CHUNG TAI CHAN MONASTERY
Chung Tai Chan Monastery
Great Buddha Monastery is an affiliate of Chung Tai Chan Monastery in Taiwan. Located in Puli Township, it is one of the countrys largest Buddhist organizations, with meditation centers serving communities worldwide. Chung Tai was founded by Grand Master Weichueh, one of the 21st centurys most eminent Buddhist masters, who was instrumental in revitalizing the Chan (Zen) tradition in Taiwan. With profound spiritual insight, a penetrating mind, and the ability to clearly elucidate the Buddhas teaching, the Grand Master taught Chan Buddhism to disciples from all walks of life. Out of a compassionate vow to provide cultivators with a holistic environment to study the Dharma, he decided to build Chung Tai Chan Monastery. After three years of planning and seven years of construction, through the Grand Masters leadership and devotion, this landmark building opened its doors on September 1st, 2001, initiating a new era in the propagation of Buddhism.
The Chung Tai Tradition
The Buddhas teaching is vast and profound, with many possible ways to practice. To help focus ones spiritual practice, Grand Master Weichueh taught three concepts which form the foundation of the Chung Tai Tradition: the Three Links of Cultivation, Four Tenets of Chung Tai, and Five Approaches for Sharing the Dharma.
Three Links of Cultivation
The Buddhist sutras say, Those who wish to realize the Way should cultivate three things: scripture study, meritorious service, and meditation. These are the Three Links of Cultivation.
Together these links form the bedrock of an effective Buddhist practice. Each link complements and reinforces the other two on the path to enlightenment; they are not separate learnings, but different aspects of a whole. Scripture study helps us develop right views and clear understanding; meritorious service increases our merits as provisions for the path; meditation calms, clears, and awakens the mind. The benefits of these three links are truly realized when integrated as one in everyday practice.
By cultivating according to the three links, we apply the Dharma in our daily activities and strive towards enlightenment on the bodhisattva path, through the practice of benefiting oneself by benefiting others.
The Four Tenets of Chung Tai
Even the subtlest and most profound Chan teachings are inseparable from the way we conduct ourselves in daily life. The Four Tenets of Chung Tai are guidelines for harnessing the wisdom of Buddhadharma in our everyday interactions.
To our elders be respectful:
Dispel arrogance with respect.
To our juniors be kind:
Counteract anger with compassion.
With all humanity be harmonious:
Dissolve conflict with harmony.
In all endeavors be true:
Eradicate pretense and deceit with truthfulness
The Five Approaches for Sharing the Dharma
In todays multifaceted society, Buddhism must use a variety of approaches to reach people from different walks of life. With deep sensitivity to the needs of modern people, the Grand Master pioneered these five ways to share the Dharma.
Through daily living
Buddhism in daily living is to live with awareness. Wherever we are, that is where the mind is. This is an essential teaching to guide us in our cultivation.
Through education
Learning the Dharma is an education that helps us cultivate mindfulness and awakening. In the Buddhist spirit of learning to realize enlightenment, Chung Tai promotes the Dharma through monastic education, social education, and scholastic education.
Through the arts
The Dharma can not only be expressed through language and experienced in meditation, it can also be conveyed with form. Architectural design, sculpture, and landscaping are a few mediums through which Chung Tai spreads the Buddhist teachings.
Through science
Buddhism and science share a symbiotic relationship of mutual growth and enrichment. Buddhist wisdom can inform scientific discoveries, while science can affirm and support Buddhist cultivation.
Through academia
Buddhism and the academic world also influence each other for the better. Buddhist values guide scholars in pursuing research that benefits humanity. Traditional methods of scholarship can be applied to scripture study to deepen ones understanding of the Dharma.
Grand Master Weichueh Founding Abbot of Chung Tai
Founding Abbot of Chung Tai Chan Monastery(1928 - 2016)
Grand Master Weichueh, the founding abbot of Chung Tai, was born in Yingshan County, Sichuan Province, China. From an early age, he was deeply aware of lifes impermanence. Although he was educated in the Confucian classics, he felt worldly knowledge did not reveal the meaning of life and death. Seeking answers, he delved deeply into Buddhadharma.
In 1964, the Grand Master was ordained under the Venerable Master Lingyuan at the Shifang Dajue (Great Enlightenment) Chan Monastery in Keelung, Taiwan. As an acolyte monk, he rose before dawn every day to clean the buddha hall and monastery courtyard. While others would rest after lunch, he stayed in the hall to make prostrations. In all his duties and interactions, he was devoted, considerate, and diligent.
To deepen his cultivation, the Grand Master left Shifang Dajue Monastery to practice in seclusion for over a decade. He studied at monasteries in Yilan, Hsing Zhu, and Hong Kong before moving to a retreat hut in the mountains of Wanli near Taipei. There, he gave up material comforts for long days of hard practice.In 1985-1986, an industrial road was built that passed by the Grand Masters hut. As the area became accessible, more people discovered the presence of a genuine Buddhist master and came seeking his wisdom. At the behest of his followers, the Grand Master emerged from solitary practice to teach the Dharma.
In 1987, the Grand Master built Lingquan Monastery on the land his retreat hut once stood. At Lingquan, he ordained his first monastic disciples, regularly held Chan-7 retreats, and taught a growing number of lay students. The Grand Masters efforts reinvigorated Chan traditions and gave their practice new life in Taiwan. Before long, the Lingquan Monastery could no longer accommodate the number of disciples who came to learn the Dharma.
To serve the ever-growing assembly of monastic and lay practitioners, the Grand Master began planning the construction of a larger monastery in Puli, Nantou County. After three years of planning and seven years of construction, the Chung Tai Chan Monastery was inaugurated in 2001.
For the rest of his life, the Grand Master continued the Buddhas work of enlightening all sentient beings. He established Chan meditation centers in Taiwan and overseas. He frequently lectured at universities and other secular organizations. He held large-scale Dharma ceremonies, gave hundreds of Dharma talks, and presided over ten sessions of Chan-7 retreats every year. He taught disciples the way to lasting joy and worked tirelessly to create a peaceful world by helping all people realize their pure mind and intrinsic nature.
The Grand Master emphasized education as a crucial part of Buddhist practice. He established the Chung Tai Buddhist Institute for monks and nuns, dedicated to training knowledgeable and qualified teachers of Buddhadharma. He also founded the Pu Tai Schools (K-12) to foster the values of respect, compassion, and moral integrity through childrens education. One of the Grand Masters last accomplishments was the Chung Tai World Museum, a world-class platform for the public to interact with Buddhist art and culture.
From Lingquan to Chung Tai, Grand Master Weichueh gave his vision, inspiration, and guidance to hundreds of thousands of followers, monks, nuns, and lay people alike. His example has planted the seeds of enlightenment in our hearts and continues to guide the world towards serenity and wisdom. The Grand Master passed away and entered nirvana on April 8th, 2016.
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