma, Volumes I-XI
- Buddha Root Farm
- News From True Cultivators
See also
- Buddhism in America
- Timeline of Zen Buddhism in the United StatesTimeline of Zen Buddhism in the United StatesBelow is a timeline of important events regarding Zen Buddhism in the United States. Dates with "?" are approximate.-Early history:* 1893: Soyen Shaku comes to the United States to lecture at the World Parliament of Religions held in Chicago...
- Western Buddhism