A Brief History and Overview of ZBOHY

Rev. Fa Dao Shakya, Director
 

Forward by Chuan Zhi Shakya

What is Chan? There is no way to describe in words the nature of our spiritual mind, but be that as it may, those who have encountered it can not help but try, for it's something that moves us in a most profound way It's natural for us to want to share these experiences with others so that they, too, might come to experience a spiritual life. All world religions offer a mystical path: a path that is outside and beyond our normal, conditioned, modes of thinking and behaving. Buddhism's mystical path is Chan (Zen), and it's in the context of both ancient and modern teachings that offer resources for interested persons.
 
Chan defies definition. We can do little more that point a seeker in the direction that he or she can find the answers within themselves. Spiritual authority comes only from within. We present in these pages "spiritual exercises", thoughts, teachings from a variety of sources, and support from a like-minded group of individuals. The Chan path is difficult because it requires that we change ourselves: the way we think, the way we act toward ourselves and others, and even the way we feel about things. In short, we must "undo" ourselves to discover who we are inside ... underneath who it is we think we are. It requires vigilance, devotion, and, perhaps most importantly, faith -- faith that we, ourselves, hold the ultimate answer our inner beings seek.
 
In the Chan teaching tradition, "anything goes" as long as it serves to point the seeker in the right direction and causes no harm. Sometimes the result is a maelstrom of apparent contradictions. Sometimes the result is silence. Delving into the nature of contradictions helps us break the bonds - attachments - to our ways of thinking about things. Silence provides an opportunity for us to reflect back on ourselves to reach an immediate and direct understanding. A novice to Chan may initially be uncomfortable with the lack of firm rules and regulations, dogmas and belief-structures, that Chan historically has regarded as dangerous to spiritual development; however, complete freedom of Self is the ultimate goal of Chan and this relies on our growing ability to discard attachments to all forms of structured thought and action.
 
The ZBOHY Website offers a wide variety of materials for anyone interested in learning about Chan, from poetry and art, to essays by our clergy and visitors, traditional Mahayana scriptures, chants and prayers, selected writings from spiritual teachers of other orders, and more. In the spirit of Chan, we always welcome your feedback, questions, and comments. If you would like to contact a specific clerical member of the Order, please write to and specify the name of the person you would like to contact.^*
 
I hope you enjoy the site and find something of value in the writings presented here. May the Infinite Light shine eternally, and may we all live together in harmony.
 
- Chuan Zhi, June 2005  
 
Mission Statement
In the words of Grandmaster Jy Din, the ongoing purpose of the order is to provide an online center for the study of Zen Buddhism.
 
Among our basic mandates as an Order are:

• to be available to people interested in learning about Zen
• to make Zen accessible to the West through a "westernized" approach that remains in keeping with the lineage tradition
• to abstain from conflict with and among other individuals and groups
• to abstain from political and other discussions and debates that do not serve the Dharma

Local Sanghas in the United States and Around the World
While ZBOHY is officially an Internet ministry, we are delighted to have so many of our clergy involved in leading local sanghas around the world. In the United States: Yin De Shakya in Phoenix; Yin Zhi Shakya in Florida; Yin Ming Shakya in Texas, Fa Liang Shakya in Tennessee, Fa Jiàn Shakya in Lincoln Nebraska. Internationally: Fa Lian Shakya in Greece; Yin Ming Shakya in Cuba; Fa Yang Shakya of Venezuela. For more information on these and other affiliated sanghas, please visit our Bulletin Board page.
 
Founding of the Order
The Zen (Chan) Buddhist Order of Hsu Yun (ZBOHY) was founded on November 8, 1997 by Grandmaster Jy Din Shakya, Abbot and founder of Hsu Yun Temple in Honolulu. The event coincided with an ordination ceremony in which he named Chuan Zhi Shakya after himself, a rare honor bestowed to a disciple. The subsequent year, in May 1998, Grandmaster Jy Din escorted Rev. Chuan Zhi to China where he received full ordination in a month-long ceremony at Hong Fa temple. At the end of the ceremony, Chuan Zhi was entered into the ledgers of the International Buddhist Registry as Abbot of The Zen Buddhist Order of Hsu Yun (Hsu Yun Chan Yuen).
 
Grandmaster Hsu Yun
Master Hsu Yun is the most famous Chinese Chan (Zen) master of the 20th Century, known best for his tireless effort at spreading the Dharma.
 
According to the sparse records available, Hsu Yun was born in approximately 1839 in Guangzhou province. In his youth he enjoyed reading about Chan Buddhism and it was during his teen years that he decided to enter monastic life despite strong family opposition. He was ordained at Gu Shan temple in 1859 by Grandmaster Miao-lian at age 20.
 
During his long lifetime, Hsu Yun traveled throughout China and Southeast Asia giving lectures and assisting with intensive Chan practice retreats. His passion, bringing Chan to the forefront of consciousness in China, led him to the restoration of numerous monasteries and temples that had fallen into extensive disrepair, many abandoned due to aging and lack of interest. Among these was Nan Hua temple, founded by the Sixth Patriarch, Hui Neng. Hsu Yun not only rebuilt and revitalized this famous temple; he founded a religious school on the grounds to teach Buddhism, as well as a primary school to help provide for the many young children of the region who would otherwise have had poor, or no, education.
 
Grandmaster Hsu Yun died in October of 1959, at Zhen Ru monastery. By all available accounts, he was 120 years old.
 
Grandmaster Jy Din Shakya
Grandmaster Jy Din Shakya was born on November 17, 1917 to a wealthy business family in China. He survived both the Japanese invasion of China in World War II and the later Chinese Communist attacks on religious activities. During a visit in 1934 to Nan Hua Monastery, Jy Din first met Master Hsu Yun: "Something happened to me when I looked into his face," he wrote later, "I suddenly dropped to my knees and pressed my forehead to the ground, kowtowing to him. My friends were all astonished. I had never kowtowed to anybody in my life."
 
After much encouragement from Master Hsu Yun to become a monk at the temple, he was ordained at Nan Hua Monastery in 1937. Jy Din was to become Hsu Yun's translator as he later traveled throughout China teaching Chan Buddhism.
 
In 1949, Master Jy Din was directed by Hsu Yun to move to Hawaii to establish a Buddhist temple for the many Chinese immigrants who had moved there. By 1956 enough money was raised to build a traditional Chinese-style temple at 42 Kawananakoa Place in Honolulu. Master Jy Din named it the Hsu Yun Temple after his beloved master.
 
After decades of service to the local Chinese ethnic population of Hawaii, Master Jy Din recognized the self-limiting nature of a temple that, by it's Chinese ethnic nature, effectively excluded non-Chinese ethnic populations.
 
In the 1990's he became aware of the power of the Internet as a means to spread the teachings of Buddhism to other parts of the world. In 1998 he elevated his disciple and heir, Chuan Zhi Shakya, to Abbot of the ZBOHY Internet Ministry, founded the year prior.
 
Master Jy Din passed away at 85 years of age on March 13, 2003, after a long and difficult illness. Jeanne Lum, a member of the Temple Board said of him: "His major principle was to accept things. And he never complained, never scolded or got angry at anyone, and always believed that if you would just do kindness to a bad person the person gradually would change." Leadership of the Kawananakoa Place temple and spiritual guidance for the ZBOHY was passed on to Master Fat Wai Shakya.
 
Chuan Zhi Shakya
Chuan Zhi was born on October 12, 1960 in Lafayette Indiana, United States. After completing secondary school in Pennsylvania, he received his undergraduate degree in Physics in 1983. The following two years were spent teaching math and Physics in Bogota, Colombia. Upon returning to the United States, he continued his education in Physics at Purdue University before joining the workforce as an experimental physicist in 1986. After a long fascination with Zen Buddhism, in 1995 he began a Website devoted to Zen study and on November 8, 1997 was introduced to Master Jy Din Shakya. Later that same day he was ordained. He later remarked, "Never before had I met a man with such grace, integrity, humility, and genuine concern for others. He was a living example of Chan in every way I could imagine." Chuan Zhi recieved full ordination at Hong Fa temple in 1998 by Grandmasters Jy Din, Ben Huan, and Sou Ye.
 
Master Fat Wai Shakya
Master Fat Wai (Fa Hui) was ordained by Grandmaster Fat Ying Shakya on August 15th, 1945, the day Japan surrendered to the Western Allies, ending the war in the Pacific.
 
Master Fat Wai Shakya became Abbot of Hsu Yun Temple shortly before the passing of Grandmaster Jy Din. He has been instrumental in the ongoing evolution of our Internet ministry and continues as the acting Spiritual Head of our Order.
 
When asked during a December 2004 visit if he would like to give a message to the ZBOHY community he replied: "People must be careful: once you enter the Chan path, do not let yourself go off in another direction. Stay on the Path. Many people think that by switching to other paths, or by mixing different paths together, they will attain Buddhahood faster and more easily. It doesn't work that way. Follow a straight course and don't take turns that lead away from Chan. Keep your practice simple, and keep your practice strong. Be kind to people and don't get involved in conflicts with others."
 
Lineage
Hui Neng, the Sixth and last Patriarch of Chan, founded his order in 675 AD at his monastery which he named Bao Lin Ji. It latter came to be known as Nan Hua Si. This historic temple is located roughly 100 miles north of Guang Zhou on the Caoxi Little River. Through a succession of Dharma Heirs, the lineage to Hui Neng continues through many branches around the world. According to documented Chinese records, Master Hsu Yun was 54 generations from Hui Neng and his heir, Jy Din, was 55th generation. [The lineage sequence is contained in a poem which lists, in chronological sequence, Dharma names given from master to disciple. Once the list has been completed, it returns to the beginning and repeats. For example, Jy (Zhi) gives the first name "Chuan" (56th generation), Chuan gives the name "Fa" (57^th generation), Fa gives the name "Yin" (58^th generation), and Yin gives the name "Zheng" (59^th generation). For a look into the value and pitfalls of the lineage system, read Rev. Chuan Zhi's essay series, Western Zen: Transition and Turmoil"]
 

 
Disclaimer
The Zen Buddhist Order of Hsu Yun (ZBOHY) under the guidance of Rev. Chuan Zhi Shakya is represented on the www.hsuyun.org and www.xuyun.org Internet websites and is not associated with other groups or websites that might represent themselves as ZBOHY in the United States or other countries. Because of our mandate to abstain from political agendas, ZBOHY is also not associated with the Fa Lun Gong or other religious/political groups outlawed in China.
 
Individual opinions expressed by recognized affiliated clergy of the ZBOHY do not necessarily reflect those of ZBOHY as a whole, the Board of Directors, or the Founders or Spiritual Heads of the Order.
 
Questions regarding the Order should be directed to Chuan Zhi Shakya or Fa Dao Shakya by writing to .
 
A Note on Word Usage
"Zen" vs. "Chan"
"Zen" and "Chan" are cognates of the term Dhyana, meaning "to dwell" or to meditate. The term "Zen" was first to make its way to the West from Japan and became the popularly understood term before the original Chinese term, Chan, made its appearance. For this reason, ZBOHY uses the two terms interchangeably.
 
Chinese Terms
Chinese Pinyin spellings (the contemporary Chinese standard) are used in preference to Wade Giles spellings now found almost exclusively in Taiwan. Even with the pinyin standard, Chinese words are often spelled differently depending on the time and location of origin and local dialect; therefore, there may arise discrepancies in spellings of names and locations with other literature.
 
Final Note
Ultimately, the practice and study of Chan is both a personal pursuit and a sangha (community) pursuit. It is not the intention of ZBOHY to demand strict conformity of practice. Rather, it is our goal to present classical and contemporary Chan teachings, methods and principles in the Western idiom as a guide to those wending their own way along the Path.
 
It is our purpose and intention to present the teachings of the Hsu Yun/Lin Chi lineage in a way that makes them readily accessible and understandable to Western Practitioners. It is our hope to offer the benefit of an international sangha to our affiliated groups and lone seekers alike.
 
We humbly offer that which we have been given -- modern western understandings and approaches to the Dao of the classical Southern Chan masters.
 
Namo Amotofo
Rev. Fa Dao Shakya, Director, OHY  
 
 
 
 
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