VENERABLE BHIKKHUNĪ CHÂN THIỀN &
VENERABLE BHIKKHUNĪ CHÂN DIỆU
- SMILE AT THE FLOWER TO OPEN MIND FOR THE MASS
The Abbess of Sùng Nghiêm Zen Monastery (Southern California)
Sùng Nghiêm Zen Monastery often writes about many fields in Buddhism and life – sometimes with poetry. I accepted an invitation from the abbess of Hương Sen Temple, Venerable Giới Hương, to write a biography and to describe the activities of Sùng Nghiêm Zen Monastery. Wow! Writing about myself is difficult! Sitting and thinking for hours and hours without a word because I am nothing! Nothing worth to write.
As time passed quickly nearing the deadline (end of April 30, 2020), she urged me to get started, but the deadline to submit the papers was reached. Oh my Buddha! Older Dharma sister (Venerable Bhikkhunī Chân Thiền) looks at the younger Dharma sister (Venerable Bhikkhunī Chân Diệu); younger sister looks at older sister???
Then, an unimaginably fortunate occasion – suddenly a light at the end of the tunnel was flashing! We have seen the old yellow newspapers, such as Người Việt (Vietnamese People), Việt Báo (News in Vietnamese), Viễn Đông (Far East), as well as other magazines like Y Tế (Medical), Văn Hóa (Culture), Sài Gòn Nhỏ (Little Saigon), Sức Sống (Vitality), Nắng Mai (Morning Sunlight), Báo Mới (New Newspaper) and the Sàigòn Post News. These old newspapers provide much information, because they included everything, including different opinions, comments on the way of life, as well as the Dharma sharing of Sùng Nghiêm Zen Monastery. This sharing provided encouragement and support to individuals making the first hard steps in search of a true master.
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The following two articles are from famous jounalists:
The Way of Practice of Venerable Nuns
at Sùng Nghiêm Zen Monastery
(Phan Tấn Hải, editor of Việt Báo News)
“Three Sisters Venerable Bhikkhunī Chân Như, Venerable Bhikkhunī Chân Thiền, Venerable Bhikkhunī Chân Diệu have been studying Zen under the Zen Master Philip Kapleau for more than a decade. They were only interested in direct enlightenment without thinking about anything in the world again. During that time, the three nuns were still not ordained, even though they were received by Zen Master Philip Kapleau and ‘entered the house’ at the Rochester Zen Monastery, which means they became descendants of the Zen lineage after many years of hard practice through the “shessin” retreats with many difficult koans.[1]
“Venerable Bhikkhunī Chân Thiền recounts the days of study at Rochester Monastery, which were full of challenges. Zen Master Philip Kapleau wondered, ‘I don't believe the three of you will be able to endure this harsh practice for three weeks.’ Rochester Zen’s activities are according to ancient rules, ‘A day without work is a day without.’ The practitioners at that time, in 1987, were mostly white she said. She and her two younger sisters were the only Vietnamese. The probationary period was three weeks. Now, in 2004, according to Chân Thiền, the challenge period has increased to three months. All expenses for accommodation, meals and living expenses are all self-paid, and must be paid in advance by the Zen practitioners to the Zen Monastery. After the trial period, those who are recognized as having passed the test, sincerely seeking the ultimate Dharma, will be allowed to practice free of charge, and will be allowed to stay as long as necessary. All of the cost will be covered by the Rochester Zen Monastery.
“For the first few days, Venerable Chân Thiền was assigned to clean toilets five hours a day. Readers can imagine when a female practitioner applied to study Zen, despite having gone through many retreat courses, is assigned the task of cleaning toilets for several hours a day, it was very hard. The instructor at that time told her, ‘You must see that the toilet and yourself are one,’ pure with impurity is as one . . . and ‘You have to enjoy every moment.’ It means always cherishing the religious life. Everything in the day was always supervised, monitored. ‘They spy us’ according to Venerable Chân Thiền, ‘monitoring our every movement.’ Compared to the ancient Zen tradition, this challenging time can be understood as a method of penance to resolve karma, like the stories in ancient books about practitioners who carry water, chop wood, and labor before they are given the difficult practices.
“After that, the three Vietnamese were assigned to do lighter work, such as washing dishes, gardening and digging the soil – normal activities. At this time, speaking in a worldly manner, there is no such thing as dreaming about reading books, drinking tea and so forth. When communicating, they found themselves surrounded by the upper class of the United States – doctors, lawyers, university professors, engineers and businessmen. Most of them are very erudite. They read all sorts of books, practice all kinds of Dharma, and then they come here.
The normal schedule is eight hours a day, excluding the time of Zen and time to meet the sensei (teacher) in person to present the practice, the obstacles during meditation, or to receive the instructions, according to each case. Every day there is a teisho hour, which is the time when the master is preaching. Entering the ‘shessin’ (focus on mind) is extremely arduous with meditation sessions up to sixteen hours a day, and sometimes longer.
“Venerable Chân Thiền recounted that at that time Zen Master Kapleau was very old and only a part-time teacher, but he especially respected these Vietnamese nuns because he could recognize their enthusiastic search for the Dharma. Venerable Chân Thiền remembered that many questions she had her whole life about Buddhism were answered by the teacher.
“Thanks to the Buddhist knowledge which she gained since the time she listened to her mother reciting the Buddha's name and chanting sūtras, she was a young member of the Vĩnh Nghiêm Buddhist Youth Association at Giác Minh Temple, Từ Quang temple and others. She learned under the Venerable Master Duy Lực and then went to meditate at Cao Mân Pagoda in China. The wisdom gradually opened and the she and the nuns were cherished and respected by the teacher and fellow practitioners.
“When the questions and problems were raised by the nuns, depending on the time and the environments, the answers were flexible and the questions were answered skillfully.
“After the trial period, the nuns stayed to study. Venerable Chân Thiền recounted, ‘Actually, now we are invited to attend sesshin sessions continuously because practicing is for a lifetime.’
The atmosphere of cultivation is too joyous to imagine or describe. There, the predecessors help descendants. There, the delight does not need to show, just feel the silence, the purity and the tranquility. Sometimes the whole day goes by without a single word spoken. Not only because there is no longer any sound needed, but because the serene inner feeling is happening within, even with the noise when we went down the mountain into the market.
“When the time is measured in years, of course it does not describe the practice effort of each person. The years of studying Zen in Rochester are not easy to describe at all!
“In the mid-1990s, Venerable Chân Thiền suddenly became ill. Her body kept bleeding. When she entered the Zen Monastery, she weighed 118 pounds, and later became only eighty pounds. The critical illness was clearly visible on her face. Zen Master Philip Kapleau asked her to be admitted to the hospital. Venerable Chân Thiền had to leave the monastery and be taken to a hospital in San Diego (southern California) where she stayed for two months. If you understand the Dharma, then there is no problem living with death.
“Yet she escaped death – she did not understand why. Gradually the natural health slowly returned.
“After that, she wanted to share the Dharma. The three sisters went to the Most Venerable Thích Tịnh Từ (abbot of Kim Son Monastery in northern California) to receive the precepts. Listening to the three sisters' spiritual training and presentation, Venerable Thích Tịnh Từ decided to organize a great ordination ceremony in 1997 for the three sisters. It was very special for them to receive three kinds of precepts: samanera, śikṣamāṇā and bhikkhunī on the same day.
“Venerable Chân Thiền now came back to find the means of propagation. She wrote books, composed poems, made music, printed CDs, lectured on Zen Buddhism and recited the Buddha's name. This time, instead of just repeating the Buddha's name, she asked a question, ‘Who is reciting Buddha's name?’ exactly as in Zen Buddhism. In regard to chanting, practitioners must concentrate absolutely 100 percent on each sūtra. Venerable Chân Thiền explains, ‘With every sentence we chant, we neither rush nor let our mind wander. The essence is chanting to understand the meaning of each sentence. If we just chant by heart and do not have a deep understanding of the words, then we are afraid that mind will remain in delusion, thinking wildly!’
“Regarding Buddhist music, on the subject of Vu Lan on Buddha's birthday, and so forth – poetry and music became a means of sharing the Dharma, not letting the worldly objects enchant and delude anymore.
“All three of the sisters had the good fortune to meet Venerable Thích Tâm Châu again in the United States. The three remembered childhood days in the courtyards of Saigon pagodas and the days they were in the Young Buddhist Association, when the image of the Venerable Tâm Châu paid the role of virtuous master who carried many Buddhist's works for the sangha through the ages.
“The three nuns went back to Orange County and opened the Sùng Nghiêm Zen Monastery to preach. They parted with Rochester Zen Monastery.”
California, July 23, 2004
Sincerely bowing three times,
Phan Tấn Hải
The Editor of Việt Báo News
www.vietbao.com
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The Buddhist Association Leader of Sùng Nghiêm Zen Monastery
Opening Speech of the Master's Gratitude Ceremony
Looking Back After Thirty Years
(Zen Practitioner Phước Đổ)
“Dear Sangha Members and Friends,
“Today, Sùng Nghiêm Zen Monastery is celebrating its thirty year anniversary and expresses gratitude to the Master with many programs. This event welcomes the newly printed Prajna and also congratulates Zen practitioner Lý Thu Vân, now Reverend Chân Minh.
“After the end of World War II, Zen Master Suzuki, a famous scholar, came to the United States to teach Zen. At that time, Zen Master Philip Kapleau was a young man who had just finished his mission during World War II. He greatly admired Zen Master Suzuki and asked to follow him to Japan to practice Zen. After a long time, he became enlightened and returned to America to open the Rochester Zen Center. Zen Master Phillip Kapleau was the teacher of Venerable Chân Thiền, and was also ‘the origin of Sùng Nghiêm Zen Monastery’ thirty years ago. Sùng Nghiêm Meditation Center was first established in San Diego, then moved back to Orange County with a total of thirty years of activities, a long way in the life of Abbess Venerable Chân Thiền.
“Today we are pleased to welcome you to this celebration. Please allow us to look back on the journey of Sùng Nghiêm Zen Monastery’s thirty years, even though we know that words are sometimes not enough.
“The Way of Practice:
“Sùng Nghiêm Meditation Center follows the method of the ancestors’ meditation, using the koan method taught by Zen Master Phillip Kapleau. The kōan of MU plays the main role. It is a word with no meaning so it eradicates bad thoughts and is a skillful means to bring one to the Tathatā and Bhūtatathatā! Being easy to cultivate is the featureless practice that the Sixth Patriarch Heineng transmitted. Venerable Bhikkhunī Chân Thiền organized her disciples personally every week to activate this Tathatā, Bhūtatathatā and to understand each koan, one after another . . . sometimes hundreds of koans! This way the Zen house was called: ‘enlightened at once’ (頓悟漸悟) by the Sixth Patriarch Heineng.
“The Thirty-Year Operating Achievements:
“Sùng Nghiêm Monastery has been established for thirty years. Some people come in, some people go out, some people reach enlightenment at home as laypeople, but still practice at the Zen Monastery. Currently, the ‘Zen Monastery’ has regular activities. Each week includes meditation, listening to Dharma and the personal presence of master bhikkhunis to help with the practice.
“The Sùng Nghiêm Zen Monastery also organizes the yearly Lunar New Year, the Buddha's Birthday, Vu Lan, the opening ceremony for the deceased, along with activities in harmony with all religions, such as Buddhism, Christianity, Caodaism, Hoahaoism in Orange County. All Zen practitioners of the monastery community offer service every week and especially during the holidays to show the spirit of harmony in the monastery work. This harmony is very rhythmic, brightening the bodhi and meditative mind in every action. Zen practitioners call this the ‘Zen manner’ that expresses the awakening path, showing truthfulness, goodness,and beauty in every action.
“Sùng Nghiêm Monastery also has a choir. All of the meditation songs of Sùng Nghiêm Zen Monastery are created by Venerable Chân Thiền and performed by the practitioners in unison to keep a pure ‘religious mind’ when singing. Singing the Buddha Dharma is also a way to express the participation of koan every moment because every Dharma verse is sung with a boundless mind and is a secret way to embrace one's own koan. The practitioners’ enlightened attainments are a result of diligence and strength over time and they gradually break down the koan they are considering.
“Service:
Sùng Nghiêm Zen Monastery has a TV program every week to share Dharma with everyone. This TV Program has never stopped for decades. The program includes:
“Dissemination of Dharma, sūtras and all activities of the Zen Monastery:
- Adult Meditation Class
- Childrens’ Meditation Class
- Vietnamese-language class for children
- the a TV program to share the Dharma; Sùng Nghiêm Zen Monastery has tried to preserve this TV program, with its rather large cost, for several decades now.
“The Spread of Meditation Music:
“Venerable Chân Thiền composed poems and music with famous musicians such as Phạm Duy, Tuấn Khanh, Nguyễn Hiền, Lê Cao Phan, Nghiêm Đông Quân, Uy Thi Ca, Giác An, Võ Tá Hân, Hoằng Bá, Nam Hưng, and Nguyên Hà. They applied the Dharma teaching with Buddha's voice, bringing lyrics and vocals into people's hearts. Sùng Nghiêm Zen Monastery has hundreds of CDs, DVDs, karaoke songs, Dharma discourses and all kinds of performances and lectures, such as the ‘Poetry of Zen Music.’ They have all served to bring forth the full nuances of Zen Buddhism.
“Publishing Buddhist Books:
“It is often said that Zen Buddhism was established without letters, so there are no sūtras or books. This is wrong, because the Buddha's intention was that we avoid attaching to the scriptures, texts and letters then forget to pay attention to the mind. As soon as the Bodhi Master went to China, he entrusted four volumes of the Lankavatara Sūtra to Huiku. Later the Sixth Patriarch Heineng realized the gnostic, thanks to the verse, ‘Without abiding any place that creates a mind’ (Ưng Vô Sở Trụ Nhân Sanh Kỳ Tâm) in the Vajnaprajñāpāramit Sūtra in the prajñā system.
“Venerable Bhikkhunī Chân Thiền has popularized the Mahaprajñā Sūtra through many editions. We welcome the newly published book, Directing Mind to the Heart Sutra: A Brief Explanation.
In the past thirty years, Venerable Chân Thiền has printed many books on meditation such as:
- Along With the Moonlight (Cùng Vầng Trăng Soi)
- Close the Six Realms of Samsara (Đóng Cửa Sáu Nẻo Luân Hồi)
- Why Not Open Your Eyes to Rebirth While You Are Alive? (Tại Sao Không Mở Mắt Vãng Sinh Khi Đang Hiện Sống?)
- The Implications for Death We Need to Know (Những Liên Hệ Đến Cái Chết Cần Biết Rõ)
- The True Meaning of the Heart Sūtra (Chân Thật Nghĩa của Bát Nhã Tâm kinh)
- The Heart Sūtra Directing to Mind – A Brief Explanation (Bát Nhã Tâm Kinh Trực Chỉ, Lý Giải ngắn gọn)
- Tathāgatagarbha (Như Lai Tạng)
- Bell Ringing, Vol I (Tiếng chuông ngân I)
- Bell Ringing, Vol II (Tiếng Chuông Ngân II)
- Zen Poem Without a Name (Thiền Thơ Không Tên)
“Lineage and Succession of Sùng Nghiêm Monastery
“Recently we had Reverend Chân Minh, a Zen Practitioner Thu Vân, who has just ordained, visit the monastery. This is very inspiring for the whole Buddhist association and the monastery because uccession is the necessary work for Zen Buddhism with the path of not crowding the disciple. Due to the direct meditation between the Zen Master and the disciple, the mind transmits the mind, and the enlightenment is authenticated from the master through the disciple. The master’s contribution to her disciples is very direct and full of energy. Zen Buddhism does not have as many members as the other sects.
“Dear Sangha Members and Friends,
“Today we celebrate the thirtieth year of the establishment of Sùng Nghiêm Meditation Center, and at the same time we welcome the newly printed book, The Heart Sūtra Directing to Mind – A Brief Explanation composed by Venerable Chân Thiền. It is also the Master's Gratitude Day on the occasion of Thanksgiving season in the United States. We also celebrate Reverend Chân Minh, the successor to Zen Monastery.
“Namo Amitabha Buddha.”
Sùng Nghiêm Zen Monastery, May 18 2020
With metta,
Bhikkhunī Thích Nữ Chân Thiền
Phan Tấn Hải
Thiền Sinh Phước Đỗ
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
English translator: Bhikkhunī TN Giới Hương
[1] Koan means Japanese Kōan in Zen Buddhism of Japan, a succinct paradoxical statement or question used as a meditation discipline for novices, particularly in the Rinzai sect. Koans (from Chinese kung-an, literally “public notice,” or “public announcement”) are based on anecdotes of Zen (Chinese: Ch'an) masters.
The effort to “solve” a koan is intended to exhaust the analytic intellect and the egoistic will, readying the mind to entertain an appropriate response on the intuitive level. Each such exercise constitutes both a communication of some aspect of Zen experience and a test of the novice’s competence.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/koan
Venerable Nguyên Siêu, Venerable Minh Mẫn and the Sanghas – Bhikkhunī Chân Thiền, Bhikkhunī Chân Diệu, and Buddhists
on the occasion of community activities in 2019
Venerable Chân Thiền leading a meditation class at Sùng Nghiêm Monastery, 2020
The venerable nuns instructing Buddhists to chant
The venerable nuns and members
at t
he Sùng Nghiêm Main Hall in 2020
Venerable Minh Tuyên, Bhikkhunī Giới Hương (far left) with venerable nuns
chanting Vu Lan Scripture at Sùng Nghiêm Monastery
Dharma class for children at Sùng Nghiêm Monastery
Please kindly read article and view all photos: 2.38._Sung_Nghiem_Zen_Monastery_-_Ven._Chan_Thien_PT_Hai_and_Phuoc_Do.pdf
