final project - heng chan shr

Disaster in Tianjin: LA interview with VM from Youtube-The Life of Venerable Master Hsuan Hua. I choose this video clip because it is the record of VM lively talk on the video. It also impress me that other two Elders monks who were on the Black Sea disaster with VM that I met and talk with them in HK.

The interviews on the TV are about the disaster on the Black Sea between Tianjin to Shanghai. VM explained himself that:

After the Japan surrender, VM leaved the home-town and left home. He passed Shenyang, Shanhai Guan then reached Tianjin and stayed for a month. Then he took boat to Shanghai. On the boat, there were more than a dozen monks (Ten Monks and Four Novices, One of the novice DM Sheng Jau treated me very good and right now he is staying in Hong Kong Donglin Buddha Recitation Hall – 1 ) and more than 200 laypeople. When the boat reached the Black Sea between Tianjin and Shanghai, it began to go in circles and could not get off there. (It seemed like a monster biting under the boat and did not allow it to move – 2). It took 14 to 15 days instead of 4 to 5 days passing Black Sea to Shanghai. There were not enough supplies on the boat for such a long duration of time. Food and water were nearly depleted. At the Black Sea everyone threw up (vomited) everything they ate. Whenever the boat dipped down about several dozen feet, it went up as high. The passengers on the boat found the huge swings difficult to bear. The huge waves made the boat turned in circles. It seemed to me at the time, that it was impossible to get out of the Black Sea. (Let me tell you that I had been fight with the monsters in the sea for three weeks without sleeping and eating, then finally to subdue them – 3) I knew it was because the sea monsters stirring up trouble again. They wanted to drag me into the ocean. Therefore I prayed to Guanyin Bodhisattva that, “If I am not meant to do something for Buddhism. I am willing to jump into the ocean right now and end my life – that way I don’t have to give other burden. If I was able to do something for Buddhism, Guanyin Bodhisattva extended your holy hands and to end this disaster.” Eventually, the wave calmed down and we arrived at Shanghai narrowly. These were problems and difficulties which were due to demons I experienced with the ocean. (The boat finally reached Shanghai and Wuchang Proper Enlightenment Monastery - 5 in Hupei and they welcomed us with blowing dharma coach and playing the big dharma drum and I stayed there temporary - 4)

1-4. Book of White Mt Black Water of Nourishing the Talents No. 87 Tripped in the sea pg 328-335

5. Proper Enlightenment Chan Monastery is the fourth Patriach Dao Syin Monastery that located on Wuchang Houbu Street, which is one of the four great monasteries in Wuhan. The others three are Wuchang Baotong Chan Monastery, Wuchang Lianxi Monastery and Hanyang Guiyuan Monastery. Proper Enlightenment Chan Monastery was build up but Great Monk Vinaya Master Wunian on Ming Dynasty. On the period of Ching Dynasty Emperor Yungzheng, it was reconstructed and became the largest monastery in Wuchang. On the period of Ching Dynasty Emperor Tongdzi, they build a government office in the monastery and DM Tijing re-constructed the monastery. – From the Book of White Mt Black Water of Nourishing the Talents No.88 Staying in Proper Enlightenment Monastery pg 338-339

6. Beside DM Tijing, Two others DM who are now staying in HK are DM Yonglin on Lantau Island Guanyin Monastery and DM Yongxing of Bodhi Monastery. Both of them were invited by HK Buddhist Lecture to host the ceremony of Venerable Master Hua Nirvana Memorial Day on 1995.