It is with great sadness that we tell you that our Venerable Master, Shifu, Teacher and Patron Sheng Yen passed peacefully away yesterday at 4:00pm Taiwan time at Dharma Drum Mountain's Founder's Quarters in his monastery in Taiwan.
As you probably know, Shifu's health had been declining over the past three years. This started in late 2005, when Shifu received surgery to remove a non-functioning kidney, and the remaining kidney's ability to function remained very poor. Since then he endured weekly dialysis and various other treatments, making his body very weak. Over the following two years, his health condition has had ups and downs, and remarkably, in mid to late 2008, Shifu had been noticeably stronger and able to give many lectures and attend many public events. During this time a number of Leaders from WCF visited him in Taiwan and were thus able to meet him personally. In late December, a routine checkup at the hospital revealed a further problem. Yet, Shifu kept on with his agenda, and attended the Year End Charity Event at DDM. Shortly after, he was hospitalized and his health condition deteriorated rapidly. His condition looked grave. Afterwards, the DDM global community began daily prayer vigils in hopes that transferring the merit would help Shifu regain his health. After a few days of this unstable health condition, it took a turn for the better, and there was a visible improvement. Afterwards, Shifu continued to attend meetings and receive guests and also took a leave of absence from the hospital to visit the local Taipei monasteries and centres. Soon afterwards, his health condition again deteriorated, fluctuating between good and bad, and he was unable to attend the Chinese New Year events at DDM.
Thus ends the life of perhaps the most influential and deeply thinking Zen master of our generation. Because of our good fortune in having had his guidance through many years we can, at this time, be deeply grateful and make prostrations to symbolise our gratitude.
Dharma Drum Mountain has prepared a programme of ceremonial events to witness Shifu's passing. For your information, various prayer services are being conducted at DDM-affiliated centres worldwide, (the Great Compassionate Dharani Dharma Ritual, the Earth Store Sutra, and Medicine Buddha Sutra Ritual). The second stage of the plan consists of the Funeral Rites. DDM-affiliated centres across the globe have begun the 'Buddha-name Recitation Dharma Ritual: Repaying the Benevolence of our Master' to show our gratitude for Shifu, and to generate our own affinity with the Pure Land. With Shifu's body at the Founder's Quarters, the monastic Sangha will recite 'Amituofo' beside him, and show gratitude and say farewell to Shifu: although, as the message from DDM points out, we don’t need to chant for him, he knows where he's going, and is free to come and go at will. The Dharma rituals are more of an activity of cultivation for ourselves, a chance to express our gratitude for our teacher, to make vows, and to generate good affinity with the Dharma. After a period of 8 hours, Shifu's body will be brought to the Grand Buddha Hall where the general public can pay their respects to Shifu and attend the recitation ritual as a large community. On the third day, following Shifu's instruction, the body is to be cremated at a nearby location.
Afterwards, the recitation services will continue daily for 14 days. On the 14th day, a non-religious ceremony of burying the ashes will be held at the 'Garden of Life' at DDM, where Shifu's disciples from across Taiwan and the globe will be invited to attend. This simple ceremony is to show how Buddhists are not attached to the physical body, as the ashes are placed into five separate holes, not labelled, and buried one meter deep. Not identifying with the body, it is returned to the earth.
The third stage of this plan consists of events and activities of commemoration and remembrance of Shifu and his lifetime of work, which will occur within months of Shifu's passing. Some parallel events for English speakers will be organised in New York.
Our Sangha exists by virtue of Shifu's transmission first to John and then also to Simon as his Dharma heirs in the UK. His guidance has been at the heart of our development and will continue to be our understanding of the lineage of Dharma Drum that we have inherited. It is appropriate therefore that we witness parallel events ourselves. We therefore ask that each Leader of a group calls their practitioners together and holds a simple ceremony of remembrance, gratitude and dedication. Of course, few of us know the Chinese ceremonial so we ask Leaders to create a small ceremony around these three themes. The event should make use of our Chinese Maenllwyd liturgy, recite the Heart Sutra and a repetition of 'Gate gate' mantra 108 times followed by a chanting of the Kuan yin mantra (Namo de wa kuan je yin poussa).
Those who knew Shifu personally, were present with him in Taiwan last June or who wish to recall a specific teaching, may give a short Teisho (brief sermon) on the topic trusting their abilities. Conclude with the Aspirational Prayer. The event should be held as soon as possible after informing all group practitioners thereby encouraging them to attend. Later on Simon and I will arrange a Memorial Ceremony (perhaps as part of a retreat at the Maenllwyd) to which all will be invited. It was at the Maenllwyd that Shifu first brought the Chan Dharma to Britain and began his relationship with us.
Any questions to John or Simon. We shall try to answer them.
With warm regards in the Dharma,
Chuan-deng Jing-di and Chuan-fa Jing-hong,
John Crook and Simon Child,
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Sheng Yen.
