Greetings from Germany (雪峰禅师致吴言生教授)

From: Curtis C Dittrich
To: Wu Yansheng
Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2006 2:52 PM
Subject: Greetings from Germany

Venerable Professor Wu Yansheng,

many time I did try to get contact to you. But always the mails came back. So I hope, you will get now my mail. Remember me? I'm Curtis C. Dittrich (Xue Feng) who has spoken with you about Master Jing Hui.

I hope everything goes fine with you, Your family and the seminars.

Myself hade a hard work behind me. I'm now the disciple of Shi Yong Chuan Zhuchi (Abbot of the De Guo Shaolin Si). He is from the Shaolin Temple Henan. I got the Bodhisttva Precepts from him and now I'm a member of the Order of Shaolin. I also got the right to teach as chan-shi (not martial arts, this is not my thing). Last month I did met the Abbot of Songshan Shaolin Si, the Grandmaster Shi Yong Xin Fangzhang. He did invide me to come to the Songshan Shaolin Temple. Yesterday I got my new passport and I hope, to the end of the year or in springtime I will be in Mainland China. A true will be fullfill. I hope, I can meet you in this time.

My own centre "Hermitage of Bamboo Grove" is now a official Shaolin Dharma Centre.

The script of my book is finish soon. I hope, I can publish it next year in springtime. But I miss something for my script. So I would like to ask you for help. For long time I got the er ru si xing from you and it is translate finish now. For my book I need the preface of Master Tan Lin in Chinese and in Pinyin.

Master Jing Hui wrote in his E-Book:

In the preface, Master Tan Lin not only wrote a brief account of Bodhidharma’s biography and his achievements, but also presented something very important, the Bodhidharma’s gate. It consists of four fixed phrases, which are crucial for the practice of any Buddhist training. The four pithy phrases are the four fixed formulae – each beginning using the form: act “in such a way as to…” The full text of these instructions that Bodhidharma gave directly to his two close disciples, Huike and Daoyu is as follows:

Act in such a way as to pacify the Mind
Act in such a way to behave properly
Act in such a way as to be congenial to others
Act in such a way as to be natural
Special this four fixed phrases I need in chinese characters and in pinyin.

If you have this script of master Tan Lin, could you send me a copy in chinese and pinyin and make the part of the fixed phrases in a other colour, so I can find them?

I wish you all the best from Germany. Yours, Curtis C. Dittrich (Xue Feng Ya Cheng)

Dear Xue Feng:
I am very glad to hear from you.
Congratulate you become the disciple of Shi Yong Chuan Zhuchi ,and got the right to teach as chan-shi .
I met the Abbot of Songshan Shaolin Si recently. Please look at this:
Article_Show.asp?ArticleID=534
and he played my computer to search some net news when we come back from zhou shan island to Shang hai on the sea,during the World Buddhist Forum. and I home you can remember my new website( www.wuys.com ) too.



I wish you can visit Mainland China in the end of the year or in springtime .
The dream will become true.
You are welcomed to visit our university.
This is the text which you need:

弟子昙林序　

法师者。西域南天竺国。是大婆罗门国王第三之子。神惠疎朗。闻皆晓晤。志存磨诃衍道。故舍素从缁。绍隆圣。冥心虚寂。通鉴世事。内外俱明。德超世表。悲悔边隅。正教陵替。遂能远涉山海。游化汉魏。亡心寂默之士。莫不归信。取相存见之流。乃生讥谤。于时。唯有道育惠可。此二沙门。年虽后生。携志高远。幸逢法师。事之数[2]载虔恭咨启。善蒙师意。法师感其精成。诲以真道。如是安心。如是发行。如是顺物。如是方便。此是大乘安心之法。令无错谬。如是安心者。壁观。如是发行者。四行。如是顺物者。防护讥嫌。如是方便者。遣其不着。此略所由。意在后文。
（ From:大藏經第八十五冊，pp.1284c-1285a ）

弟dì子zǐ 昙tán 林lín 序xù 　

法fǎ 师shī 者zhě ,西xī 域yù 南nán天tiān 竺zhú 国guó ,是shì 大dà 婆pó 罗luó 门mén 国guó 王wáng 第dì 三sān 之zhī 子zǐ 。神shén 惠huì 疎shū 朗lǎng ,闻wén 皆jiē 晓xiǎo 晤wù 。志zhì 存cún 磨mó （　=　摩）　诃hē 衍yǎn 道dào ,故gù 舍shě 素sù 从cóng 缁zī ,绍shào 隆lóng 圣shèng （ + 种zhong ）。冥míng 心xīn 虚xū 寂jì ，通tōng 鉴jiàn 世shì 事shì 。内nèi 外wài 俱jù 明míng ，德dé 超chāo 世shì 表biǎo 。悲bēi 悔huǐ 边biān 隅yú ，正zhèng 教jiào 陵líng 替tì ，遂suí 能néng 远yuǎn 涉shè 山shān 海hǎi ，游yóu 化huà 汉hàn 魏wèi 。亡wáng/wú 心xīn 寂jì 默mò 之zhī 士shì ，莫mò 不bù 归guī 信xìn 。取qǔ 相xiàng 存cún 见jiàn 之zhī 流liú ，乃nǎi 生shēng 讥jī 谤bàng 。于yú 时shí ，唯wéi 有yǒu 道dào 育yù 、惠huì 可kě ，此cǐ 二èr 沙shā 门mén ，年nián 虽suī 后hòu 生shēng ，携xié 志zhì 高gāo 远yuǎn 。幸xìng 逢féng 法fǎ 师shī ，事shì 之zhī 数shù 载zǎi 虔qián 恭gōng 咨zī 启qǐ ,善shàn 蒙mēng 师shī 意yì 。法fǎ 师shī 感gǎn 其qí 精jīng 成chéng ,诲huì 以yǐ 真zhēn 道dào 。如rú 是shì 安ān 心xīn ,如rú 是shì 发fà 行xíng , 如rú 是shì顺shùn 物wù ,如rú 是shì 方fāng 便biàn 。此cǐ 是shì 大dà 乘chéng 安ān 心xīn 之zhī 法fǎ ,令lǐng 无wú 错cuò 谬miù 。如rú 是shì 安ān 心xīn 者zhě ,壁bì 观guān 。如rú 是shì 发fà 行xíng 者zhě , 四sì 行xíng 。如rú 是shì 顺shùn 物wù 者zhě , 防fáng 护hù 讥jī 嫌xián 。如rú 是shì 方fāng 便biàn 者zhě ,遣qiǎn 其qí 不bù 著zhuó。此cǐ 略lüè 所suǒ 由yóu ，意yì 在zài 后hòu 文wén 。

如rú 是shì　means:　in such a way as to……
如rú 是shì 安ān 心xīn means:Act in such a way as to pacify the Mind
如rú 是shì 发fà 行xíng means:Act in such a way to behave properly
如rú 是shì顺shùn 物wù means:Act in such a way as to be congenial to others
如rú 是shì 方fāng 便biàn means:Act in such a way as to be natural

Best wish.

Yours, Wu Yan - sheng

Only for your reference

理入者，谓藉教悟宗
To understand the theory means, people prove the Buddhism through the buddhism sutra.
深信含生同一真性
Buddha said that all the lives are the same.
但为客尘妄想所覆，不能显了
If there are any differences among lives, it because people's minds are polluted by the trouble.
若也舍妄归真
if we abnegate the improper thought and make our thinking in a right way
凝住壁观
Focus one's attention, make one's body and heart as still (cliffy) as wall, so any improper thought can not cling to it
无自无他
in the emptiness, the distinguish between me and the others (such as anyone else, the circumstance) has vanished, everything is equal
凡圣等一，
the mediocre person and the saint are absolutely same in The buddha-nature
坚住不移，
hold on this, do not hesitate
更不随于文教，
do not influenced by anyone else words
此即与理冥符。
This is deeply correspond to the buddhism truth.
无有分别，
the difference does not exist anymore
寂然无为，
our hearts are so peaceful,so pure,so clear, we did not need to do any thing more
名为理入。
This was called to get enlightment through the theory.