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{{short description|Chinese Chan Buddhist monk}}

[[Image:life1_sf.jpg|frame|'''Venerable Master Hsuan Hua'''<br>1918-1995</br>]]

{{about|the contemporary Buddhist monk|the city, now a district, previously in [[Taiwan|Republic of China]]'s [[Chahar Province]] and now part of [[Hebei]]|Xuanhua District}}

Venerable Master '''Hsuan Hua''' ([[Traditional Chinese]]: 宣化上人; [[Hanyu Pinyin]]: ''Xuān Huà Shàng Rén''; [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]]: ''Hòa Thượng Tuyên Hóa'') ([[April 16]], [[1918]] &ndash; [[June 7]], [[1995]]) was an important figure in [[Western]] [[Mahayana]] [[Buddhism]].

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{{Infobox religious biography

| name = Hsuan Hua<br />{{linktext|宣|化}}

| image = HsuanHuaShangRen.jpg

| caption = Hsuan Hua in Ukiah, California

| birth_name = Bai Yushu<br />{{linktext|白玉書}}

| alias =

| dharma_name = An Tzu<br />Tu Lun

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1918|4|26}}

| birth_place = [[Jilin]], China

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1995|6|7|1918|4|16}}

| death_place = [[Long Beach, California]], U.S.

| religion = [[Chan Buddhism]]

| school = Guyiang School

| lineage = 9th generation

| title = [[Zen master|Chan Master]], Founder and abbot of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, President of the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association, Rector of the Dharma Realm Buddhist University, the ninth patriarch of guiyang school.

| ___location =

| education =

| occupation =

| teacher = [[Hsu Yun]]

| reincarnation of =

| predecessor =

| successor =

| students = [[Heng Sure]], Heng Lyu, Heng Chau, Heng Lai

| spouse =

| partner =

| children =

| website =

}}

{{Buddhism and China}}

[[Image:Hsuan Hua Hong Kong 1.jpeg|thumb|right|Hsuan Hua meditating in the [[lotus position]]. [[Hong Kong]], 1953.]]

'''Hsuan Hua''' ({{zh|t= 宣化|p=Xuānhuà|l=proclaim and transform}}; April 26, 1918 &ndash; June 7, 1995), also known as '''An Tzu''', '''Tu Lun''' and '''Master Hua''' by his Western disciples, was a Chinese [[bhikkhu|monk]] of [[Chan Buddhism]] and a contributing figure in bringing [[Chinese Buddhism]] to the United States in the late 20th century.

Master Hsuan Hua wasfounded theseveral founderinstitutions in the ''US. The [[Dharma Realm Buddhist Association'']] (DRBA), is a well known Buddhist organization inwith thechapters [[Unitedin States]],North [[Taiwan]]America, Australia and [[HongAsia. Kong]], built theThe [[City of Ten Thousand Buddhas]] (CTTB) in [[Ukiah, California]], is one of the first Chan Buddhist monasteries in theAmerica. UnitedHsuan States, andHua founded the[[Dharma Realm ''Buddhist University]] at CTTB. The [[Buddhist Text Translation|Buddhist Society'',Text whichTranslation Society]] works on the phonetics and translation of Buddhist scriptures into English. Well known as the firstfrom Chinese Buddhistinto ZenEnglish, masterVietnamese, toSpanish, bringand Orthodoxmany Buddhismother tolanguages.<ref>{{Cite theweb West,|title=About heDRBA also|url=https://www.drba.org/about-drba.html ordained|access-date=2024-04-21 the|website=Dharma firstRealm Buddhist monks in the United States.Association |language=en}}</ref>

==Early life==

Master Hsuan Hua was the Ninth Patriarch of the [[Wei-Yang]] Ch'an (Chinese Zen) School of Buddhism and was granted the Dharma Seal of the Wei-Yang lineage from the Venerable Master [[Hsu Yun]].

Hsuan Hua, born on the sixteenth day of the third lunar month in the year of Wuwu (Horse), April 26, 1918. Named '''Bai Yushu''' or '''Bai Yuxi''' {{zh|t=白玉書 (白玉璽)|p=Báiyù shū (Báiyù xǐ)|l=White Jade Book (White Jade Jubilee)|s=白玉书 (白玉禧)}} in Shuangcheng County of [[Jilin]] (now [[Wuchang, Heilongjiang|Wuchang]], [[Harbin]], [[Heilongjiang]]).<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=City of 10,000 Buddhas - Year by Year Record of Master Hua |url=https://www.cttbusa.org/founder2/yearbyyear_record.htm |access-date=2024-04-21 |website=www.cttbusa.org}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=宣化老和尚追思纪念专集（二） - 宣公上人行仪 |url=https://www.drbachinese.org/online_reading_simplified/drba_others/memory2/history_03_e.htm |access-date=2024-04-21 |website=www.drbachinese.org}}</ref> After his birth, he cried for three days out of pity for beings in the saha world. Following a similar story of Gautama Siddhartha's [[Four sights|Four Sights]] (the sight of a oldman, sick man, a corpse and an ascetic) which lead him to his realization. At age eleven Hsuan Hua saw a dead infant in the wild and he too contemplated about the nature of the [[Impermanence]] and [[Saṃsāra (Buddhism)|''Saṃsāra'']] of the baby. That's when he resolved to leave home and cultivate the way, but didn't at the request of his mother. His mother was a vegetarian and held to the practice of reciting the name of Amitabha Buddha throughout her life. As a child, he followed his mother’s example.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Our Founder |url=https://www.buddhisttexts.org/pages/our-founder |access-date=2024-04-21 |website=Buddhist Text Translation Society |language=en}}</ref>

At the age of twelve, he began bowing every day to repent his faults to his parents as an act of [[filial piety]]. Later he felt it was not enough to bow to them, so he gradually increased his bows to his teachers, the Emperor, the heavens, the earth until he was bowing to all living beings, hoping to bring peace to the world. He bowed every morning and evening, each time making more than 830 bows, which took five hours a day.<ref name=":2" /> His cultivation is in reference to the ''[[Great Learning]] (''{{Zh|s=大学|t=大學|p=DàXué}}), one of the [[Four Books and Five Classics|Four Books]] of [[Confucianism]], where one and align his affairs and relationships into order and harmony by first cultivativating oneself, then extending it to others. He request, to his parents, to leave so that he could find a teacher to help him on his spiritual path. After some time, with his parents’ permission he set forth and traveled in search of a true spiritual teacher. At fifteen Hsuan Hu took [[Refuge (Buddhism)|refuge]] with the [[Three Jewels]] under [[Venerable High Master Changzhi]] of [[Sanyuan Monastery]] in [[Harbin]]. He drew near the Abbot, Venerable High Master Changren.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" />

Master Hsuan Hua often referred to himself as "a living dead person", or "the Monk in the Grave." He claimed to never want fame or profit, and that he had no desire to contend with others even more so, but instead, said that he would rather be "a little bug," or "a small ant" beneath the feet of all living beings, and used his body as a stepping stone for living beings who sought to transcend from commoners straight to the ground of the Buddha.

== Education ==

Master Hsuan Hua is sometimes regarded as a [[Tripitaka]] master.

After finding a spiritual teacher, Hsuan Hua enrolled into a private village school from the twelfth day of the third lunar month to the thirteenth day of the eighth lunar month in the year of Ren Shen (Monkey), April 16 to September 13, 1932, where he had his first experience of formal education.<ref name=":1" /> Studied with single-minded concentration, he was able to memorize after reading it once using his photographic memory. At the age of sixteen he had already started to lecture on the Buddhist sutras to the fellow villagers who were mainly illiterate. Being well versed in the [[Platform Sutra|Sixth Patriarch's Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra]], the [[Vajra Sutra]], the [[Amitabha Sutra]], and other Buddhist texts.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> As a student and a practitioner, he was a part of many charity organizations such as the Buddhist Association, the Moral Society of Manchuria, the Charity Society, organizations that help encourage people to quit smoking and drinking, and others unskillful means. The main goal was to help teach people to refrain from all evil and practicing all good.<ref name=":2" /> After two more years of study he had already mastered the core texts of Confucianism, [[Four Books and Five Classics|Four Books, the Five Classics]], other various Chinese schools of thought, studied traditional Chinese medicine, astrology, divination, physiognomy, and the scriptures of the great religions.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> At age eighteen Hsuan Hua with first-hand experience, understood the hardships that came with not having a complete education. He decided to established a free school teaching thirty impoverished children and adults, being the only teacher and faculty member. By that point he had already quit school in order to take care of his ill mother.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />

==Early Monastic Life ==

At 19 years of age, Hua became a monastic, under the Dharma name An Tzu.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}} ({{lang|zh|安慈}})

Master Hsuan Hua, a native of Shuangcheng County of [[Jilin Province]], was born '''Bai Yushu''' on [[April 16th]], [[1918]]. His father was diligent and thrifty in managing the household. His mother was a faithful Buddhist who ate only [[vegetarian]] food and recited the Buddha's name every day.

== Bringing Buddhadharma to the United States ==

When she was pregnant with Yushu, she constantly prayed to the [[Buddhas]] and [[Bodhisattvas]] for her well being. The night before his birth, in a dream she saw [[Amitabha Buddha]] emitting a light. Shortly after, she gave birth to her youngest son. When the Master was born, supposedly the room was filled with a fragrance. For three days and nights, Yushu cried continuously, a sign of his deep sympathy for beings suffering birth and death in this world.

In 1959, Hsuan Hua sought to bring Chinese Buddhism to the West.<ref>Epstein, Ronald (1995). "The Venerable Master Hsuan Hua Brings the Dharma to the West." In Memory of the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua, Volume One. Burlingame, CA:Buddhist Text Translation Society, pp. 59-68. Reprinted in The Flower Adornment Sutra, Chapter One, Part One “The Wondrous Adornment of the Rulers of the Worlds; A Commentary by Venerable Master Hsuan Hua. Burlingame, CA: Buddhist Text Translation Society, 2004, pp. 274-286.</ref> He instructed his disciples in America to establish a Buddhist association, initially known as The Buddhist Lecture Hall, which was renamed the Sino-American Buddhist Association before taking its present name: the [[Dharma Realm Buddhist Association]].{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

Hsuan Hua traveled to Australia in 1961 and taught there for one year, returning to Hong Kong in 1962. That same year, at the invitation of American Buddhists, he traveled to the United States; his intent was to "come to America to create Patriarchs, to create Buddhas, to create Bodhisattvas".<ref>Prebish, Charles (1995). "Ethics and Integration in American Buddhism". ''Journal of Buddhist Ethics'', Vol. 2, 1995.</ref>

As a child, the Master followed his mother's example and ate only vegetarian food and recited the Buddha's name. The Master was quiet and untalkative by nature, but he had a righteous and heroic spirit. At the age of eleven, upon seeing a neighbor's infant who had died, he became aware of the great matter of birth and death and the brevity of life and resolved to leave the home-life.

===San Francisco===

At the age of twelve, he heard of how someone who would later become a great Buddhist master, had practiced [[filial piety]] and attained enlightenment, Yushu decided to follow that young man's example. Repenting for being unfilial to his parents in the past, Yushu decided to bow to his parents every morning and evening as a way of acknowledging his faults and repaying his parents' kindness. He gradually became renowned for his filial conduct, and people called him "Filial Son Bai."

Hsuan Hua resided in [[San Francisco]], where he built a lecture hall. Hsuan Hua began to attract young Americans who were interested in [[meditation]]. He conducted daily meditation sessions and frequent Sutra lectures.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

At that time, the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]] occurred between the United States and the [[Soviet Union]], and Hsuan Hua embarked on a fasting period for thirty-five days to pray for an end to the hostilities and for world peace. In 1967, Hsuan Hua moved the Buddhist Lecture Hall back to Chinatown, locating it in the [[Mazu (goddess)|Tianhou]] Temple.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

At the age of 15, he took [[refuge]] in the [[Three Jewels|Triple Gem]] under the Venerable Chang Zhi. That same year he began to attend school and studied texts of various [[Hundred Schools of Thought|Chinese schools of thought]], and the fields of medicine, divination, astrology, and physiognomy.

===First American Sangha===

During his student years, he also participated in the Moral Society and other charitable societies. He explained the [[Platform Sutra|Sixth Patriarch's Sutra]], the [[Diamond Sutra]], and other Sutras for those who were illiterate, and started a free school for those who were poor and needy.

In 1968, Hsuan Hua held a [[Śūraṅgama Sūtra|Shurangama]] Study and Practice Summer Session. Over thirty students from the [[University of Washington]] in [[Seattle]] came to study the Buddha's teachings. After the session was concluded, five young Americans (Bhikṣu Heng Chyan, Heng Jing, and Heng Shou, and Bhikṣuṇīs Heng Yin and Heng Ch'ih) requested permission to take full ordination.<ref>[http://www.advite.com/sf/life/life8.html The First American Sangha]</ref>

Hsuan Hua lectured on the entire ''{{IAST|Śūraṅgama Sūtra}}'' in 1968 while he was in the United States. These lectures were recorded in an eight-part series of books containing the sutra and a traditionally rigorous form of commentary that addresses each passage. It was again lectured by the original translator monks and nuns of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas at [[Dharma Realm Buddhist University]] in the summer of 2003.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

===Leaving Home===

At 19 years of age, Yushu's mother died. At that time, he requested that his master give him the [[tonsure]]. He was now a monastic, under the Dharma name '''An Tse'''. (安慈)

==Vision of American Buddhism==

Dressed in the left-home robes, An Tze built a simple hut by his mother's grave and observed the practice of filial piety. During that period, he made eighteen great vows, bowed to the [[Avatamsaka Sutra]], performed worship and pure repentance, practiced Ch'an meditation, studied the teachings, ate only one meal a day, and did not lie down to sleep at night.

With the founding of his American Sangha, Hsuan Hua embarked on his personal vision for [[Buddhism in the United States]]:

* Bringing the true and proper teachings of the Buddha to the West and establishing a proper monastic community of the fully ordained Sangha there{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

* Organizing and supporting the translation of the entire Buddhist canon into English and other Western languages<ref>Epstein, Ronald (1969). “The Heart Sūtra and the Commentary of Tripiṭaka Master Hsüan Hua.” Master’ Thesis, University of Washington.</ref><ref>Epstein, Ronald (1975). “The Śūraṅgama-sūtra with Tripiṭaka Master Hsüan-hua’s Commentary An Elementary Explanation of Its General Meaning: A Preliminary Study and Partial Translation.” Ph.D. Dissertation. University of California at Berkeley.</ref>

* Promoting wholesome education through the establishment of schools and universities{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

=== Buddhist education efforts ===

An Tze won the admiration and respect of the villagers. His intensely sincere efforts to purify and cultivate himself moved the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. As news of these supernatural events spread, An Tze came to be regarded as an extraordinary monk.

Master Hua wrote and lectured on [[Mahayana sutras]] throughout his teaching career in the West, including on the ''[[Heart Sutra]],'' ''[[Diamond Sutra]]'', ''[[Lotus Sutra]]'', ''[[Amitābha Sūtra|Amitabha Sutra]],'' ''[[Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra|Avatamsaka Sutra]]'', and ''[[Śūraṅgama Sūtra|Shurangama Sutra]]''. He also founded the [[Buddhist Text Translation Society]] in 1970. Since its founding, the BTTS has translated and published numerous Mahayana sutras, as well as various editions of Master Hua's commentaries.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our Founder |url=https://www.buddhisttexts.org/pages/our-founder |access-date=2025-03-29 |website=Buddhist Text Translation Society |language=en}}</ref> These publications include multi-volume commentaries on the ''Lotus Sutra'', ''Shurangama Sutra'' and ''Amitabha Sutra'', which provided traditional Chinese Buddhist teachings on these sutras for the first time in English.

===Hosting ordination ceremonies===

One day, An Tze had a vision that the Sixth Patriarch, [[Huineng|Hui Neng]] came to him and told An Tze that in the future he would go to the west, and that the amount of people he would preach to would be numerous, marking the spread of the Dharma in the west. Huineng then disappeared.

Because of the increasing numbers of people who wished to become monks and nuns under Hsuan Hua's guidance, in 1972 he decided to hold ordination ceremonies at [[Gold Mountain Dhyana Monastery]]. Two monks and one nun received ordination. Subsequent ordination platforms have been held at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in 1976, 1979, 1982, 1989, 1991, and 1992, and progressively larger numbers of people have received full ordination. Over two hundred people from countries all over the world were ordained under him.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

===Theravada and Mahayana traditions===

When An Tze's observance of filial piety was completed, he practiced [[austerities]] in seclusion. Later he returned to the monastery where his master was once head of, and was chosen to be the abbot. During the period that he lived in [[Manchuria]], An Tze contemplated people's potentials and bestowed appropriate teachings.

Having traveled to Thailand and Burma in his youth to investigate the Southern Tradition of Buddhism, Hsuan Hua wanted to bridge what he perceived as a rift between the Northern ([[Mahayana]]) and Southern ([[Theravada]]) traditions. In an address to [[Ajahn Sumedho]] and the monastic community at [[Amaravati Buddhist Monastery]] on October 6, 1990, Hsuan Hua stated:<ref>Hsuan Hua. ''The Shurangama Sutra with Commentary, Volume 7.'' 2003. p. 261</ref>

{{blockquote|In Buddhism, we should unite the Southern and Northern traditions. From now on, we won't refer to Mahayana or Theravada. Mahayana is the "Northern Tradition" and Theravada is the "Southern Tradition." [...] Both the Southern and the Northern Traditions' members are disciples of the Buddha, we are the Buddha's descendants. As such, we should do what Buddhists ought to do. [...] No matter the Southern or the Northern Tradition, both share the common purpose of helping living beings bring forth the Bodhi-mind, to put an end to birth and death, and to leave suffering and attain bliss.}}

==Dharma Transmisson from Hsu Yun==

On the occasion of the opening ceremony for the Dharma Realm Buddhist University, Hsuan Hua presented [[K. Sri Dhammananda]] of the Theravada tradition with an honorary [[Ph.D.]] He also donated a major piece of the land that would become [[Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery]], a Theravada Buddhist monastery in the Thai Forest tradition of [[Ajahn Chah]], located in [[Redwood Valley, California]].{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

In 1946, An Tze headed out to [[Guangzhou]] to pay respects to the Venerable Master [[Hsu Yun]] . For many years, An Tze revered him as a hero of Buddhism. During his arduous journey, he received full ordination in 1947. In 1948, he finally reached Guangzhou, and paid his respects to Hsu Yun. He was assigned to be an instructor in the Nanhua Monastery Vinaya Academy, and later became the dean of academic affairs. Hsu Yun was impressed with An Tze’s work, and decided to give him [[dharma transmission]]. His new name was ''Hsuan Hua'', meaning "Proclaim and Transform."

Hsuan Hua would also invite [[Bhikkhu]]s from both traditions to jointly conduct the High Ordination.<ref>{{Citation |title=A Shared Dedication to the Dhamma Vinaya {{!}} Rev. Heng Sure | date=11 July 2018 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZPnnPXs_Dk |access-date=2024-01-31 |language=en}}</ref>

==Residing in Hong Kong==

In 1946, Hsuan Hua left Guangzhou, and bid farewell to Master Hsu Yun. He went to Hong Kong to propagate Buddhism. Hsuan Hua gave equal importance to the five schools&mdash;[[Ch'an]], [[Doctrine]], [[Vinaya]], [[Esoteric]], and [[Pure Land]]&mdash;thus putting an end to [[sectarianism]]. Hsuan Hua also renovated and built temples, printed sutras and constructed images. He lived in Hong Kong for more than ten years.

==Bringing the Dharma to the West==

In 1959, Master Hsuan Hua, sought to bring the Dharma to the west, just as what Sixth Patrarch Hui Neng told him many years before. He instructed his disciples back in America to establish a Buddhist association. It was established in the United States under the name Sino American Buddhist Association (later renamed [[Dharma Realm Buddhist Association]]).

Master Hsuan Hua traveled to [[Australia]] in 1961 and propagated the Dharma there for one year. Since the conditions were not yet ripe there, he returned to Hong Kong in 1962. That same year, at the invitation of Buddhists in America, the Master traveled alone to the United States.

==="Monk in the Grave"===

Master Hsuan Hua at the time, was residing in San Francisco, where he built a lecture hall. Because Master Hsuan Hua started out living in a damp and windowless basement that resembled a grave, he called himself a "monk in the grave."

Master Hsuan Hua first started having regular contact with young Americans who were interested in [[meditation]]. Some came to his daily, public meditation hour from seven to eight every evening, and plenty of Americans also attended his sutra lectures.

At that time the [[Cuban missile crisis]] occurred between the United States and the [[Soviet Union]], and Master Hsuan Hua started to embark on a total fast for thirty-five days to pray for an end to the hostilities and for world peace. By the end of his fast, the threat of war had dissolved. In 1967, Master Hsuan Hua moved the Buddhist Lecture Hall back to Chinatown, locating it in the [[Matsu|Tianhou]] Temple. This marked the end of his "Monk in the Grave" period.

===The First American [[Sangha]]===

In 1968, Master Hsuan Hua held a [[Shurangama]] Study and Practice Summer Session. Over thirty students from the [[University of Washington]] in [[Seattle]] came to study the Buddha’s teachings. After the session was concluded, five young Americans requested permission to shave their heads and leave the home-life, marking the beginning of the Sangha in the history of American Buddhism.

==A Road of Hardship==

With the founding of a new American Sangha, Master Hsuan Hua was then ready to embark on an incredible building program for [[American Buddhism]]. Master Hsuan Hua explained that his life's work lay in three main areas:

*bringing the true and proper teachings of the Buddha to the West and establishing a proper monastic community of the fully Sangha here;

*organizing and supporting the translation of the entire Buddhist canon into English and other Western languages; and

*promoting wholesome education through the establishment of schools and universities.

===Building the Foundation of Buddhism in America===

In the present Dharma-ending age, the Buddha's valuable teachings need people to propagate them so that living beings will be able to understand the Buddha’s teachings and follow it to walk the path of liberation. Seeing that [[Buddhism in China]] was only concentrating on superficial aspects and could not plant its roots deeply, and wishing to cause Buddhism to flourish, Master Hsuan Hua said,

''"I knew that I was only an insignificant person whose words were of no consequence in China. I didn't have any status or position, and so even if I shouted until my throat was sore, no one would have believed me. So I made a vow to make a fresh start in the West by reforming Buddhism and causing it to flourish here, so that people would know what Buddhism is really all about. Why did I come to America to propagate the Buddha’s teachings? This country's history is not very long, and the people have not developed crafty habits. They are all very honest, so it's very easy for them to cultivate according to the Dharma and accept the principles of Buddhism. That's the reason I came to this country to propagate the Buddha’s teachings. I hope all the people will be able to understand the genuine principles of Buddhism."''

===Hosting Ordination Ceremonies on Western Soil===

Because of the increasing numbers of people who wished to leave the home-life to become monks and nuns under Master Hsuan Hua's guidance, in 1972 the Master decided to hold at Gold Mountain [[Dhyana]] Monastery the first formal, full [[ordination]] ceremonies for Buddhist monks and nuns to be held in the West. He invited virtuous elder masters to preside with him over the ordination platform. Two monks and one nun received ordination. Subsequent ordination platforms have been held at the [[City Of Ten Thousand Buddhas]] in 1976, 1979, 1982, 1991, and 1992, and progressively larger numbers of people have received full ordination. Over two hundred people from countries all over the world were ordained under him.

===Protecting the Dharma===

====Upholding the Shurangama Sutra====

The Master repeated his instructions about protecting and supporting the Proper Dharma many times:

''"In Buddhism all the sutras are very important, but the [[Shurangama Sutra]] is even more important. Wherever the Shurangama Sutra is, the Proper Dharma abides in the world. When the Shurangama Sutra is gone, that is a sign of the Dharma Ending Age. In the Extinction of the Dharma Sutra it says that in the Dharma Ending Age, the Shurangama Sutra will become extinct first. Then gradually the other Sutras will also become extinct. The Shurangama Sutra is the true body of the Buddha; the sharira of the Buddha; the stupa of the Buddha. If the Shurangama Sutra is false, then I am willing to fall into the unintermittent hell, stay there forever, and never come back to the world to see all of you."''

====Breaking Misconceptions and [[Superstitions]]====

In the past, [[Buddhism in China]] always gave people the mistaken impression that it was a religion that specialized in crossing over dead souls and so the intelligentsia looked down on and tried to get rid of Buddhism. Two years prior to Master Hsuan Hua’s passing, he cried out in dispair:

''"Chinese Buddhism's Waterland Ceremonies, Yogacara Flaming Mouth ceremonies, and other ceremonies and their saving of souls have become the “status quo” in Chinese Buddhism. They never stop to think that if they keep it up, they are going to be doing nothing but handing out free meals to unemployed vagrants under the guise of Buddhism. What a terrible shame! All they know how to do is make money saving souls! Actually, in order to save souls, you must have a foundation in virtuous conduct. Then, not to speak of reciting mantras or reciting sutras, the single sentence "you can go to rebirth" is sufficient for a soul to be able to gain rebirth in the [[Sukhavati|Land of Ultimate Bliss]]. For those of you who lack any virtue in the Way, who don't have any cultivation, I ask you, what's your basis for being able to save souls? What you are actually doing is runing up a debt with the donor. Besides that, you are destroying the basic system of Buddhism."''

Among Asian Buddhists who have taken refuge there is a popular misconception. Eveyone thinks that the more teachers you take refuge with, the better. This is a sign of the Dharma Ending Age. By taking refuge with this one and then taking refuge with that one, they cause contention among the Dharma Masters, who quarrel with each other over who has the Dharma affinities and who gets the disciples. But the Master always asked those who had already taken refuge not to sign up to take refuge again -- that they could just follow along and rejoice from the sidelines. The Master said:

''"Some people say, “The youth [[Sudhana]] visited fifty-three teachers; why can't I bow to a few more teachers?” But you need to realize that [[Sudhana]] was always sent on by his previous teacher to the next teacher. It wasn't that he greedily longed for another Dharma Master endowed with virtuous conduct and so turned his back on his current teacher and stole away to take refuge with another. A lot of older Chinese Buddhist disciples have taken refuge with another. A lot of older Chinese Buddhist disciples have taken refuge tens or hundreds of times. But when you ask them what “taking refuge” means, they don't know. Isn't that pathetic? They say that all left-home people are their teachers. But I say they don't have any teacher at all because their minds lack faith, so how can they be saved?"''

===Working towards a harmonious Sangha===

====Uniting Theravada and Mahayana traditions====

Having traveled to Thailand and Burma in his youth to investigate into the Southern Tradition of Buddhism, Master Hsuan Hua was set to heal the two thousand year old rift between the Northern ([[Mahayana]]) and Southern ([[Theravada]]) traditions.

In America, Master Hsuan Hua encouraged cordial relations between the Sangha communities from both the Northern and Southern traditions. As always, he would set an example by leading the way. For example, on the occasion of the opening ceremony for the Dharma Realm Buddhist University, he presented Venerable [[K. Sri Dhammananda]] of the Southern Tradition with an honorary [[Ph.D.]]

Master Hsuan Hua would also invite [[Bhikshu]]s from both traditions to jointly conduct the High Ordination.

===Chinese and American Buddhism===

From July 18 -to 24,the 24th of 1987, Master Hsuan Hua hosted the Waterland''Water, Land, and Air Repentance Dharma FunctionAssembly'', a centuries-old ritual often seen as the largest"king Buddhistof servicedharma thatservices" canin beChinese heldBuddhism, at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and invited nearlyover 100seventy Sangha membersBuddhists from [[mainland China]] to attend. This was athe historicalfirst assemblytime symbolizedthe byservice thewas cooperationknown betweento have been held in North America.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Water, Land, Air Ceremony - Through the AmericanYears: SanghaThe andFirst Water, Land, Air Ceremony in the ChineseWest Sangha|url=https://www.advite.com/sf/assm/assm5-2.html |access-date=2024-04-18 |website=www.advite.com}}</ref>

On November 6, 1990, Master Hsuan Hua sent his disciples to [[Beijing]] to bring back the LongDragon ZangTreasury ({{zh|t= 龍藏|p=lóngzáng}}) edition of the [[Chinese Buddhist [[wiktionary:canon|canon]] back to the City of Ten Thousand BuddhasCTTB, thusfurthering symbolizinghis the takinggoal of a further step in the relationship between Chinese and Americanbringing Buddhism andto the transmissionUS.{{citation ofneeded|date=June the Buddha’s teachings to the West.2021}}

==Death==

From January 8 - 20, 1991, at the invitation of Mingru Monastery in [[Jilin]], China, the Master sent several of his disciple nuns to reside as visitors, where they participated in the daily monastic life and gave talks on Dharma to the public and talks on the precepts to the resident nuns.

On June 7, 1995, while visiting Long Beach Sagely Monastery, Hsuan Hua died in his sleep.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Our Founder Venerable Master Hsuan Hua |url=https://www.redwoodvihara.org/our-founder |access-date=2024-04-18 |website=Redwood Vihara |language=en-US}}</ref> He had been ill for some time prior to his death at the age of 77.<ref name=":0" /> His parting words were

On December 12, 1995, Venerables Heng Sure, Heng Lyu and Heng Bin went to [[Shanghai]], China, to take part in the transmission of the Complete Precepts at Longhua Monastery at the invitation of Venerable Ming Yang.

{{Blockquote|text="I came from empty space, and I will also return to empty space,"|author=Master Hua}}

===Teaching and Protecting All Nations===

====With President George H.W. Bush====

On January 20th, 1989, Master Hsuan Hua was a special guest of former President [[George H.W. Bush]] at his [[Presidential Inauguration]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] He was the only oriental representative at a national interfaith service.

In May 1990, when Master Hsuan Hua sent five monks to the Longhua Monastery in Shanghai, China, to help administer the Ordination Ceremony, President Bush sent a fax to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas congratulating him and his disciples.

On April 28th, Master Hsuan Hua accepted the invitation of President Bush and went with eighteen members of the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association to attend the President's dinner in Washington, D.C. In 1994, the Master advised that if the President would refuse to take a salary, he would certainly win the election.

====With other officials from abroad====

Master Hsuan Hua was always concerned of the welfare of all nations. For that, he was respected by many leaders from many parts of the world. Whenever Master Hsuan Hua spoke to them, he would always exhort them to work for the benefit of the society and nation. Many Chinese and Taiwanese leaders have paid their respects to him. Among them are the Minister of Justice, Lin Yang Gang, the ex-Premier of Vietnam, Shan-chyan Chen, Liang Surong, the former President of [[Taiwan]] and others.

==Manifesting stillness==

Master Hsuan Hua had become so sick he couldn't even climb a single step. Even when the doctors diagnosed that he had only seven days left to live, Master Hsuan Hua refused to rest or seek treatment. Leaning on his cane and riding in a wheelchair, he continued to speak the Dharma in various places. He then became so ill that he couldn't get up from the bed, yet he still instructed his disciples over the phone or appeared in their dreams to teach them. Finally, he collapsed from illness.

On June 7, 1995, Master Hsuan Hua died in [[Los Angeles]]. He was 77 years old. His will stated the process of his funeral:

''"After I depart you can recite the [[Avatamsaka Sutra]] and the name of [[Amitabha]] Buddha for however many days you would like, perhaps seven days or forty-nine days. After the cremation, scatter my remains in empty space. I do not want you to do anything else at all. Do not build me any pagodas or memorials. I came into the world without anything; when I depart, I still do not want anything, and I do not want to leave any traces in the world."''

===Funeral===

Master Hsuan Hua's funeral lasted from June 8th8 to July 29th29. On June 12th17, hisHsuan Hua's body was placed in thea refrigerated casket atand ataken branchfrom monasterysouthern into [[Longnorthern BeachCalifornia, California|Longreturning Beach]]. Memorial services were held atto the monastery.City of OnTen JuneThousand 16th,Buddhas ceremoniesto werelie heldin forrepose. hisAll sendingmajor toservices Amitabha's Pureland andduring the movingfuneral ofwere thepresided casket.over by On JuneMing 17thYang, Master Hsuan Hua’s casket made it to the Cityabbot of TenLonghua ThousandTemple Buddhas.in HisShanghai casketand wasa movedlongtime into the Hallfriend of NoHsuan WordsHua's.{{citation From needed|date=June 17th to the 28th, more memorials services were held.2021}}

On July 28th28, Mastersmonks from both Theravada and Mahayana traditions hosted a memorial ceremony forand invitingcremation. the Venerable Master from the Hall of No Words to the Patriarchs' Hall in front of the Jeweled Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas.More Thethan two thousand and some followers from the [[United States]], [[Canada]], and various Asian and European countries, including many of Master Hsuan Hua’s American disciples, came to the City of Ten Thousand BuddhasCTTB to take part in the funeral service for Master Hsuan Hua. Letters of condolences from Buddhist monks and dignitaries, including Presidentformer president [[George H. W. Bush]], were read during the memorial service.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

A day after the cremation, July 29, Hsuan Hua's ashes were scattered, at his request, in the open air above the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas from a hot air balloon by his first two disciples, [[Heng Sure]] and Heng Chau. After the funeral, memorial services commemorating Hsuan Hua's life were held in various parts of the world, including [[Taiwan]], China, and Canada. His [[śarīra]] (relics) were then distributed to many of his temples, disciples, and followers.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

The [[cremation]] began at 1:00 in the afternoon. Two thousand disciples and admirers lined up and walked into the Patriarchs' Hall one by one to gaze upon Master Hsuan Hua for the final time. At three o'clock, Master Hsuan Hua's casket was carried to the cremation site by a procession of over two thousand people. At 4:20, Master Hsuan Hua’s body was cremated. His disciples all sincererly knelt and bowed, bidding farewell to their spiritual teacher. All watched mournfully as the remains were burned.

=== In Memory ===

A day after the cremation, June 29th, Master Hsuan Hua's ashes were scattered in the air above the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas by two disciples in a hot air balloon, fulfilling Master's wish, "I came from empty space, and to empty space I will return." This was the most emotional event of Master Hsuan Hua's forty-nine day funeral. Even cries of "Master, don't go!" could be heard when his ashes were scattered. The vast majority of the disciples continued solemnly reciting the name of the Buddha, completing the funeral.

Wanting to keep Master Hua's Memories alive, a project by Dharma Realm Buddhist Association (DRBA) called Dharma Radio was started by his followers, their wish being that Hua's teachings be accessible fulfilling Master Hua’s wish that Buddhism adapts to the cultural context of the West.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Radio – Dharma Radio |url=https://www.dharmaradio.org/radio/ |access-date=2024-04-21 |language=en-US}}</ref>

As well as a YouTube series called Master Hua's Oral History Project (宣化上人口述歷史影集) where many of the early disciples discuss fond memories of the Master.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Master Hua's Oral History Project 宣化上人口述歷史影集 - YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/@MasterHuasOralHistoryProject |access-date=2024-04-21 |website=www.youtube.com}}</ref>

===Sharira===

According to a tradition in Buddhism, a person can be proven to be enlightened if upon their death the bone remains have obtained a [[patina]] which makes them look like gems. This is known as ''sharira''. Master Hua's bones did in fact become covered in a patina and this was regarded as evidence that he was indeed fully enlightened.

==See also==

About 4,000 to 10,000 of Master Hua's sharira seeds were found after his ashes were scattered, among them included teeth sharira. The many sharira that were found consisted of many colors of white, light yellow, green, blue, sky blue, light blue, black, pink, silver, and other colors. Some of the sharira which were formed on the bones even gleamed like green jade.

*[[Buddhism in the United States]]

*[[Timeline of Zen Buddhism in the United States]]

*[[Buddhism in the West]]

== References ==

One of Master Hua's disciples, moved by the sight of the Master's teeth sharira said, "In his life, the Venerable Master lectured on the Sutras and spoke Dharma in several tens of thousands of assemblies. No wonder his cremation yielded teeth relics!"

{{reflist}}

Master Hua's relics were distributed to the many temples his organization founded. The rest are now kept in the Hall of No Words where he [[lie in state|laid in state]] during the 49-day mourning period.

==Master Hua's legacy==

While many remember Master Hsuan Hua as the monk who introduced Chinese Buddhism to America, he is remembered by many of his disciples for his ability to speak the Dharma. Some people have likened Master Hua's propogation of Dharma in the United States to the patriarch [[Bodhidharma]]'s journey eastward to bring the treaure of Dhrarma to China, and to [[Xuanzang]]'s journey westward to bring the sutras back to China. Master Hua had denied this praised in the years before entering stillness.

His life has been one of hardship and distinctive achievement. He endured what others couldnt not take, which is probably why his strict observence of the precepts is well known by the Buddhist community. Nevertheless, many will remember Master Hua as the eminent monk of today's world, the Buddhist specialist, the leader of sutra translation, and as an educator.

==Lectures==

*''To Prevent A Nuclear Holocaust, People Must Change Their Minds''

*''The Heart of [[Prajna]] [[Paramita]] Sutra with the Stand''

*''Should One Be [[Filial]]''

*''[[Guanyin]] Bodhisattva is Our Brother''

*''Master Hsuan Hua on Stupidity Versus Wisdom''

*''In An Emergency''

*''Doing It Just Right is the Middle Way''

*''[[Chan]]''

*''The Dharma Door Of Mindfulness''

*''Causes And Conditions''

*''The Efficacious Language''

*''Exhortation to Resolve Upon Bodhi''

*''Herein Lies the Treasure Trove''

*''Listen to Yourself, Think Everything Over''

*''Water Mirror Reflecting Heaven''

*''Why Should We Receive And Uphold The Five Precepts?''

==Books==

*''The Fifty Skandha Demon States''

*''The Intention of Patriarch [[Bodhidharma]]'s Coming from the West''

*''Commentary on The Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra''

*''Commentary on The Sutra in Forty-Two Sections''

*''Commentary on The Sixth Patriarch's Dharma Jewel [[Platform Sutra]]''

*''Chan: the Essence of All Buddhas''

*''Guanyin, Guanyin, Guanshiyin''

*''The Professor Requests a Lecture From the Monk in the Grave''

*''Venerable Master Hua's Talks on Dharma, Volumes I-XI''

*''Buddha Root Farm''

*''News From True Cultivators''

==See also==

*[[Buddhism in America]]

*[[Western Buddhism]]

==External links==

*[http://www.drbacttbusa.org/founder.asp DharmaTripitaka RealmMaster BuddhistHsuan AssociationHua]

*[http://www.bttsonline.org/ Buddhist Text Translation Society]

*[http://drba.org/branches/cttb/ City of Ten Thousand Buddhas]

*[http://drba.org/branches/iwr/ Institute for World Religions & Berkeley Buddhist Monastery]

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