Visit to Bailin Monastery in Hebei

On Nov. 4th our China delegation visited Bailin Monastery (柏林禪寺）and Abbot Minghai. Bailin Si is a large Chan Monastery close to Beijing; in recent years many Western Dharma-friends have joined cultivation sessions there. Master Minghai has opened the doors to foreigners seeking to learn the Dharma through actual practice. He is a graduate of Beijing University, and his fellow alumni, Mr. Han Song, editor of China Religions magazine encouraged us to pay a visit. Master Minghai welcomed us warmly; we paid reverence to the tall Zhaozhou Pagoda, saw the Chan Hall, had lunch then drove to the world-famous Zhaozhou Bridge. On our return Master Minghai invited us to speak Dharma to his Buddhist Studies Academy students.

We learned that Minghai has traveled to Europe to teach Chan in English; further he sponsors a Summer Session for Beijing University students and other youth each year. We look forward to future collaboration between DRBA and the Sangha at Bailin Monastery.

 

Chinese Press report on DRBA visit to Bailin Si.

Master Minghai mentioned that when he first began to study the Dharma seriously, he was still a college student at Beijing University. During the early 90s it was not safe to advertise religious belief publicly, so he read mimeod versions of Master Hsuan Hua's commentaries quietly, in his own room. He then became the first Beijing University graduate to leave the home life and cultivate as a monk. Now Beijing University students can practice Dharma openly, and following his example, many students have ordained after their graduation.

(Above: Delegation facilitator Upasika Madelena Tam and Heng Sure offer recently published Buddhist Text Translation Society titles to Master Minghai and Bailin Si's library.)

Comments

[Huifeng]

Thank you Ven Heng Sure, very inspiring to see the connections with ancient monasteries in China and the CTTB. I also had the good fortune to meet Ven Ming Hai a couple of weeks ago. It is encouraging to see the young and talented Buddhist leaders of this generation.
In the Dharma,
Huifeng _/\_

[alan]

did a search on Zhaozhou and didn't realised it was named after a great Chan Master where i've appended below taken from Bailin Temple website..

Master Zhaozhou
The most fruitful contribution of Chinese Buddhism to the human society is embodied in Zen, the very essence of Chinese Buddhist tradition. The practice of Zen began to flourish in Tang Dynasty, when Zen's sixth patriarch Master Huineng, despite his illiteracy, achieved profound realization and set up a very special way of teaching which was unconventionally dynamic and straightforward to the point of enlightenment. Master Zhaozhou was the fifth successor of Patriarch Huineng. He was ordained at his very early age and became enlightened in his youth when he was studying and practicing Zen under the guidance of Master Nanquan. After that, he spent all his time travelling from one place to another in search of spiritual teachers and friends until his age of 80 when he arrived at Bailin Temple and settled down there for the rest of his life. His profound realization and rich meditation experiences had brought out great fruition in the Dharma activities in his late years. Many practitioners of Zen tradition had achieved high level realization through his compassionate teachings. Many of his teachings and life-stories had become the most typical and effective practical guide for the later followers of Zen Tradition. Master Zhaozhou therefore was among the most eminent Zen teachers in the history of Chinese Buddhism. In 897 A.D., the great master passed away at his age of 120. Bailin Temple, as a Zen study center first established by Master Zhaozhou, has since become flourishing and been regarded as one of the most sacred holy sites of Zen Tradition over the centuries, and even until today.

http://www.bailinsi.net/02txzz/01gscq/01zyjj/ywjj.htm