This courage may have arisen because he had a strong confidence that as the
Avatamsaka Sutra, and the Lotus Sutra teach, the practice by obeying the precepts,
reading the Sutras, and reciting a Buddha's name, among other things, is the best
way of becoming a Buddha.
There is another reason why the decision he made in 1970s is surprising to us.
It is that he drew a limit to a certain extent on practice by one's own efforts,
which is to practice for oneself without relying on Buddhas or Bodhisattvas.
He started to rely on the other power called empowerment of the Buddha.
Please examine his following confession carefully.
"When I think of the past days when I wielded a stick thirty times like Te-shan,
chanted emptiness with the words that have no attachment to appearances, and
was proud of myselfwith illusion as if I had almost become the king of the universe,
I just feel ashamed of myself. I began to be skeptical of my practice (meditation
practice, preserving the state of one's enlightenment) at the time when it has been
less than two or three years since I came to Seoul at the age of mid thirties and sat
on the lotus throne to disseminate the Dharma of the Buddha as an executive
propagator."(pages 26~27)
At this juncture, the unique view of the world of Buddhism unfolds in detail.
According to his Dharma talk, the highest stage that one who has renounced the
worldly life can reach by means of practice by one's own efforts, is the level of an
arhat. It is like the difference between the sky and the earth, when compared with
becoming a Buddha immediately.
After seeing the original nature, the complete and thorough empowerment of the
Buddha is required; when one builds up merit and virtues as an arhat in one's next
lifetime again, then he will reach the level of a Bodhisattva.
The empowerment that is often experienced by the one whose pores of the body
absorb Light of the Buddhas that Manjushri, Samantabhadra and Avalokiteshvara
Bodhisattvas send out, is no other than the state of a Bodhisattva.
When one becomes a Bodhisattva of the high stage, not all Bodhisattvas of different
stages, he can see the mass of light called Immeasurable Light that the Buddhas emit.
The next stage is to meet personally with the Buddha. One enters the stage of a great
saint who has attained Buddhahood, no other than, at this time. In other words, he
leaves his Buddha Body in the Absolute Realm of the Buddhas and completely
possesses the Three Bodies, namely, the Dharma Body, the Reward Body and the
Transformation Bodies. As there lie extremely difficult gateways toward attaining
Buddhahood, our customary remark that is 'Seeing original nature is namely
accomplishing Buddhahood' is far from the truth.
In his book, he mentioned that 'saying that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas exist or
not exist before one sees Immeasurable Light, is only thoughtless words that an
ordinary person talks. Great Monk Jajae Manhyon makes it clear that the theory
of the Three Bodies and the stages of attaining Buddhahood that he has discovered,
are more constructive than the legendary saint Milarepa of Tibet in the 11th century,
and than the explanation of the Buddha in the Wisdom Sutra, describing the Dharma
Body as the central theory, but this manuscript does not aim at proving these facts.
Nagarjuna of India said that he had gone to Dragon Palace and had brought the
Avatamsaka Sutra. Great Monk Jajae Manhyon states that he has personally
met the Buddha in many places of his book, but this is not a matter for a third person
to meddle in, either.
When the foregoing is seen from the perspectives of a reader and a person who is
imterested in Buddhism, an attractive part in the theory of new Buddhism of Great
Monk Jajae Manhyon is that Buddhism becomes even closer to real Buddhism.
Along with establishment of the magnificent theoretical and practice system, the
three elements of a practitioner, that is, recitation of a Buddha's name, precepts
and filial piety that he emphasizes, suddenly come up as the virtue for those who
have renounced the worldly life, and lay Buddhists.
The magnificent system is an essential part not only in the stages and gateways of
practice, but also for the proper view of life and death. For instance, Great Monk
Jajae Manhyon has expressed clearly that not only the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas,
but also Hell, the Western Pure Land or transmigration certainly exist. He has
further said that, although a practitioner, who has reached the level of seeing the
original nature of mind, cannot see Hell, the Western Pure Land, transmigration,
the horrible unremitting hell appearing in the Sutra on the Fundamental Vows of
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva really exist. Hence, he pointed out that even though a
practicing monk, who renounced the secular world, has seen one's original nature,
if the practitioner does not observe precepts, that person will fall down into the
unremitting hell.
Speaking figuratively, the act that a practitioner is infatuated with a woman, is like
releasing a drop of excremental water into a cup of clean water, so that no one can
drink it. So he recommends people to pursue no possession and purity. This remark
will give a significant allusion to the Buddhist circle that is currently showing a
shaking aspect, and the oriental philosopher Do-ol Yong-ok Kim, who said
thoughtlessly that Hell, the Western Pure Land(paradise), and transmigration do not
exist, will be greatly surprised.
In his book, Great Monk Jajae Manhyon has warned, quoting the Buddha's words,
"Absurd remarks slandering the true Dharma are far heavier than any other sinful
karma."
On the other hand, there is another important point in his Dharma talks. He
emphasized the awesome spiritual powers of the Buddha who possesses the Three
Bodies. The Buddha, who completely possesses the majestic figure, wisdom,
compassion and supernatural powers, stands out as the being that is ommipresent
all over the universe. It is also quite natural that Great Monk Jajae Manhyon
recommends chanting the sacred name of a Buddha as the most excellent practice
method.
"The way of practice, which has been taught by Sakyamuni Buddha who is the
Buddha of th Buddhas, is no other than the recitation of a Buddha's name. As the
contemplating meditation of Vipashyana was a way of practice that the Buddha taught
some 2,500 year ago, it is also an excellent practicing method. The recitation of a
Buddha's name is to chant Namu Amitabha, Namu Amitabha! It is also good to
call out Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, Ksitigabha Bodhisattva. It is even better to chant
Sakyamuni Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha. This is what we call the recitation of the
sacred name of a Buddha."(page 241)
With the expectation of new Buddhism
From the very beginning, it is too extreme that a writer like me who is short of
knowledge in Buddhism conveys the message of Great Monk Jajae Manhyon who
may open a new chapter in the history of Buddhism. I am saying with the feeling of
a person living in the same era as he does; the Dharma talk of Great Monk Jajae
Manhyon has definitaly been worth listening to it.
I have also had a feeling of drinking nectar in the midst of having repeatedly heard
of the same words of Korean Buddhism that do not have any contents. Professor
Nakajawa Shinichi of Juo University, who was a prominent figure in humanities
in Japan, commented that 'Buddhism in Japan came to a stop in its creative power
when it entered Edo Period', but from my point of view, Korean Buddhism has
undergone problems in its own renewal capability since the middle years of the
Chosun Dynasty.
When I visited Hyonjisa last May, he said like this. "When one reaches the peak of a
high mountain, he can see the views of both front and rear. When one sees the views,
standing on the mid-slope of a mountain, only part of the views will be seen."
I am well aware of the danger about the subjective side that his remarks may have.
However, the important part exists elsewhere. It is because we consider "The 21st
Century Buddha's Message" as an excellent alternative and explanation, on both the
practice method customized over a thousand years in the past, and the view of life and
death that has remained, not only unclear, but also inconsistent with important Sutras.
The remarks of Great Monk Jajae Manhyon seem to be closer to the Pure Land
sect than the form of the present Jogye Order, otherwise the main principle of his
teachings should rather be called as 'New Buddhism' without distinguishing between
this and that. Whatever name it may have, it is the fact that Buddhism is being asked
for the change in itself in the era of the post-modernism. The Dharma talks of Great
Monk Jajae Manhyon may be a new anf fresh attempt for 'the Renaissance of
Buddhism', being freed from 'the worn-out name' the Jogye Order, that is to say, the
name plate of Korean Buddhism.
source /Culture of Seon(zen)
publication/Hyonjisa, Yongsan Buddhism
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