English
Most important of these for Mahayana is the famous “Cb% Hsin Lun” (dt 12 #x), translated into English by Dr. Richard with the title “The Awakening of Faith.” As has already been mentioned, Asvaghosha has long been supposed to be the author of this remarkable book. There are some, however, who believe it was written by one of his disciples. Liang Chi-chao thinks it is a genuine Chinese work. Dr. Beal calls the book a “pseudo- Christian work.” This opinion is difficult to establish, even though a great many details seem to indicate Christian influence. The book is not large, about the size of the Gospel of Mark, and it is full of fine and exalted thoughts. The first part is strongly philo- sophic, the latter part concentrates on that which is the essence of all deep religious life, the wonderful faculty of faith. It is like a hymn of praise to faith and the inner life. Not in an external intellectual way comes the great transition which leads up to a higher kind of life, but through the surrender of the heart in faith. It is no wonder that this book has been a source of the greatest blessing to many of the best educated people in the East. For the growth of Mahayana the ~ book was epoch-making. As far as we can tell it was translated by Paramartha about A.D. 540, [226] BUDDHIST LITERATURE IN CHINA As an example of various writings collected in one volume, let us refer the reader to the Buddhist books of ritual which are used in the monasteries. Especially inclusive and characteristic is the “Ch‘an-mén Jih- sung’’ (i FJ] A ii), “The Daily Mass Ritual of the Meditation School,’’ We have here mentioned only the most important works. There is besides an enormous mass of dis- sertations, histories of local monasteries, and hymns of adoration which we cannot here even enumerate. What we have seen, however, may give us an impres- sion of the enormous literary treasure with which Buddhism in the Far East is endowed. [227] CHAPTER VIII MONASTIO LIFE We shall in this chapter try to draw a picture of the throbbing life of the Buddhist society in China, as it is lived both inside the temple walls, and also outside them, in the lay circles that definitely gather round this religion. It is in a peculiar sense the monks and nuns who form the basis of the society. These constitute a brotherhood, as in the case of the religious orders in medieval Europe which, like our monks and nuns of medieval times, is isolated from the rest of the people. Their celibacy, their completely vegetarian diet, the dress of the monks, and their residence, the monastery, all serve to make the distinction clear and strong. It is therefore significant that the technical term for becoming a monk or a nun in China is “ch‘u-chia’’ (i 3), i. e., to leave the home; and the popular term for such people is “ch‘u-chia- jén”’ (tH A A), i. e., people who have left the home, in contrast to the ordinary members of the secular society, who are called “tsai-chia-jén” (72 A A), i.e, those who live at home. On the calling cards of the monks there is no family name given, only a literary name, ‘“‘ming tzu” (4% 3), chosen from the Buddhist world of ideas, and in addition a name for daily use (hao, %%), derived in the same way. Sometimes they place instead of the family name the character “‘séng”’ ({#), corresponding [228] MONASTIC LIFE to the Sanskrit word “Sangha,” which means the “Society.” Orthey take the first character of the name for the historic Buddha, calling themselves “shih” (#) after Shih-chia-mou-ni (# im # Jé), Sakyamuni. Theoretically and formally the break is complete, and many times actually so, especially if the monk enters the monastery when he is quite young. Then he does not know his family name. But for those who have entered in later years and who desire to maintain a certain connection with their homes (su-chia, # %) there is, as a rule, some opportunity to do so. It is these monks who, down through the ages, have maintained the Buddhist society and, by means of scriptures, temples, and monasteries, have been the mediators of that strong, spiritual influence, which has flowed from Buddhism into Chinese society. Where have these monks and nuns come from? What has driven them to enter the Buddhist society? To these questions different answers must be given. It is, in the first place, a well-known fact that some parents who are in straitened circumstances and who think that they can do without a child, give little boys as early as possible to the monasteries. Or perhaps the parents die and the relatives give the boy to a Buddhist monk who wishes to adopt a novice. For it is frequently the case that the older monks take novices who become like sons to them. The sup- pressed, but none the less deep, yearning for home and affection, and for some person who will cherish one’s memory, and offer incense and prayers at one’s urn, [229] TRUTH AND TRADITION IN BUDDHISM makes it a common practice to secure at least one novice for one’s self. - Often a very affectionate relationship is established between master and novice (shih-fu, fii {%, and t‘u-ti, 4@ #3). The monk looks after the education of the youth. If he is a good and enlightened monk he sees that the pupil is given good schooling, preliminary to the special instruction which leads on to ordination. In return, the young novice will constantly try to take care of and protect the master, when old age and sickness come. I have known cases where the novice was for years tied to the bedside of the sick master till the latter died, and during this time nursed him faithfully and patiently. When the novice grows older he follows in the footsteps of the master. He gets a novice for himself and the ‘family’? continues in that way. When this is the case, there naturally follows the keeping of family registers and working out tables of the “fathers.” This is done to a considerable extent in Chinese monasteries. This is the case not only in China, however, but also in Korea and Japan. Even to-day one may see the different “chia” (4), families, that have been formed in this way, after certain periods of time sending their representatives far away to do reverence to old deceased masters. Thus representatives from “monk families” in Japan are often sent to China to worship at the place where the old head of that family lived. Besides this first line (adoption) there are two other lines which are of considerable importance in the structure of the Buddhist society. These are the line of [230] > MONASTIC LIFE ordination and the line of succession to the office of abbot. Even those who enter the Buddhist society at a mature age must have a master, who in some respects becomes their adopted father, for it is required that there shall always be one monk to stand sponsor for each individual who enters the society. He both introduces and guides the newcomer. On the other hand, it is self-evident that the more independent, cultured, and mature the novice is, the more the relationship to a master becomes a matter of form. One finds the most widely different motives leading young men to enter the Buddhist brotherhood. A great many have had their first hard fight in life’s battle, and sorrow and disappointment have entered so deeply into the young hearts, that life in the monastery with its calm, deep peace, away from the hard, cruel world, seems the only salvation. In periods of war and famine, and in troublous times, therefore, the influx is always the greatest. This has been especially true in recent years. Some have become sick of life on account of the bloodshed they have seen. Perhaps they themselves have taken part in the most awful orgies of war. Then disgust with themselves and weariness of life arise, and drive them into the great calm of the monastic life. A not inconsiderable percentage of military men, both officers and privates, end their lives in monasteries. Many come from very doubtful motives. Not seldom criminals and others, who have made themselves impossible in society, come to the monasteries to hide, [231] TRUTH AND TRADITION IN BUDDHISM and, by one ruse or another, worm their way in. Of course, many of these remain doubtful characters who often earn for the monasteries a bad reputation and involve them in all sorts of complications. At times, such temples and monasteries as prove to be out and out robbers’ dens are closed by the authorities. But we must also, in truth, say that some of these bad characters are in an amazing way changed by the monastic life. They repent and become new men, who with intense fervour concentrate on meditation and worship. I have several times had a chance to verify this. There come to the monasteries, also, others with a genuine desire to find religious light, comfort, and peace. If they enter one of the well-disciplined ' brotherhoods and the sincerely religious circles, such find a place for themselves and also get some help. Very often, however, they are disappointed, for they do not need to live inside the walls very long before they find that here, too, the mercenary spirit is power- ful, that intrigues thrive, and that dissension very often appears within the most holy groups. Therefore not a few leave the monasteries and return home bitter and disappointed. Quite a number of men enter the monasteries on account of sickness, and certainly in many, many cases they are healed, the effect on the soul influencing the body for good. Finally, there are some old and lonely men and women who enter mainly in order to find a home where they can spend their declining years in peace. [232] MONASTIC LIFE and quiet, while at the same time making preparations for the life which awaits them beyond the grave.