Ling Jiou Mountain (LJM) has been conducting seasonal retreats for the sangha for years, whereby ordained monastics optimize the quarterly retreats by practicing meditation that nurtures their physique, mind, and spirit. Such occasions are thus critical for the monastics to gain solid traction in their Buddhist studies while lending physical expression to the practice of the LJM ethos of 'Compassion & Chan Meditation' . The recently commenced 10-day retreat (June 8 - 17) enlists the participation of one-hundred-plus monastics eager to advance in meditation and Buddhist studies towards a thorough understanding of their inherent spirituality to attain their share of Buddha's wisdom.

Varsa (Sanskrit for 'Summer Retreat' ) during Buddha's time was a break for the monsoon season for the monks to stay put within the confines of monasteries to restore their energy in preparations for preaching to benefit others besides themselves. The spread-out of Buddhism witnessed its manifestation by virtue of the physical accomplishment of the sangha.

Whereas bhikkhus and bhikkhunis concentrate on their advancement in Buddha's teaching, Buddhist laity pledge their guardianship for support. For the duration of the retreat, Buddhist laity or secular practitioners donate food, clothing, bedding, and medicine so that the monastics can focus with no worldly concerns. Detailed descriptions thus accordingly can be seen in the scriptures of the Ekottarika-āgama, Volume 13, which can be roughly summarized as follows - “At the time, Buddha was at the Jetavana-vihara in Sravasti. The Dharma was being explained to King Prasenajit, who then decided to invite Buddha and the bhikkhus for a three-month accommodation at his court. Adjacent to the palace entrance, a large auditorium was erected, with flying banners and canopy tents all properly outfitted along with everything else. All the necessary clothing, food and beverage, bedding, and medicines were provided as well - hence the term ‘the offering of the four categories’”.

It is said that offering the four categories may bring one immeasurable merits. Offering the sangha proper clothing may enhance one's austere appearance, whereas offering food may ensure one a steady supply of spiritual nourishment on the path of their Dharma practice. Offering the sangha bedding will afford secular practitioners quality rest critical to the continued progress in their practice, and making offering of medicine to ordained monastics may safeguard the donor's health and adds on to the lasting fortune and longevity of all involved.

For all participants during the retreat, Dharma Master Hsin Tao has the following benevolent insight to observe and to strive for - “We all do our homework by practicing our Dharma method, which is by way of a perfect comprehension via the root of the hearing organ of the ears, and the other principal method is by entering the Stream of Awareness of Non-Duality. ‘Listening to Nothingness’ is yet another method, which demands straightforward action with no questions asked. You keep on listening until you hear the quietness, but the quietness is hardly ever a fixture with abiding. The non-abiding fades into emptiness, which cancels out all phenomena to bring out our inherent spirituality.”

Dharma Master Hsin Tao says that one cannot achieve such a state of mind just by putting their head to work. Instead, it requires to attain a phased achievement from realizing that ‘quietness’ will progress to ‘non-abiding’, then to ‘non-cognition’, to finally reach ‘emptiness’. From ‘Listening to Nothingness’ there arises a multitude of virtues and merits to purify one's mind. Therefore, “it will be fruitless and exhausted if one brings a mind full of thoughts and delusions to practice,” said the Master, urging all his disciples to practice with a mind of ‘nothingness’.

Dharma Master Hsin Tao further reminds everyone that only when one regards all phenomena without abiding, the fade-in of their inherent spirituality becomes possible. What then is the 'self' ? It is referred to as the appearance of our mind, which is delusion. When one sees that all appearances are delusive, they then recognize the Tathagata - the one beyond all coming and going phenomena. The 'self' is like a bubble that disappears in a blink of the eye. It arises and ceases in a blink of the eye, and disappears following the cycle from birth over aging, fallen ill, and demise. We, therefore, should not perceive any phenomena as permanent and should regard everything as non-abiding and all is but fleeting phenomena. The inherent spirituality of us is a reality without appearance, so how does one acquire its perception and realize that reality is without appearance? By listening to the quietness and nothingness. My advice is for you all to lay down a solid foundation and subscribe to the notion of ‘non-being’ and not the ‘being’. ‘Non-being’ is real and ‘being’ is false. Do not get stuck over the judgment of right and wrong, as right and wrong itself is ultimately delusive.

The current 10-day retreat is under the on-site instruction of Master Chang Chun, who pointed out that past 10-day retreats were traditionally guided by executive members of the Dharma Promotion Division and the Scriptures Research Division of the LJM Buddhist Society. Dharma Master Hsin Tao instructed to extend the candidacy to the Commission of Religious Affairs, and Master Chang Chun considers himself fortunate to have been appointed the on-site instructor and vows to honor the appointment by implementing instructions to the last details and to his best possible efforts. Master Chang Chun further regards the duty as an opportunity for in-residence monastics to dedicate themselves whole-heartedly by gathering up all their might to repent sins and accumulate merits to the advantage of one's own Buddhist practice.

Master Chang Chun added that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in keeping LJM monastics in place at the Upper Monastery to facilitate the entirety of their daily routine from the praying sessions to classroom studies to meditation practice and self-studies for smooth completion. The stability affords steady advancement for the monastics both physically as well as spiritually. The 10-day retreat further enhances such circumstances with focused dedication by all participants to warrant remarkable progress in their Buddhist practice in a broad sense of the term.

To benefit one's own progress in Buddhist practice from the 10-day retreat necessitates full observation of the Meditation Hall's code of conduct, which assists participants in collecting their composure to calm down relatively quickly. 7-day retreats were regarded as a preferred approach to register confirmation of progress under the pressure of time, and the practice became widespread already in the Sung Dynasty with strong followings. The popularity of 7-day retreats picked up further momentum during the Ching Dynasty and Emperor Yong Cheng was an avid and devout Buddhist who often held 7-day retreats at the royal palaces.

Master Chan Chun further hopes that all participating monastics will let go of all attachment during the 10-day retreat and have the six senses in check and well-composed, so as to stay focused on the four-step method of the Peace Meditation to gain traction for advancement. Thus accordingly, the 10-day retreat will hopefully enable to curb potential evils and eradicate existing ones, while encouraging future good to mature and existing ones to grow further. Fellow monastics not yet thoroughly familiar with the four-step Chan meditation will hopefully become well-immersed in the Peace Meditation through the 10-day retreat, while those more advanced will register further solid progress by virtue of their participation.

In concluding, Master Chang Chun said that to follow the four-step method of the Peace Meditation is to practice the method to the last details as instructed, with each of the four steps to begin with and to end in full concentration and thorough clarity of understanding that the mind is out of concepts, out of appearance and non-abiding. Such remains unchanged the sole instruction from Dharma Master Hsin Tao.