| Summary: | 碩士 === 華梵大學 === 東方人文思想研究所 === 101 === Ven. Master Tzwan-wen, who was ordained to be a sramaneri, and started cultivation since childhood, was one of Ven. Master Guang-qin's chief female disciples. During her fifteen years in attending to the Ven. Master Guang-qin, Ven. Tzwan-wen put into practice his direct teachings "the Mind Approaches" and cultivation methods, such as, "Ascetic Practices and Mindfulness Contemplation of the Buddha" and "Dual-Practice of Merits & Wisdom". His teachings can be applied in dealing with daily life matters, which even though may seem simple on the surface, but actually each and every word and sentence conforms perfectly with the Buddha’s exquisite teaching on wisdom and “emptiness”. They are not just superficial teachings but actual practices which point directly to the cultivation of the mind in the present moment.
At that time Ven. Master Tzwan-wen had often been instigated to leave the Old Venerable (Old Monk) and further her studies. However, Ven. Master Tzwan-wen had made a determination to abide by the Old Monk's teachings - to keep a mind of straightforwardness.
In the year 1981, when the Old Venerable (Monk) was over 90 years old with the knowledge that the timing for teaching people in Southern Taiwan has ripened, the Old Monk decided to establish a female Buddhist cultivation centre in Liu-guei Hsiang, Kao-Hsiung Hsien for women practitioners only. So in Liu-guei, Kao-Hsiung Hsien Miao-Tong Temple is thus established.
Before entering nirvana in 1986, the Old Monk entrusted Ven. Master Tzwan-wen with the responsibility to take care both of the temple and teaching for all the Buddhist nuns stationed at Miao-Tong Temple. On December 29 (lunar calendar) of 2008, Ven. Master Tzwan-wen came to the fulfillment of this life. In all her cultivation in this life, the Old Venerable’s will and teachings had been mindfully adopted and followed by Ven. Tzwan-wen, who sets herself up as a role model, makes conditions appropriately favourable for hundreds of women followers to step onto the path of cultivation. And Ven. Tzwan-wen eventually led them to become fully practicing Buddhist nuns.
More than two hundred and thirty thousand characters (words) of primary source of first-hand information, which her disciple finished, through 16 years of collaboration, compiled this volume of "A Collection of Preaching by Ven. Tzwan-wen", which records each and every one of Ven. Master Tzwan-wen's various teachings of her disciples, and is circulated only among her nun followers.
In terms of so-called worldly education, Ven. Guang-qin, the Old Venerable, was illiterate, and Ven. Master Tzwan-wen herself had attained six years of primary schooling. By following her teacher's discourses and methods of cultivation, Ven. Master Tzwan-wen had been very conservative, which almost kept her and her followers isolated from the world. But why would there be as many as nearly three hundred female intellectuals follow her and were willing to renounce their worldly life and to become ordained as Buddhist nuns and walk on the path of cultivation? With widespread information and surrounded by greatly developed high technology, how can such conservative teachings survive and hold a firm ground today? This research is therefore triggered with the hope that a detailed study and analysis of this first-hand information of "A Collection of Preaching by Ven. Master Tzwan-wen" can be done, and have a discourse about her adoption of the Old Venerable’s upholding of the Buddha’s guidelines, methods of study and teaching. Although the Old Venerable’s teaching upholds a traditional style, it is in line with actual practice methods, these are passed down in the lineage from pious accomplished elders from generation to generation. Finally, it investigates the feasibility and importance of the implementation of this style of cultivation among contemporary Buddhist practitioners.
Both Tiantai and Huayan Schools originate from the teachings based on the doctrines, whereas both Zen and PureLand Schools start from a practice perspective. Even though they are two different Buddhist ways, they really complement each other and share a common core intersection. Such a core intersection is explored in this thesis.
It is further hoped that in this thesis, the subjective “religious ideology” can be processed through the objective “academic lens”, confirming the importance of practising Buddhism, and help remedy the regretful effect of pure “academy Buddhist studies” which have no corresponding practice! Perhaps this research technique may be called “the fusion of religion with academic proof”.
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