Back from Taiwan

Guo-gu

When I first went to New York, Jimmy Yu was a teenage student artist who used to attend retreats with Shifu together with his enthusiastic mother. Later we practised together as Shifu's students on intensive retreats in Queens and, later again, as colleagues after he had become Shifu's personal monastic assistant as Guo-gu Shi and I, as a Dharma heir, was guest-mastering for Shifu in Berlin. After some years, Guo-gu began academic research at Princeton, gained his doctorate and now teaches, once more as Jimmy Yu, at University, married and with children. He has played major roles in preparing Shifu's books and their introductions. I have always admired Guo-gu's vigour in the Dharma and his forthright approach. Here he shares with us some views following the ceremonials in Taiwan. JHC

As with many of you, I cannot describe my feelings... but my sadness has turned to a strong determination to spread Chan in the West. The meaning of Shifu's passing will change in time, like all things but my vows will not. His last wish for us was to help finish what he couldn't in the West. I pray that the causes and conditions will be in our favour to widely disseminate Chan to benefit all. Shifu has given me two incense sticks (i.e. kyosaku) with his calligraphy on them: one with words about silent illumination chan and the other with teachings on hua-tou practice. He also gave me two verses of his calligraphy about the meaning of my name 'Guo-gu'. These gifts now mean something different. I hope to eventually start a Dharma center in his name, 'Sheng Yen Chan-yuan' (Sheng Yen Chan Cloisters). I will first start a small sitting group in Tallahassee. If causes and conditions are ripe, this group will grow. One of the head nuns there told me that Shifu had wished to transmit the Dharma one more time, this time to his close lay disciples like me, but his failing condition did not allow this to happen. Irrespective of this, I follow my vows and we can continue his teachings as much as we can.

We will be going through a transition, a period of mourning and a slow gathering of our spirits. Many things will happen during this transition. Time will tell. My sense is that there will be personnel changes and maybe some ups and downs in the organization. The most important thing for us is to continue our own practice together as a group. Shifu's teachings will live through us if our own practice is strong. By strong, I don't necessarily mean becoming enlightened but that our Bodhisattva vows will continue to humble us and push us onward in our daily lives. At the last 49 day retreat in Taiwan (2006) Shifu emphasized that 'seeing the self-nature' is nothing compared to continual practice, reminding us that deepening our practices is always more important in our lives. I can testify that, even having received Shifu's inka three or four times since 1995 onwards, my own vexations and ignorance continue to be too great to permit me to avoid practice!

We have very strong leadership in Taiwan, and the Sangha is mature and strong. I have every confidence that the Dharma Drum Chan order will continue Shifu's legacy.

I returned to Taiwan yesterday, after Shifu's cremation. Dharma Drum Mountain is continuing the services until the interment of Shifu's ashes on the mountain on February15th. The arrangement of Shifu's funeral was very well organized. In fact, it was no funeral service at all, but a retreat for his students from all over thee world. From the paying of respect to his body, to the cremation, and to the chanting practices, everything had a solemn and dignified retreat atmosphere to it. It was what Shifu would have wanted.