 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Yin Shun" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(September 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Yin Shun 印順 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Title | Venerable Mentor (導師) |
| Personal life | |
| Born | Zhang Luqin (1906-04-05)5 April 1906 Zhejiang Province,Qing Dynasty |
| Died | 4 June 2005(2005-06-04) (aged 99) Hualien County, Republic of China |
| Nationality | Chinese |
| Other names | Sheng Zheng（盛正） |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | MahayanaBuddhism |
| Senior posting | |
| Teacher | Taixu (太虛), Qingnian (清念)[1] |
Yin Shun (印順,Yìnshùn; 5 April 1906 – 4 June 2005) was a ChineseBuddhist monk and scholar in the tradition of ChineseMahayanaBuddhism. Though he was particularly trained in theThree Treatise school, he was an advocate of the One Vehicle (orEkayana) as the ultimate and universal perspective of Buddhahood for all, and as such included all schools of Buddha Dharma, including the Five Vehicles and the Three Vehicles, within the meaning of theMahayana as the One Vehicle.[2] Yin Shun's research helped bring forth the ideal of"Humanistic" (human-realm) Buddhism, a leading mainstream Buddhist philosophy studied and upheld by many practitioners.[3][better source needed] His work also regenerated the interests in the long-ignoredĀgamas among Chinese Buddhist society[4] and his ideas are echoed by the AmericanTheravadin teacherBhikkhu Bodhi. As a contemporary master, he was most popularly known as the mentor ofCheng Yen, the founder ofBuddhist Tzu Chi Charity Foundation, as well as the teacher to several other prominent monastics.
Although Yin Shun is closely associated with theTzu Chi Foundation, he has had a decisive influence on others of the new generation of Buddhist monks such asSheng-yen ofDharma Drum Mountain andHsing Yun ofFo Guang Shan, who were active in humanitarian aid, social work, environmentalism and academic research as well. He is considered to be one of the most influential figures ofTaiwanese Buddhism, having influenced many of the leading Buddhist figures in modern Taiwan.
Yin Shun was born on 5 April 1906 (The traditionalChinese calendar: 12 March丙午) in a village inZhejiang Province, China. His birth name was Zhang Luqin (Wade–Giles: Chang Luch'in). At the time of Zhang's birth, it was the end of theQing Dynasty. Eleven days after his birth, Zhang was critically ill and nearly died. He began school at age seven.
In his studies, he stumbled upon the subject ofimmortality—a subject that Zhang found interesting. His parents found what Zhang was doing to be very unusual, so they required him to teach at other schools.
Zhang turned his attention toConfucianism andTaoism, but neither of these philosophies satisfied his spiritual yearning. At one point,Christianity aroused his interest but Zhang realised the irrelevance in their doctrine and after two years could not commit himself to Christianity. One day, Zhang was looking for something to read. He stumbled onto the words "theBuddha Dharma". This immediately sparked spiritual interest in his heart, and Zhang zealously looked for anything that had to do with Buddhism.
In 1930, Zhang applied to a Buddhist college in Beijing. For many days he had travelled from his home to Beijing, with high hopes. He arrived too late for acceptance.
While pondering where he could go next, Zhang thought of a temple called "Tiantong Temple". Zhang then went toMount Putuo, where he met a young man named Wang. Both searched for an abode where they could study the Buddha Dharma. They eventually found a small place where they could do so, where their abbot who was well-cultivated. They asked to study under him.
The elder monk then referred Zhang and Wang to another place called Fuzhun Monastery (福泉庵), less than a half mile from where they were. The two hurried to Fuzhun Monastery. Later, on October 11, 1930, the abbot, Master Qingnian (清念和尚), shaved Zhang Luqin's head and gave him theDharma name ofYin Shun (印順).
In March 2004, he was awarded theOrder of Propitious Clouds Second Class, for his contributions to the revitalization of Buddhism in Taiwan.[5]
In February 1963, a thirty-two-day novitiate for Buddhist monks and nuns was held inTaipei. Monks and nuns came from all over Taiwan to register. All were accepted except a young female devotee fromHualien, a county in eastern Taiwan.
Master Yin Shun recalled the day he first met MasterCheng Yen:[6]
Huiyin, a student of mine, brought her to the Hui Ri Lecture Hall, where I lived, to purchase The Complete Teachings of MasterTaixu. Huiyin told me that the woman had been rejected from the novitiate because she had shaved her own head and her teacher was a layman. Someone said she could have just asked any of the monks or nuns present to accept her as a disciple, but she claimed that she needed to seek her master carefully. After she bought the book, there was a heavy rain shower and she couldn't leave. She then begged Huiyin to tell me that she wished to become my disciple. She had no idea that I rarely accept disciples¹. As if the heavens had heard her wish, I happened to walk out of my room just then. Huiyin came toward me and told me what was going on. I couldn't figure out why she chose me as her master, but I consented.
¹At the time, Yin Shun only had three disciples. All three now are teaching the Buddha Dharma in the United States.
Master Yin Shun then said to her, "Our karmic relationship is very special. As a nun, you must always be committed to Buddhism and to all living beings."
Since the registration for the novitiate was about to end within the hour, the venerable master quickly gave the young disciple her Buddhist name,Cheng Yen, and told her to get going and begin the novitiate promptly. At that moment, the conditions for the creation of theTzu Chi Foundation began.
In the summer of 1979, Master Yin Shun came to Hualien. Living in this beautiful but undeveloped part of the island, Cheng Yen told Master Yin Shun about her aspiration to build a high-quality hospital for the people living in eastern Taiwan, where there were few medical facilities.
As he listened to her, he could foresee the daunting challenges lying ahead. Like a father sharing his life experiences with his daughter, he said, "Just like the time you told me you intended to begin charity work, I reminded you to think whether you would have the strength and the money when more people came to you for help. The task can only be realized with unwavering commitment."[citation needed]
Seeing his disciple's resolution, Master Yin Shun's mind was put at ease. With this talk, the hospital construction project began. Although Cheng Yen would soon face many insurmountable difficulties and challenges, Master Yin Shun's support gave Cheng Yen the strength to go on. He transferred virtually all[citation needed] the monetary offerings made to him by his followers to the hospital construction. The sum accumulated throughout the years was truly sizable.
On 4 June 2005, Yin Shun died after suffering from complications pulmonary tuberculosis since 1954.[7] He died inHualien Tzu Chi Hospital at the age of 99.[8] Tzu Chi, along with other Buddhist organizations and monasteries influenced by Yin Shun, joined in mourning for eight days, the length of his funeral.
Among those attending the services wereTaiwanese PresidentChen Shui-bian,ROC PremierFrank Hsieh, and other legislators.[9] Several monastics from many parts of the world, predominantly the United States, also attended Yin Shun's funeral. Monastics who were disciples of Yin Shun also attended the funeral, including Cheng Yen, who led the Tzu Chi delegation.
Yin Shun had a simple and spartan lifestyle in the last days of his life, so his disciples decided to keep his funeral simple but solemn. His funeral was held at Fu Yan Vihara inHsinchu, where he had lived for many years until his death. Yin Shun was latercremated on 10 June and his ashes and portrait were placed inside a hall alongside the remains of other monastic alumni of Fu Yan.
1930年，在福泉庵禮清念和尚為師，落髮出家...回佛頂山閱藏三年餘，期間曾奉太虛之函，往閩南佛學院授課。
On the 5th of March 2004, only two weeks before the 2004 presidential election, CHEN SHUIBIAN陳水扁 awarded the monk YINSHUN the er deng qing yun xun zhang二等卿雲勳章 (Second-Class Order of Propitious Clouds).
