Venerable Chang Kuan’s lectures on “The Essence of the Middle Way”
In July, Venerable Chang Kuan (常寬法師), Vice Dean of DDM Sangha University and Managing Director of Three Studies Institute, shared two series of lectures with the followers in DDM Vancouver Center, giving an account of “The Essence of the Middle Way: Late Master Sheng Yen’s Thoughts” during 4 consecutive sessions, followed by 2 consecutive sessions of “The Essence of Shurangama: My Insight.” Nearly 60 Eastern and Western participants as well as the audiences on LIVE webcast were all brought in, once again, to the affinity with Shifu’s true body of reality.
Once serving as the attendant and the secretary for late Master Sheng Yen, Venerable Chang Kuan recalled that due to debilitation, Shifu was no longer able to complete his writing on “the Middle Way” after the publication of “Tiantai Keys to the Mind: A Vernacular Translation of and Commentary on Ouyi's Jiaoguan gangzong” and “Hua Yen Xin Quan”<華嚴心銓> in 2006. It later triggered Venerable Chang Kuan to do further in-depth studies on Shifu’s interpretation of the Middle Way.
Venerable Chang Kuan learned to catch on to the approach of sympathizing with others’ feelings through trivial affairs such as tying up shoes and driving for Shifu. In a vivid and easily comprehensible way, change or ever-changing as entailed in “impermanence” was readily conveyed. And isn’t learning itself also a process of change? One can be freed from restrain as long as he is willing to make a change, even if it’s just a subtle thought or action.
Looking back on the Buddha’s life, practice of indulgence, austerities and the Middle Way were all clearly manifested. Venerable Chang Kuan further expounded the delicate balance between “not too loose, not too tight” based on his upclose observation of Shifu’s life. The Eightfold Path, a guide line to the Middle Way, when fully actualized, would bring us liberation in real life. “Aspiration could lift up the mind, which could in turn enhance physical strength,” Venerable Chang Kuan, citing the Buddha prior to enlightenment as an example, encouraged all participants to follow the guidance of their own aspirations to achieve their goals.
The course of Master Sheng Yen's life is all about actualizing Buddha Dharma.
And his life, as seen from the subtle interactions among them from Venerable Chang Kuan’s sharing, seems to fully embody the Buddha’s teachings, leaving behind him a series of intriguing stories.
Texts/Photos: Dharma Drum Monthly
Translation: Elenda Huang
Editing: DDM Editorial Team; John Wu (吳俊宏)