The three are all traditional dharma-gates. However from what I have learned from my personal experience in the past twenty years, I should like to point out that pursuing one’s self-cultivation in the milieu of everyday life in the mundane world can be established as a very reliable and down-to-earth mode suitable for carrying on Chan-oriented self-cultivation. And such a mode of self-cultivation is especially conducive to amplifying the already-secured accomplishments of such practitioners as have already succeeded in consolidating, in their psyches, their acquisition of full compliance with sila and vinaya, of Samadhis, and of prajna. According to some Buddhist Scriptures, all life-improving undertakings belong in the category of Buddha-work. Buddhism calls on all Buddhist votaries to evolve their self-cultivation programs not only in the milieu which is in the mundane world but in the context of their everyday life. Moreover to conduct self-cultivation in the milieu which is in the mundane world can yield the extra benefit of cultivating in a Buddhist votary the initiative to establish or strengthen close contacts with the masses.
The quintessence of Buddhism is its religious practice, not its Tripitaka. The same can be said of Chinese culture whose quintessence is not the Thirteen Confucian Classics, the Twenty-four Histories, and the classics left behind by all the historic figures in Chinese history, but the Chinese people’s historic achievements. The translation of the Buddhist Scriptures from Sanskrit into Chinese constituted only a preparatory or preliminary stage that paved the way for Buddhism to carry on its religious practice in later centuries in China. From a historical perspective, Buddhism is probably viewed as an entity functioning as a “supplement” to both the mundane life and the political life existing within the bounds of the Chinese territory. Here, by “supplement” is meant that Buddhism plays “the role of an auxiliary edifying and pacifying agent”. Buddhist institutions in China regard “the role of an auxiliary edifying agent” as a channel through which they can carry on their religious program of helping all sentient beings with gaining liberation. To help all sentient beings with gaining liberation constitutes the basic goal of Buddhism and also the reason with which Buddhism justifies its emergence and survival. In Chinese history there have been no social systems or sovereign powers but leaves a portion of the Chinese population malcontent with their governance. And Buddhism functions exactly for mollifying and allaying the said portion of the Chinese population.(From My Heart My Buddha)
Some people think that since we, the Shaolin monastics, feverishly treasure Shaolin culture and Shaolin tradition, it goes without saying that we tend to be rather narrow-minded and conservative in dealing with matters closely related to Shaolin culture. But, as a matter of fact, we are neither narrow-minded nor conservative in dealing matters that are closely related to Shaolin culture.
The system of traditional Chinese martial arts practiced by the Shaolin monastic population should be better integrated with the doctrine of the Chan Order; otherwise the monastery would not be able to play its unique role in the great struggle in China for national rejuvenation. It is imperative for the Shaolin monastic population to realize that Shaolin culture belongs not only to China but to the whole human race and to the future human race.
Our Kungfu practice is also cultivation meanwhile martial arts is a dharma gate of cultivation. We pursue not only Kungfu techniques but mainly the realm. Shaolin Kungfu, the unity of Chan and martial arts, is the convenient dharma gate that Chinese Buddhism and even excellent Chinese culture go to the world and promote human understanding and peace. The continuous expansion of Shaolin culture’s communication with foreign countries is also an efficient way to protect the inheritance of Shaolin culture with a long history. (From Words of Chan by Shi Yongxin)
Living in the world,we should have strong convictions, firmly believing that life can be upgrading and the world can be improved. This point is very crucial and also fundamental. We Buddhists usually says “to purify the world and life” is just this meaning. Reflected in Buddhists’ mental formation are the motivation, vow and practice. If a person lost his faith living in the world, it would be a very bad thing, no faith, on respect and no reverence. People will fall into the Three Evil Paths in Buddhism terms if so. Thus we can say faith is fundamental. If a person has faith, he or she will have respect and reverence and also have binding in daily life. Religious faith in human edification is reflected here. All religious beliefs come down to the real point of “self-discipline”. Buddhists’ vows and ordinations are are attributed to this point too. (From Words of Chan)
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