Venerable Guo Xing Travels to Russia to Propagate Chinese Chan Buddhism

▲ Ven. Guo Xing led a 7-day Chan retreat in Moscow, held lectures and shared Chinese Chan teachings (photo courtesy of Dharma Drum Mountain Chan Hall).

In continuing to nurture the Dharma affinity sowed by Master Sheng Yen in Russia, from May 29 to June 19, Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM) Vice Abbot and Master of the Meditation Hall Ven. Guo Xing (果醒法師) together with Ven. Yan Jin (演勁法師) from DDM Sangha University Dept. of Chan Practice set out to Moscow on a three-week Dharma propagation expedition. Their itinerary included several Chan practice sessions and lectures to introduce in-depth methods of Silent Illumination and Huatou in Chinese Chan teachings, with emphasis on sharing the concepts of "Buddha-nature" and "no-self" together with guidance in its practice.

June 1 kicked off with a 1-day Chan Retreat at the Wujimen Martial Arts classroom, where sixty-two Chan practitioners participated in the practice of basic sitting meditation and the breath-counting method, along with introductions to the Huatou and Silent Illumination methods. After the activity, participants shared how this was an invaluable experience in learning to relax while practicing eating meditation and slow walking meditation. Their impressions were deepened by Ven. Guo Xing's lively and humorous Dharma Talk.

From June 6 to 8, a 2-day Chan Retreat was organized in the Kunsangar North Retreat Center, with thirty-three participants taking part in a combined curriculum of moving meditation, Yoga and walking meditation, thereby helping them apply these Chan methods in their daily lives. Overall, the participants' feedbacks on these activities were positive. Notably, during the 2-day Chan Retreat, Ven. Guo Xing accepted the invitation of Southern Tradition bhikshu Ajahn Nāṇadassano to exchange practice methods and share their experiences. The interaction was harmonious and they were inspired by each other.

From June 10 to 16, a 7-day Chan Retreat took place at the Station Peace Practice Center in the north of Moscow, with twenty-seven Chan practitioners completing the entire course. Ven. Guo Xing sequentially taught the six levels of Silent Illumination and Huatou method. At the end of the retreat, the participants responded that the Venerable's talks on Buddha nature, mental factors and the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination etc. were profound concepts, yet were delivered in simple language. This in turn helped them better comprehend the essentials of Buddhadharma. In the course of this expedition, the successful completion of every Chan retreat was marked by a refuge-taking ceremony. A total of twenty-three participants took refuge in the Three Jewels. Among them were two children at the tender age of eight whom requested to take refuge on their own initiative, a very touching feat for all.

In addition to the Chan retreats, several lectures were organized, opening up the gateway to further explore Chan teachings for the Russian people. On June 2, fifty participants attended the lecture themed "The Life of Spiritual Practice and Experiences of Venerable Guo Xing" at the Cultural Center White Clouds. Even with limited seating capacity, some attendees stood and listened to the entire lecture, actively asking questions at the end. Some examples of questions that were raised included methods of sitting meditation, the definition of realizing the true nature of the mind, and how the experience of unified mind can be extended into daily life.

On June 3, Ven. Guo Xing was invited to speak at the Russian State University for the Humanities, where he shared about the relationship between Buddha-nature and phenomena with 21 students. He vividly made use of glove puppetry and neon fans as teaching tools. That evening, in a teahouse, he passionately discussed the functions of the nature of mind and Buddha-nature with 34 attendees. The next day, the Venerable guided a meditation session at the China Institute of Modern Asian Studies, introducing the functions of the mind and Chan practice methods, and led the group practice with twenty-four participants from the faculty and student body.

Buddhism resources are rather limited in Russia, even though the local Chan practitioners have a great desire to learn, with expectations to further transform comprehension of the Buddhist principles into actual practice experiences. Their firm and persistent interest in Dharma teachings is certainly very touching and admirable.


▲ Ven. Guo Xing holding talk in a teahouse, interacting passionately with the audiences. (photo courtesy of Dharma Drum Mountain Chan Hall)




Original text in Chinese: 演勁法師 (Ven. Yan Jin)  
Photos: Dharma Drum Mountain Chan Hall / 演勁法師 (Ven. Yan Jin)  
Translation: 張振郁 (Cheng-Yu Chang)
Editing: Keith Brown, YKL