心靈環保=spiritual environmentalism; 人間淨土=pure-land on earth; 觀音法門=the Guan Yin method; 耳根圓通=adaptability of the hearing faculty; 反聞聞自性=introspective hearing of one’s self-nature
The motivation of study of this dissertation is to investigate the Chan teaching of Master Sheng Yen, which is based on wonderful wisdom and wonderful applications of the method of Guan Yin to link to the system of the teaching of Chan practice. Using protection of the spiritual environment as the core, Master Sheng Yen advanced the practice of purification of our thoughts, and when the mind is purified the world is purified. He also developed the idea of “to uplift the quality of mankind, to build a pure land on earth” of Dharma Drum Mountain organization. The life of Master Sheng Yen corresponds to the spirit of the great compassion of Guan Yin and its causes and conditions. He taught everyone starting from prostrating to Guan Yin, seeking after Guan Yin, and learning from Guan Yin, to behaving like Guan Yin. His vows are like those of Guan Yin Bodhisattva who sees sentient beings through compassionate eyes, and whose great compassionate vow is to save the world, to offer with equality, and to use compassion and wisdom together. Master Sheng Yen’s main method of practice is Guan Yin method, and it is interlinked with the teaching system of Chan practice. Master Sheng Yen’s method of teaching of Chan practice is: After one reaches unification of body and mind, one uses contemplation, returning, purification, Silent Illumination and Hua Tou methods to sever attachment to self-centeredness, Dharmas, ignorance, and habitual tendencies. This accomplishes the unity of samadhi and wisdom of Guan Yin. The Chan School talks about sudden enlightenment, revealing wisdom and the practice of naturally using the idea of “without abiding the mind manifests”. Wonderful applications of these concepts are: “using the mind to turn the environment” and “when the mind is purified the world is purified”. In order to respond to the needs of modern society and to accomplish the missions of the field of practice of Guan Yin, he advocated the movements of “The Four Environmental Protections”; “The Fivefold Spiritual Renaissance Campaign;” “The Six Ethics of The Mind;” and “The Great Good Year.” The idea is “to uplift the quality of mankind, to build a pure land on earth”. Together we hope all will work hard toward that goal.
