Unfolding the essece of new Buddhism - 1

            

    

Feature

Unfolding the essence of new Buddhism

The extraordinary thought of new Buddhism......

Will it be a nuclear bomb to present Buddhism?

Earth-shaking changes

may happen in the whole religious circle.

 

                      Hyonjisa, Yongsan Buddhism

1. The text of a newspaper article

The thought of new Buddhism seems unthinkable!

Will it become an atomic bomb to present day Buddhism?

It is likely that earth-shaking changes will happen in the

whole religious circles.

Sakyamuni Buddha is alive and will continue to

live in the form of light with human character

through all eternity.

The new view of existential Buddha Body (佛身觀).....

The interpretation of the theory of 'no self' that

has descended as a true doctrine for more than

2000 years will be overturned.

Great Monk Jajae Manhyon has expounded 'no

self (無我)' as 'non self (非我).'

The Great Monk advocates the doctrine of

transmigration by the spiritual bodies.

  There is a sign that a big typhoon will arise in

the Buddhist circle. I wonder whether it will be

a typhoon in the gigaton range beyond our

imagination. Further it seems that it is likely to

cause an enormous sensation in the entire religious

circles of the world over the Buddhist circle.

  There is a reason why the writer is using such

serious terms. The word 'new Buddhism' itself is

shocking. It is because one cannot dare to put

the name 'new Buddhism' with the level of

criticizing and improving the erroneous points of

present day Buddhism.

The reason is that, even when a person establishes

a new religious sect by taking a certain part of

the Buddha's teaching as its main Buddhist

teaching, or by taking a certain sutra as its basic

sutra, this cannot be called 'new Buddhism.'

  It is because there is a possibility of

misunderstanding that there exists another

Buddhism besides the Buddhism of the Buddha

that was born in India some 2600 years ago. But

the concern that may come from misunderstanding

can automatically be solved when one is aware of

the name of the religious foundation of new

Buddhism called 'Yongsan Buddhism.'

  According to Yongsan Buddhism advocating

'new Buddhism' regarding this point, they are

explaining, "As world Buddhism of today has

gone too far astray, they have declared 'new

Buddhism' to restore the original teaching of the

Buddha at the time of the Spirit Mountain and

to spread the true Dharma far and wide; they

have also established the religious foundation of

Yongsan Buddhism, and a temple called Hyonjisa

so that it could lead 'new Buddhism'.

  Hhonjisa says that, since the Dharma lineage of

the Buddha has not been transmitted accurately

to world Buddhism of today and the teaching of

the Buddha has been too much distorted and lost,

it has failed to show true nature of original

Buddhism."

  There  have  been  the  controversies in the

Buddhist circles mainly over the authenticity in

the practice methods according to Buddhist

regions such as southern Buddhism, northern

Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, and so on; the

controversy over theories of practice methods like

'sudden enlightenment requiring no further

cultivation', and 'sudden enlightenment requiring

further gradual cultivation'; the controversy over

the philosophical question as to 'contemplation on

the middle (空) and mind only (有); and the

controversy over the question as to the subject of

transmigration under the major premise of 'no

self' transmigration.

  I understand that there has not been anything

that has to reverse the fundamental teachings of

Buddhism nor anything that reveals a new

substance in original nature of Buddhism. Among

them, the question as to 'no self' and the subject

of transmigration has especially been the

customary menu for controversy after the passing

of the Buddha, and has been the Achilles tendon

(weak point) of Buddhism where no end is in

sight yet.

  Hyonjisa is saying emphatically how our

teaching cannot be called 'new Buddhism' in the

situation that the meaning of 'no self' theory

which has been known and believed as the true

theory in present Buddhism for over 2000 years

has completely been overturned overnight; that

the theory of 'no self' transmigration has become

a heretical doctrine (邪設); and that the concept

of the real substance (real body) of the Buddha

that we have believed in and relied on has

completely been changed. I have come to think

that it is reasonable.

  On the other hand, there is another question

that suddenly flits into my brain at this point.

Many well-known great enlightened masters, great

scholars, and great monks of India, Korea and

China as well as Nagarjuna who has been called

the second Buddha since the passing of

Sakyamuni Buddha came to the world. There are

His Holiness Dalai Lama, a leader of Tibetan

Buddhism, and Great Monk Thich Nhat Hanh

who has established the Plum Village who are

both respected across the world, and are still

alive. Under these circumstances, I am told that

present Buddhism has gone astray, what are

those leaders teaching?

  This is a very important problem. It is indeed

a very  important  issue  that  can  lead  to  an

erroneous way not only for Korean Buddhists

whose numbers reaches not less than 10 million,

but also for Buddhists across the world whose

population reaches 300 to 400 million. When I

come to think of this, I feel a heavy burden on

my shoulders. I am now bringing this matter up,

taking a considerable risk myself.

  But nevertheless I consider myself as one of

these Buddhists, as  a  public  figure  engaged in

the press, and in the capacity of a journalist with

social responsibility and mission, and so cannot

neglect this problem. So I have decided to cover

the true facts as far as I can, and clarify them.

  In order  to  fulfill  my obligation as a writer I

pledge I will provide correct information to my

readers. Thus, I am going to look into this issue

from three points of view, namely      ①    the

problems and reality of distortion of present

world  Buddhism   ②  the  new  doctrine  and

thoughts  that 'new Buddhism'  advocates  ③  the

reality of the Great   Monk  who argues  'new

Buddhism'.

   To begin with, we can understand that the

problem of present world Buddhism lies in the

background as to how 'new Buddhism' has come

into being.  There are the three kinds of great

flows in present world Buddhism categorized into

Theravada Buddhism flourishing around Southeast

Asian  countries,  Northern  Buddhism  that has

been spread into China,  Korea  and Japan Tibetan

Buddhism.

  They all argue that thdir respective Buddhism

is the orthodox Buddhism that represents the true

teaching of the Buddha, and have put forward

doctrines of their own.

   Southern Theravada  Buddhism  argues  that,

since five Nikaya which are considered as their

basic sutras recorded in the Pali language are

the early sutras that have recorded the teaching

of the Buddha most correctly, their Buddhism is

the pure teaching of the  Buddha.   Northern

Buddhism says that, based on mind-to-mind

transmission at three places (三處傳心) which

denotes that the Buddha transmitted mind to

noble disciple Kasyapa at the three places, they

have succeeded the Dharma lineage of  Seon

Buddhism down to Great Monk Hui-neng of the

sixth patriarch with noble disciple Kasyapa as

the first patriarch, noble disciple Ananda as the

second, and Master  Bodhidharma as the 28/th

through  many great  enlightened  masters

inbetween.   As Tibetan  Buddhism  won one-sided

victory in the great public debate held between

Chinese  Seon  Buddhism  and Indian  Buddhism

under the reign of King  Tisongtechen(spelt as

pronounced in Korean)  at the end of the eighth

century,  they argue that they are the orthodox

successors of  Indian Buddhism.

  With regard to the arguments on the Dharma

lineage of present  Buddhism,  the religious

foundation of  Yongsan  Buddhism  that has put

forward the thought of  'new  Buddhism'  argues

that they have succeeded to the Dharma lineage

of  the  Buddha  from  a   completely  new

dimension.  To begin with, the point that catches

our eyes most   is  the appearance  of  Great  Monk

Gwangmyong  Manduk who is said  to be  the

final  body  of  noble  disciple  Kasyapa,  the

principal  disciple  of the  Buddha  at the time of

the  Spirit  Mountain,  and  Great  Monk  Jajae

Manhyon who is also said to be the final body

of noble disciple Ananda.

  The two Great Monks say that they have been

confirmed  Buddhas  by  Sakyamuni  Buddha

respectively in 1998  and 2000 in the land of

Korea.  This corresponds with the contents of the

guarantee of the attainment of Buddhahood stated

in the Lotus  Sutra.  This is surprising indeed.  If

this is true, it is not only a world-shaking great

incident, but also an unprecedented great occasion

to celebrate.

   It is said that a Buddha appears once in a

kalpa,  but two  Buddhas have come to the world

in the land of Korea at a time.  Although  I am

a  Buddhist,  it is indeed difficult  for me to

believe  this  fact  easily.  The only  way that we

can judge indirectly is to read about the realm

of enlightenment  that the two  Great  Monks have

described,  or to  guess through  the teaching of

their  Dharma talks.

  The realm  of enlightenment of these two  Great

Monks  has  clearly  been  described in  'The 21/st

Century  Buddha's  Message  I,II'.  No matter who

may read thid book which is said to contain the

contents of meeting with the Buddha and of the

teaching that the  Great  Monks have  received

from  him,  it is clear  that  its  contents  are

uncommon.

    It  is  because there  appear  a lot of

descriptions  about the realm  of the Buddha that

a person is unable to realize even a bit if he is

not a Buddha.  The Great  Monk  states that the

introduction of   this book is the words  that he

was dictated when the Buddha personally spoke

of in samadhi of great quiescence.

  The gist of  the introduction  is that the

Buddha  confirms  the fact  that  noble  disciple

Kasyapa  and  noble  disciple  Ananda  have

attained  Buddhahood  in  the  land  of  Korea; that

he also confirms that the contents of this book

are  true.  It  also  introduces  clearly at a glance

the process  of reaching  from  the state  of seeing

one's  original nature through  arhatship  and a

Bodhisattva to Buddhahood.  When seeing only

that   it  has  boldly  quoted  Buddha  the

World-Honoured,  saying  that  it  is an introduction

that  Buddha the World - Honoured  has said to

write down,  it seems  that  it is not  the matter

that  an  ordinary  person  can  even  dare  to dream

of speaking  about.

  Anyway,  I  would  like to recommend  that

readers personally  read  the contents of this book

in detail and judge the truth.

   According to Yongsan  Buddhism,  the problem

of  present  world  Buddhism  can  mainly  be

categorized  into three  kinds.

   First,  present  world  Buddhism  is Buddhism

that does not believe in the real existence of the

Buddha with human character.  At  most they

believe  in  the  Buddha with his physical body

who passed  away 2600 years or so ago and who

is not alive now,  or they  believe  in the  Buddha

in the concept  of the  Dharma  Body  who exists

anywhere.  In other words,  it  means  Buddhism

without  the Buddha.

  Second,    present   world   Buddhism   has

committed  a great  blunder  of denying   the subject

of transmigration  and ignoring  the  existence  of

the spirit  by being  caught  up  in the  erroneous

interpretation   of  'no  self.'   They  recognize

transmigration   of  'no   self'  believing  in that

transmigration is possible  without the subject of

transmigration,  and argue that  there  exists  no

spirit.   Present  Buddhism  has adopted  the doctrine

of  'no self'   transmigration  as the true  teaching of

Buddhism  by erroneously  interpreting  the theory

of  'no  self'  for more than  2000 years.  This is a

heretical  doctrine (邪設)  that  completely   removes

the  theoretical   basis   of   the   doctrine   of

transmigration  in  the  six  realms  of  Buddhism  and

the  doctrine  of liberation,   and   that  actually shakes

the  foundation  of  Buddhism.

   Third,  present  world  Buddhism  does  not  have

a  practice  method  of  achieving   complete

liberation because they  are  attached to  practice

only  by self  power.   It  is extremely  difficult to

become an arhat  who escapes  from  transmigration

only  by self  power,  it is  completely  impossible

to  become  a Bodhisattva   or a  Buddha.   I

understand  that this  is  a natural  result  caused by

not recognizing  the real  existence  of  the  Buddha

with  human  character.




  In conclusion, the reality of distorted present
Buddhism that Yongsan Buddhism called 'new

Buddhism' has defined can be expressed in a

word as Three Non-existent Buddhism (三無佛

敎), namely Buddhism without the Buddha;

Buddhism without the spirit that is the subject of

transmigration; and Buddhism having no practice

method leading to complete liberation from birth

and death.

  Let us review the three problems based on the

doctrine  of   'new  Buddhsim'   that  Yongsan

Buddhism argues. First, it is the view of the real

existence of the Buddha. This is the foremost

thought that 'new Buddhism' argues.

  Great  Monk  Jajae  Manhyon  of  Hyonjisa of

Yongsan Buddhsim has declared publicly, "The

Buddha abides in true suchness as a human

character in the form of light in the Absolute

Realm in Selflessness." This is of course a

statement that the Great Monk has made after his

experience, and also the contents that have been

supported by sutras. In the Parable of the Lotus

Sutra, noble disciple Shariputra thought that it

was truly perfect extinction when he realized and

awakened to the Dharma of exptiness (空), but

he confessed that it was not true extinction after

listening to the teaching of the Buddha. There

appear the contents that he has realized that, if

one wishes to become a Buddha, one has to

possess the 32 bodily signs (the Reward Body)

that heavenly beings, Yaksas, and dragon spirits

worship, and one has to achieve truly perfect

extinction. Seeing this as the grounds of the

Buddha with human character is the position of

'new Buddhism.'

  Also, there appear the contents of the Buddha

having   attained    Buddhahood    from    the

immeasurable past (久遠實成) in the Chapter on

Duration of Life of the Tathagata in the Lotus

Sutra, and this can also become the theoretical

basis of stating the real existence of the Buddha

with human character.

To sum up the main point, it was not for the

first time that the Buddha has attained

Buddhahood in the land of India; it means that it

has passed truly hundreds, thousands, millions,

billions, nayuta of kalpas since he became the

Buddha for the first time. Yongsan Buddhism

says that the Buddha is the very first Buddha

who became the Buddha an immeasurable time

ago that we can hardly conceive. Declaring that

Sakyamuni Buddha is the very first Buddha is

also a significantly meaningful declaration in the

history of Buddhism, and further in the history

of religions.

 

Yongsan Buddhism says that the Buddha has

come to the saha world as a human numerous

times since he became the Buddha for the first

time, and saved sentient beings, and has most

recently come to the land of Ancient India 2600

years or so ago.

  'New  Buddhism'  argues  that  we  should  be

able to draw the existence of the Buddha with

human character. If the Buddha has become one

with emptiness up to 100 percent and has turned

to non-existence(無化), how can he be born into

a human body in the saha world? Also, if the

Buddha wants to produce Buddhas and

Bodhisattvas and save sentient beings, it is

impossible if he is not a being with human

character who thinks and judges. Among the

Three Bodies of the Buddha (法身,報身,化身)

that have been argued in the theory of the

Buddha Body (佛身論), the Reward Body

Buddha is no other than the Buddha with human

character. Therefore Yongsan Buddhism is

arguing that the abstract and theoretical view of

the Three Bodies of the Buddha up to the

present must be replaced with the empirical and

existential view of the Three Bodies.

  It is said that the Avatamsaka Sutra has the

contents that many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas

admire and prove the real existence of the

Buddha with human character and his awesome

spiritual powers. The poetic verse that the first

Chinese Empress Wu Zetian composed filled with

joy, holding an original Indian version of the

Avatamsaka Sutra when she obtained it is no

other than the opening chant of the sutra

that Buddhists always read when they read

sutras. Wu Zetian sees that the thought of

Mahayana Buddhism bore a great fruit by

discovering the real existence of the Buddha with

human character in the Avatamsaka Sutra. At any

rate, I can dare to say that the thought of the

real existence of the Buddha and his mysterious

awesome spiritual powers that appear in the

Lotus Sutra and the Avatamsaka Sutra called the

sutras of the sutras are the foremost thought of

new Buddhism.

  I can state that the second thought of  New

Buddhsim is the view of birth and death laying

stress on the spirit that is the subject of

transmigration. This thought of new Buddhsim

can be considered to have tremendous destructive

power that is tantamount to an atomic bomb, and

that is no less than the view of real existence of

the Buddha.

  It is because the interpretation of the theory of

'no self' that present Buddhism has believed as

the true doctrine for more than 2000 years must

do an about face in a moment; all theories

relating to the doctrine of 'no self' transmigration

that present Buddhism asserted based on the

theory of 'no self' which has erroneously been

interpreted will end up a mere scrap of paper.

The main point of the theory of 'no self' has

correctly been interpreted as follows:

  The correct meaning of 'no self' that the

Buddha has said is that 'there exists no

substance of self (無我)' that is immutable

through all eternity in the phenomenal world.

Also, he has meant that 'I' of the phenomenal

world made of the Five Aggregates 'is not my

real body (my substance (非我)' that is

immutable through all eternity. The Buddha has

said 'no self' to remove attachment of sentient

beings, because they are attached to themselves

too much, have attachment to desires, and

commit sin.

  I have written down the words that the

Buddha has said to Great Monk Jajae Manhyon

in his profound samadhi.

  "No self(無我) has erroneously been interpreted.

What Jajae Monhyon has said is correct.

Jajae Manhyon must rectify this as the Prince of

the Dharma.

This is the cause that Buddhism has been

ruined."

  But scholars extensively applied the definition

of  'no self'  which  must be confined to  the

phenomenal world even to the realm of original

substance (本體界), and understood it as the

definition of the absolute non-existence (絶對無),

Further these scholars denied even the real body

existing in the realm of original substance, and

asserted that there does not exist even the spirit

that is my substance (real body), and that is also

the subject of transmigration and liberation.  By

doing so, they have committed a great blunder

that shook the foundation of  Buddhism; that

annihilated the intrinsic value of Buddhism; and

that is irrecoverable and cannot be forgiven.

These are the positions that new Buddhism takes

against present Buddhsim.

  If there does not exist the spirit, namely one's

real body in the realm of original substance (本

體界), Hyonjisa  (Yongsan  Buddhism)  states

emphatically that the real existence of  Buddhas

and Bodhisattvas loses their grounds; there are no

sentient beings to be saved; there is no subject

of liberation; there is no reason that we must

perform the salvation service of the deceased

ancestors and parents; an we cannot maintain

the greatness of  Buddhism that produces universal

saints.  In a word, there is no reason for the

existence of Buddhism.

 

  Hyonjisa (Yongsan Buddhism)  says that it is

no other than because of the theory of 'no self'

which has erroneously been interpreted that

Buddhism became squeezed out of India by

Hinduism; it is because of this theory that

Buddhism has not been globalized to areas such

as the west or the Americas to date.  In a word,

these imply that the distorted theory of 'no self'

is the main culprit that has ruined Buddhism.

  Also, new Buddhism sees that existence of the

spirit has already been confirmed without any

room for objection, when the Buddha saved the

mother of noble disciple Maudgalyayana to

heaven.  They are also raising a question that,

while present Buddhism denies existence of the

spirit, how can anyone explain the contradiction

that most temples are performing salvation

services for the deceased ancestors and parents?




  Meanwhile, present Buddhism stresses that the
Nirvana Sutra, that is, one of the Mahayana
sutras, repeatedly teaches the existence of one's
real substance (real body), namely one's true self
(眞我) over and over again that abides in the
realm of original substance (本體界).




  The Nirvana Sutra speaks about the real aspect
of  the realm of original substance  which has
been named 'permanence, bliss, self, purity (常樂
我淨),  instead of impermanence (無常), sufferings
(苦), and  no  self (無我)  of  the phenomenal
world.  Hyonjisa  (new Buddhsim) says that they
cannot understand  why  scholars  are being
attached to the theory of 'no self.'




  Last  April, Great Monk Jajae  Manhyon
declared  'The spirit that is non-self (非我) is
the  subject  of  transmigration'  through  the
Dharma talk on the BBS Buddhist Television
while speaking about 'no self and the subject of
transmigration' which has been an Achilles'
tendon of the Buddhist circle over 2000 years
or so  caused  by  the distorted theory of 'no
self.'  Of course the Great Monk has already
declared the existence of the Buddha and the
theory of transmigration by the spirit to the
world Buddhist circle through 'The 21st Century
Buddha's Message I,II.'

      Yongsan  Buddhism believes that the

declaration of the theory of transmigration by the

spiritual bodies that the Great Monk has made

this time will act as a great historical declaration

announcing Copernican conversion of the religion,

as the truth has been changed from geocentric

theory to heliocentric theory through Copernican

conversion, has been made clear to the world,

and has added a new page to the history of

human civilization.

  The third thought that new Buddhism is

arguing is to practice reciting the sacred name of

the Buddha by other power based on self power.

  According to new Buddhism, it is said that

attaining the saintly fruit f practice that one can

escape from transmigration is almost impossible

indeed with the practice method of present world

Buddhism.  Further, it is impossible to become a

Bodhisattva of a Pure Land that is the stage of

complete liberation from birth and death that one

escapes from transmigration and possesses one's

own body of liberation; and it is all the more

impossible to become a Buddha that is the

highest stage of liberation and possesses a

Buddha Body.

  Let us find out the reasons why it is so.  "In

order to become an arhat saint who can be freed

from transmigration, one's spiritual bodies must

be made to shine like a full moon by clearing

away the karmic hindrance of our spiritual bodies

that has been accumulated like a high mountain,

but this is extremely difficult to accomplish only

through practice by self power."

  "Especially, in order to become a Bodhisattva,

the process of elimination of karma called

Hansam-jongni  (to  remove  greed, hatred and

ignorance,  habitual energy,  and  the mass of

karma that have been accumulated over the

countless kalpas of lives)  is required; the four

spiritual bodies must completely be divided; in

case of a woman, the spiritual bodies must be

changed to a man; one must possess a body of

liberation (a child Bodhisattva).  All these works

can be conducted only by the Buddha.  Thus one

must also practice chanting the sacred name of

the Buddha and so receive empowerment of the

Buddha, and which is in other words to receive

other power.  Among recitation of a Buddha's

name,  one  must  recite  the sacred  name of

Sakyamuni Buddha who is the Buddha of the

Buddhas."

  "Reciting a Buddha's name has been a

practice method from while the Buddha was

alive; it is a practice method that all Buddhas

and Bodhisattvas practiced; it is also a practice

method grounded in many sutras such as in the

Agama Sutra, the Three Pure Land Sutra, and

the Lotus Sutra."

  It is said that reciting the sacred name of the

Buddha that new Buddhism introduces is different

from the recitation that the Pure Land Sect

practices.  Hyonjisa (new Buddhism) says that the

difference is that to begin with they chant

Sakyamuni Buddha, not Amitabha; that they must

read the relevant Buddha's sutra and a dharani

before they start reciting.

  In the above, we have looked into the three

main thoughts that new Buddhism expounds.

When we look at those points carefully, the three

thoughts that new Buddhism advocates occupy

important parts in Buddhism so as to be called

the pillar of Buddhism.  Moreover, the above

three thoughts form a consistent system that is

interchangeably connected logically.

  The existence of the spirit that is the real

body in the realm of original substance becomes

a logical basis in identifying the existence of the

Buddha; the existence of the Buddha provides a

logical basis for practicing the recitation of his

sacred name.  In consequence, the thoughts of

new Buddhism seem that they have a destructive

power so that they can completely change the

flow of present Buddhism in any way.

  It is anticipated that the argument of new

Buddhism called 'the doctrine of transmigration

by the spiritual bodies' will bring a powerful

whirlwind over present Buddhist circles which are

denying the spiritual bodies, over our Buddhist

scholar circles who actively debated concerning

'no self' and the subject of transmigration, and

further over the whole religious circles.

  I  truly hope that all these pains will be the

pains of establishing the teaching of the Buddha

properly, and of globalizing Buddhism throughout

the world.

I  have come to the conclusion that it is a time

when present Buddhist circles and scholar circles

should not reject new thoughts without any

proper reasons, but should open their minds

without being bound by the past, and should

make advanced efforts  to sincerely worry

(examine) and improve what the true teaching of

the Buddha is.

source /Unfolding the essece of new Buddhism

publication/Hyonjisa, Yongsan Buddhism