English
It will be evident that the great mass of the monks come from the common people. If they have energy, desire for study, and religious zeal they can rise high both in personal piety, culture, and education. This comes not so much through compulsory instruction, for this is rather meagre, but rather through private study. The libraries are at their disposal and they have plenty of time if they will only use it. Many, however, do not avail themselves of time or opportunity and remain almost illiterate. A great many prefer to take part in the bands hired to perform masses and thereby make some money. Many others desert the monasteries, where they find the discipline too severe, preferring to rove around in their monks’ habits at places where the pilgrims gather, and where, by begging, magic, and deceitful practices, they can levy a toll from the credulous multitude. These bad elements, who are met with to a large extent at the great places of pilgrimage and outside the large monasteries, are the dregs of the Buddhist society, being equally despised by the honest monk and the ordinary Chinese citizen. They have organized themselves into secret societies and bring endless disgrace on the Buddhist society. They are known as ‘‘Yeh-ho-shang”’ (ZF 4 #3), or “wild monks,” or even by worse names. There remains in connection with the monasteries, however, a considerable body of the élite, refined and learned monks, who have been recruited from the [233] i “One _ "TRUTH AND TRADITION IN BUDDHISM decent and upper classes of society. Many of the leaders and famous law-scholars (Fa-shih, %: fif) come from these circles. They in turn attract highly educated lay Buddhists who at intervals come to live in the temples to study the holy scriptures and meditate on the deeper meaning of life. The nuns are often recruited from poor and broken- up homes, or may have run away from brothels and the nunneries become asylums for them. Now and then one has met nuns from nice homes, women who rank high both in a moral and a religious sense. It may be well to describe in some detail the course of instruction leading to ordination. The novices often get their first instruction from their adopted masters in one of the temples or smaller monasteries. They become familiar with the routine of daily worship and assist the master. In the village temples and country places around, the young men may continue for years in this way before any proper instruction and preparation are given. Indeed, it sometimes happens that the novice continues wearing his monk’s habits till he is an old man, without ever having been ordained. This is specially the case in northern China, where the Buddhist society is in a rather disorganized condition. Where there is order and discipline, some one sees to it that the young novices are sent to a larger monastery with the right of ordination, and the older and more famous the monastery is, the more honour is it to be ordained there. Not only the fame of the [234] ASONVIY ‘MOHOOOY ‘ANGISVNOW NGA-NAX FO MATA TVAANGY) ® % ee MONASTIC LIFE monastery, is important. It must also have an abbot who is distinguished by piety, learning, and influence. From ancient times there have been such famous places, some even having a tradition that points back to the introduction of Buddhism in China, which brings a corresponding glory. The abbot who ordains becomes with his immediate predecessor (master No. 2 in the line of ordination) a “Father in God.” The ordination platform (chieh-t‘ai, #% 4) plays a great part. It is of great importance to the master who sends his novice away for ordination to find a good “platform of ordination.” Some hold that the most famous “platforms” in China are those con- nected with the old “Ku-lin” (4 #k) and “Pao-hua Shan” (#f #2 jl!) monasteries in Nanking. The legend says that from this place the “twelve disciples”’ went out. -Some went northward and established in the neighbourhood of Peking the “Ordination Temple of the Western Hills” (“‘Hsi Shan Chieh-t‘ai Sst,” Wy IY jk G 3). Others went south and established a similar platform in Hangchow. This latter is to be found in the “‘Chao-ch‘ing Monastery” (1 Be >#). A third group went to the famous mountain “Pao-hua Shan”’ (the “Precious Flower Mountain”’) and gave half a platform to this place. This “half platform” must be particularly precious, for it is here that most monks from central China are actually ordained. Here, where the severest instruction and discipline rule, where the blows fall hard and often on the shoulders and closely shaven heads of the novices, enormous crowds gather ih [235] TRUTH AND TRADITION IN BUDDHISM for ordination, not only once a year, but throughout spring and autumn. Even the old “Ku-lin” in Nanking, which has been called “‘Tsu-t‘ing Chieh T‘ai”’ (iil KE 7K 4) (the “Platform of the Patriarch’s Hill’), cannot compare with the “Precious Flower Mountain” in popularity. The ambitious old monk now in charge in the Nanking monastery is enlarging the accommoda- tion there enormously, and it seems as if he were trying to outdistance the mountain with its “platform.” If the monastery which ordains is rich, i. e., owns much land, it is easy to provide for the expenses of ordination. But often the masters who send novices away for ordination have to spend a considerable sum of money. It is never so large, however, as to cover the expenses for board and the necessary ordination equipment of the candidates. Much has to be supplied from the funds of the monastery. As we have previously seen, the supposition is that the young get their first training in small temples and monasteries—the nuns in small colonies of women, known by the name “ni-ku miao” (nunneries). Others, who happen to have a master connected in some capacity with a big monastery, attend the regular monastic schools. In this way, most novices have had a certain amount of training and teaching before they come to the place of ordination. But it happens at times that people come directly from the “life of the world” to a course of instruction before ordination. When one realizes that this, as a rule, does not last more than sixty to ninety days, sometimes even less, it is not strange that one meets many ignorant monks in China. [236] MONASTIC LIFE The main part of the course is the training in the “Law.” First of all the ten plus two hundred and fifty commandments of Hinayana are studied. After these the novices are introduced to the “Net of Brahma” (“‘Fan-wang Ching,” 4 #4 ®§), the fifty-eight commandments, and get their first practice in those parts of the ritual which are used in the daily mass. A syllabus of it is given in the “Ch‘an-mén Jih-sung”’ (jf FS A fi), or the * Lii-mén Ch‘ih-sung” (## FS #¥ iif), the mass books of the Meditation School and the Legalistic School, respectively. At this stage there is little question as to which “school” one wants to join. It is, practically speaking, these two schools or sects that conduct ordinations. The course itself is severe, so severe that many cannot endure it and run away. Everything goes like clock-work. The novices get up in the morning between three and four o’clock for the first worship. At this time the instructor (Wei-na, #£ #8), who is always a very severe man, is often heard going from bed to bed and striking the sleepers. They partially rouse themselves and pull the quilt over their faces in order not to be hit. After worship, the morning toilet is made, and then the novices gather again in the large dark dormitories to wait for breakfast. Then the well-known sound of the beating of the wooden block announces the time for eating. The novices assemble in long rowsand, chanting softly with the hands folded, they walk sedately down toward the refectory, where they sit down in silence by the long tables. [237] TRUTH AND TRADITION IN BUDDHISM At a given sign they sing the “table song,” a beautiful hymn, wherein the merciful Buddhas are praised and asked to satisfy all the hungry ones in the world. The abbot then comes in and takes his seat on a raised platform, where his food is served. First comes a chant, during which one of the youngest present, with the chopsticks laid together, carries some rice grains out into the open court. These are placed on a stone pillar in honour and praise of “Heaven” Tien, ) that feeds and nourishes all. Here evidently an old Chinese rite has been embodied in the Buddhist ritual, for it has been deeply burned into the heart of every Chinese that it is “Heaven” that grants us food (k‘ao-t‘ien ch‘ih-fan, $ K % fi). When the young novice has returned, the meal is begun. Deep silence prevails. Only the attending brothers walk round with big vessels filled with rice and vegetables fried in vegetable oil. At times bean-cakes (soya-beans) are added. The novices leave the table in a procession, again singing, and return to the dormitories. Here and in the adjoining rooms the instruction is begun. Sentence after sentence is explained and taught, at some times to groups, at others to the whole body. There is much scolding and beating. The bright ones have an easy time, but the dull are miserable. It is a definite rule, however, at some places (for instance, at the famous “Precious Flower Mountain,” Pao-hua Shan) that every- body has to be disciplined, for only in this way is it possible to attain to that calm of heart, discipline, and submission which are so important for Buddhist monks.