Subject: [CASonline] Master Ci Hang: "The Boat of Mercy and Compassion".
 

 
 
Dearest Friends @ CAS,
 
As you will all have noticed, CASonline has been highlighting some of the greatest teachings given by the World-Honoured One in our recent issues --
 
With gratitude, this is an extension of the "Bodhicitta" of Ci Hang Bodhisattva, the realised, holy Chinese Master whose "Whole-Body Relic"  we have the great fortune to see and pay homage to in Taipei, Xi Zhi, in December 2007. 
 
In accordance with the "Ten Instructions of Master Ci Hang", CAS has attempted to express and apply "Studiously learn the Three Baset-Treasures ( of the Buddha's Teachings )" and to share with all our friends @ CAS, this holy teaching-advice of Master Ci Hang --
 
 
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
 
"Just as the lotus, pristine and undefiled,
arose and blossomed, from and in mud,
so do the Bodhisattvas, flourished and
nurture the world, from and in samsara." 
 
 
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
Master Ci Hang
 
Master Ci Hang was one of the greatest Chinese Buddhist Masters of the 20th century. 
 
The Master's ordination name of "Ci Hang" means literally "The Boat of Mercy and Compassion" in Chinese.
 
Master Ci Hang was a great upholder of the Vinaya, a Venerable Elder of the Buddha's holy Order of monks, who so valiantly protected the holy Dharma through the brutal Japanese occupation in the Second World War, the sacrilegious atrocities of the communist occupation of China and the fanatical evangelicalism of fundamental Christianity, so many times to great personal peril.  
 
Master Ci Hang engaged in several great retreats, obtaining the fabled great realisations we so awed over in the sutras.
 
Naming His personal monastery "The Inner Chambers of the Tushita"**, speculations were rife about the Master's out-of-the-ordinary "origins", especially so given the Master's more-than-many-a-time miraculous successes in upholding the Dharma, against amazing odds, His truly amazing Teachings ( the famed "Reflections of Bodhicitta" series -- "Pu Ti Xin Ying" -- to date, available, still, only in Chinese ) and the absolute integrity and unblemished purity of His practices.      
 
The Master's life-long conduct of such grace, gentleness and merciful compassion transforms anyone blessed enough to have met Him.....
 
And as a final, compassionate skilful play-demonstration of the power and truth of the Buddha's Teachings, His gift for us, Master Ci Hang left His holy body -- intact -- in our world after He manifest the Great Passing. Master Ci Hang's undecayed body was found three years after His clinical death. He had instructed His students to uncover His tomb as He had given His commitment to "return with the Lord Maitreya" and that when they do so, they would understand.
 
His holy body was never preserved with human chemicals and in one of the Modern Age's chronicled "miracles", Master Ci Hang has propounded the truth, the power and blessings of Bodhicitta -- the Buddha's central teachings of absolute Love and absolute Compassion.      
 
[ ** Lord Maitreya, the coming successor-apostle of Buddha Shakyamuni, resides now in the Inner Chambers ( the Outer Chambers being the frivolous abodes of playful gods and goddesses ), turning the holy Wheel of Dharma, to countless divine assemblies of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, pending His eventual descend into our Human Realm. ]
 
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
CAS has not been unconnected to Master Ci Hang indeed, given many of our important Teachers from the Chinese Mahayana tradition: the late Ven Yen Pei, Grand Master Hsing Yun and all. 
 
To our even greater surprise, upon our return from Taiwan, we found out that, Ven Wen Jing, a venerable nun working humbly and quietly behind the scenes in so many of Singapore's important Dharma works, is actually a direct spiritual descendant of Master Ci Hang, her own Teacher being a close attendant and ordained disciple of Master Ci Hang during the Master's stay in South-East Asia ..... !!
 
Ven Wen Jing's relatively spacious Dharma centre, is the holy ground where the late Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok -- one of the greatest Nyingma Lord Masters -- -- stayed for a month in Singapore, the meeting venue between the Sakya Trizin and the 100th Ganden Trisur in Singapore in 2000 and which hosted the 100th Ganden Trisur -- Supreme Head Emeritus of the largest Tibetan Buddhist School -- for at least four of Trisur Rinpoche's very important programmes then.
 
Unkonwn to us, for years, CAS has come under the Master's aspirations. It is all so typical of a Bodhisattva's inconceivable activity.
 
The holy Tara sees.
 
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
To see Master Ci Hang's "Whole-Body-Relic", log on to CAS's "CASOTAC @ Taiwan 2007 Picture Album" under HIGHLIGHTS:
 
 
OR directly to
 
 
Master Ci Hang reportedly entered the "Meditation of Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma" ( in Chinese: "Fa Hua San Mei Ding" ) at the time of His manifesting the Great Passing. Master Ci Hang rest -- now -- still, in this Great Equipose.  
 
To the beings @ CAS who so blessedly met Master Ci Hang in meditation in the "Inner Chambers of Tushita" at Xi Zhi, Taipei, our Venerable Master appears so much alive, alert and aware, resembling so closely, one of our precious Teachers, the very holy, saintly Lati Rinpoche of Ganden Monastery. For us, it was an extremely touching recognition........ "Namo Amituofo." 
 
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
The Ten Instructions of Master Ci Hang
 
1) Be close to the accomplished Teachers.
 
2) Rely upon the Virtuous Companions.
 
3) Studiously-Learn the Three Baset-Treasures ( of the Buddha's Teachings ).
 
4) Strictly uphold the Precept-Commitments.
 
5) Recite-Remember the Holy Name/s ( of the Buddha/s ).
 
6) Be diligent in Prostration-Practices.
 
7) Remember the sufferings of sentient beings.
 
8) Give rise to Bodhicitta.
 
9) Contribute goods-services to benefit all.
 
10) Aspire to accomplish Buddhahood.
 
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
Master Ci Hang's important Teachings 
 
"The Buddha's Heart-Mind as our Heart-Mind;
The Teachers' aspirations as our aspirations."
 
"The precept-commitments are the root-basis of the highest Enlightenment;
With mindful-determination, the pure commitments should be kept."
 
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
The Final Instructions of Master Ci Hang
 
My appeal to all students-devotees,
It is important to always be reflective-mindful,
The daily thoughts and actions,
To determine how much virtue or non-virtue ( has been committed );
 
So long as one feels peace-ease in mind,
It is fine to be in north, south, east or west;
 
With even one being not freed ( from suffering-samsara ),
Never, ever, just, oneself, leave ( for the eternal peace of Nirvana ).
 
The intrinsic-basis of the nature of phenomena is Emptiness-Peace;
The workings of Karma is absolutely infallible.
Whatever one commits, one shall reap the effects.
No one can take on the karmic effects for you.
 
The Dharma centres, themselves, empty-in-nature, like the reflection of the moon in waters,
Everywhere, whenever -- establish them.
Aspiring to forge widely, Dharmic connections,
For the liberation of oneself and others, earliest possible.
 
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
Students who will like to learn more from Master Ci Hang, the local Buddhist Library and most of the Chinese Mahayana temples in Singapore ( and around the world in fact !! ) should include the Master's major works, especially the "Pu Ti Xin Ying" -- Reflections of Bodhicitta.
 
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
May all beings be possessed of peace and joy .....
"Namo Da Bei Guan Shi Yin Pu Sa...... !! "
 
 
bb & other beings   @ CAS of Guan Shi Yin Pu Sa
 
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
An Urgent Appeal
 
160 monks from the Sakya Tsong Da Monastery in Tibet urgently need funds to acquire warm clothings to see them through this season's unusually blistering winter ( today -- 25 Jan 2008 ) of negative 22 degree celsius.
 
The Venerable Tiktsa Rinpoche, an important, accomplished holy Master and head of the monastery, has requested CAS's friend, Dennis Poh, to help to appeal to students and friends in Singapore for help.
 
CAS's too-much-in-demand Dharma Propagation Fund has coughed out S$1,000/- ( funds painstakingly picked up in little pieces from all of you through our many programmes ) but our holy Sangha are still seriously short of funds to acquire the life-saving warm coverings.
 
[ We have in fact taken the liberty to channel S$250/- from our Annual Monks' Offering Fund already to Rinpoche given the urgency. ] 
 
Official receipts from Tsong Da Monastery will be made available upon request.
( Please provide postal address ).
 
A full winter set consists of dagham, winter jacket, skirt, monk's robes, hat, cloth, sleeve, blanket and costs S$250/- per set.
Rinpoche will buy just the dagham and winter jacket this time for lack of funds just to get past winter this season.
 
For all your help please.  
 
DBS Savings Account number: 055-4-003869
Please email Dennis at denpoh1@hotmail.com to alert upon offering your much-needed funds.  
 
"OM AH HUNG BENZA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG !!"
 
 
 
 
   
     
 

.

__,_._,___