關於愛，我是個小學生。

outline of proposal as final report of methodology of research

topic: on integration of cultivation methods for Buddhist Chan's enlightenment and religious trainings and practices in Christianity

Synopsis:

A. Definitions:

1. enlightenment:

The English term enlightenment is the western translation of the term bodhi, "awakening", which has entered the Western world via the 19th century translations of Max Müller. It has the western connotation of a sudden insight into a transcendental truth.

The term is also being used to translate several other Buddhist terms and concepts used to denote insight (prajna, kensho and satori)[i]; knowledge (vidhya); the "blowing out" (Nirvana) of disturbing emotions and desires and the subsequent freedom or release (vimutti); and the attainment of Buddhahood, as exemplified by Gautama Buddha.

What exactly constituted the Buddha's awakening is unknown. It may probably have involved the knowledge that liberation was attained by the combination of mindfulness and dhyana, applied to the understanding of the arising and ceasing of craving. The relation between dhyana and insight is a core problem in the study of Buddhism, and is one of the fundamentals of Buddhist practice.

In the western world the concept of (spiritual) enlightenment has begotten a romantic meaning. It has become synonymous with self-realization and the true self, being regarded as a substantial essence being covered over by social conditioning.

Early 19th century bodhi was translated as "intelligence". The term "enlighten" was first being used in 1835, in an English translation of a French article. In 1857 The Times used the term "the Enlightened" for the Buddha in a short article, which was reprinted the following year by Max Müller. Thereafter, the use of the term subsided, but reappeared with the publication of Max Müller's Chips from a german Workshop, which included a reprint from the Times-article. The book was translated 1969 into German, using the term "der Erleuchtete". Max Müller was an essentialist, who believed in a natural religion, and saw religion as an inherent capacity of human beings. "Enlightenment" was a means to capture natural religious truths, as distinguished from mere mythology.

By the mid-1870s it had become commonplace to call the Buddha "enlightened", and by the end of the 1880s the terms "enlightened" and "enlightenment" dominated the English literature.[ii]

2. cultivation:

The Buddhist methods of self-cultivation such as sutra-reading, ritual worship, abundant offering and charitable practices, strict observance of the Canons of Discipline, Name-reciting, Chan Meditation, taking a journey to visit venerable monks living in secluded places, and so forth are numerous and diversified. Now one may ask, what induces those enthusiastic learners to cultivate Buddhism? It is vitally important for us to know the correct answer to this fundamental question, for if we do not understand the object of cultivation, most likely our cultivation would be perfunctory and careless, and even long hard cultivation would be perfunctory and careless, and even long hard practice would be fruitless and wasteful. In short, without understanding the true aim of cultivation, no matter how hard we may practice, our cultivation would be hardly productive.[iii]

3. Buddhism wisdom:

In Lotus Sutra, it specifies the fundamental mission of the Buddha in this world:

To open, to show, to awaken and to entire Buddha-Wisdom.

What is Buddha-Wisdom? It is Enlightenment that is immanent in every one. Broad, extensive, all-embracing, illuminating, eternal and immutable - this is the substance of Enlightenment; pure, still, tranquil and omnipresent in terms of item and space - this is the phenomenon of Enlightenment; responding spontaneously to concurrent conditions and illuminating freely and unobstrusively everywhere - this is the functioning of Enlightenment. Because it reflects the true form of everything, it is called Reality; because it is also the absolute nature of all things, it is called Dharma-nature. Owing to the fact that it has been made obscured by our deep-rooted habits of prejudice and subjective thinking, not only it is not easily known and detected by us, but also the truth as expounded by Buddhism, that it is immanent in all of us, is considered to be incredible. In delusion, we are unable to see the reality of everything before us, consequently ignorance causes suffering. In coping with this situation, it is absolutely necessary for us to go the Buddhist Way so that we may know how to open Buddha-Wisdom and how to enter into Buddha-Wisdom ourselves. The fundamental goal, of all kinds of cultivation is to understand the mind and the self-nature and then, with this understanding, we come to realize the mind and self-nature by self-experiencing. It is only by understanding the mind and the self-nature that we shall not be blind to the causes and effects of all the phenomena around us, that we shall be able to overcome our passions and habits, and then we may advance more and more in the quest of Enlightenment until the highest development of Buddhahood is attained. But if we do not understand the mind and the self-nature, we can never be free from the evil influence of our habits and passions and also we can never be free from suffering at all, and in that event, all our effort of cultivation would come to nothing and would be as inefficient and ineffective as the attempt to put things in order in a dark room.

4. Buddhist awareness:

The Avatamaska Sutra says:

If one does not understand one's own mind, how can he know the Right Way? It is because of the perverted mind that he only increases his evil deeds.

The Sandinirmocana Sutra also says:

If one does not understand the Dharma of Formlessness, he can hardly wipe out contaminations.

According to the Vairocana Sutra, Bodhi means understanding the reality of self-mind. From this, it may be clearly seen that to practise Buddhism, we should cultivate self-awareness; by developing awareness, we can also develop concentration and wisdom to understand the mind and the self-nature, so that we may wipe out our various habits and realize the Truth of Life by self-experiencing; so that we may turn subjective thinking into objective awareness and look deeply into things before us from their phenomena to their substance, liberate ourselves from the suffering of birth and death in this world and then attain the supreme and perfect Enlightenment - this is practically the gist of Buddhism, and mind you, it is also the fundamental objective of Buddhism!

B. Domains:

1. Buddhism:

1.1 Buddhism on understanding the mind

Ignorance causes karma and karma causes suffering. If we understand this fundamental truth, then we can readily see the importance and necessity of understanding the mind and the self-nature. But if we are ignorant of this, most likely we would cultivate Buddhism in the same way as the lay people and the heterodoxists do their own cultivation, by seeking Dharma outside the mind, that is to say, to seek and rely on external help instead of seeking to understand the mind, and this can only have the adverse effect of turning us round and round in samsara and transmigration consequently. From the saying that mind, Buddha and sentient beings are not different from one another it may be seen that for us to attain the highest development of Buddhahood by cultivation is but a natural aspiration and there is nothing mysterious and extraordinary about it. All sufferings arise from ignorance and there is no happiness greater than understanding the mind, thus one who can carry out his aspiration for Buddhahood sincerely and conscientiously is a true Buddhist indeed!

1.2 The Significance of Cultivation

In the Three Treasuries also called the Tripitaka (the Sutra, Vinaya and Sastra) and the Twelve Divisions of Mahayans Canons, is Buddhism most comprehensively embodied and treated, and in the main, these Buddhist Classics are classified under four headings, namely, Doctrine, Principle, Cultivation and Fruition. The first category covers all the teachings of Buddha, the second expounds all the principles and precepts of Buddhism, the third includes the various methods of cultivation and the fourth deals with development of Buddhahood by cultivation leading to the attainment of Enlightenment. Apparently, the first two categories fall within the scope of theory, pure and simple, and the last two are concerned with the practical aspects of Buddhism. As a matter of fact, all the theories of Buddhism come from self-experience and self-realization, therefore all of them are practical and practicable. In other words, in Buddhism there is no doctrine that is merely theorectical and impractical, and also there is no cultivation that is blindly accepted and not based on some working principle. Thus, these four aspects of Buddhism, Doctrine, Principle, Cultivation and Fruition, are interrelated and complementary to one another, individually, they are separate by themselves, yet collectively they are integrated as a whole.

From this it may be clearly seen that the objective of Buddhism not only calls for understanding its Doctrine but also for translating understanding into action. The necessity of cultivation cannot be too strongly stressed; to what extent we may be benefited by Buddhism entirely depends on how intensive is our effort of cultivation. It is only by practising Buddhism wholeheartedly and by self-experiencing that we may realize the theory of Buddhism is complete, perfect and absolutely impartial; also it is only by persistent and vigorous cultivation that we may wipe out illusions and attachments gradually, that we may experience by self-realization the objective reality of the True Nature to be in harmony with the reality of the phenomena of the universe. It is only by cultivation that we may attain right understanding of Buddhism, and the more the practice, the better the understanding; it is because the theoretical and practical aspects of Buddhism are mutually complementary with each other and mutually influencing each other that understanding and experiencing, principle and practice, are integrated into one complete whole. Buddhism is not just a religion, Buddhism is not just a philosophy. Buddhism is an education that everyone should learn. Here are four ways for cultivation in common:

1.2.1 To eradicate Three Poisons

If someone argues against cultivation, consequently he would be unaware of his own greed, hatred, stupidity, passions, prejudices and subjective thoughts, and also ignorant of the objective reality of those phenomena, in that event, he would be as foolish as a patient in serious condition refusing to take medical treatment.

To practise Buddhism is called "Hsiu Hsing" in Chinese. "Hsiu" means to repair; when the perfect true nature of the mind, which is fundamentally pure and clean, is obscured and defiled by habits and passions, it is important that its purity should be restored: "Hsing" is to act persistently and continuously. In short, cultivating Buddhism calls for intensive and incessant practice. It is only by cultivating more and more that one may advance nearer and nearer toward the goal of Enlightenment.

1.2.2 To purify the activities of body, mouth and mind

All human activities generally are included in the three aspects of the body, mouth and mind, and although the mind is the dominant factor of all, yet only through the body and the mouth can its activities be manifested, thus all the three aspects are indivisible and inseparable from one another. Furthermore, when the self-nature turns from truth to illusion, it manifests consciousness; in other words, illusion is not separate from truth, same as wave is not separate from water and itself is also water. In reality, all activities, cultivating Buddhism included, are the manifestation of the True Nature, this is to say, every cultivation implies the cultivation of the whole aspect of the Self-Nature; inversely speaking, it is also true to say that all Dharmas of cultivation have to do with cultivation of the Self-Nature exclusively. Hence, the more cultivation, the more manifestation of the True Nature and the more benefits of the cultivation.

1.2.3   To integrate phenomenal and mental cultivation

Cultivation may be classified into two aspects; the phenomenal aspect of cultivation such as sutra-reading, ceremonial worship etc. And so forth refers to visible outward cultivation, and the mental aspect of cultivation is subtle intangible inward cultivation such as self-introspection and looking into the mind. Since the body and the mind are correlated and inseparable from each other, and the cultivation of the one aspect necessarily involves that of the other, so in the mental aspect there is the phenomenal and in the phenomenal aspect there is the mental, thus the better we understand the principle of cultivation, the more serious would be our cultivation, and inversely speaking, the more serious our cultivation, the better our understanding of the principle. From this it may be seen that principle and practice should go together and there should be no leaning to the one to the neglect of the other. As long as we can integrate the two aspects of cultivation harmoniously and are always mindful of the Law of Karma operating the process of cause and effect at all times, there is no question that we can understand the mind and the self-nature at last.

1.2.4   To practise Threefold Studies

When the self-nature is pure and stainless, it is Discipline; when it is calm and still, it is Concentration; when it illuminates unobtrusively and freely, it is Wisdom. After all, Discipline, Concentration and Wisdom are but the triple functions inherent in the self-nature; in other words, they are but three aspects of the one and same thing. By evoking these functions, the fundamental objective of cultivation is to revert the mind to the self-nature. In Buddhism there is no cultivation without discipline, concentration and wisdom and also there is no Dharma without discipline, concentration and wisdom, in short, positively, the Threefold Studies are the basic tenet for learning and cultivating Buddhism. It is only by cultivating Buddhism in accordance with this fundamental principle that the beneficial effects of turning the mind from defilement into purity, from chaos into stability, and from delusion into understanding may be achieved; and then one may realize that there is neither purity nor impurity, neither motion nor stillness, neither wisdom nor attainment of any sort, this is the Fundamental Face of the Self-Nature indeed.

1.3 Common Problems in Cultivation

On the basis of their cultivation, Buddhists may be classified into the following groups. The first group does not understand the importance of practising Buddhism, the second group is ignorant of the fundamental objective of practising Buddhism and the third group does not know clearly how to practise intensively and thoroughly the methods of cultivation. Consequently, though seekers of Dharma are many, yet understanding practisers are comparatively few, and practisers who can realize the mind and the self-nature are still less. These frustrated and depressed Buddhists who are ignorant of the way of Buddhism may be aptly described "to return from the vast Store-house of Treasury empty-handed", and how deplorable this is!

1.3.1 Lack of the understanding of importance

Some learned Buddhists take up Buddhism merely for academic learning and all their cultivation is to study the Scripture and to attend sermons, but they make no serious and determined effort to put it into practice at all. Defending their indifference towards cultivation, they distort the Buddhist saying. "Fundamentally Buddhahood is immanent in everyone and needs neither cultivation nor verification." Owing to their lack of cultivation, they cannot tackle their life problems in the right way, nor can they prevent themselves from suffering frustration at all.

They are scholars in farming, but they never sow in farmland, thus they can attain no fruit.

1.3.2 Lack of the fundamental objective

A number of Buddhist devotees, who have little or no understanding of the principle of cultivation, usually do their cultivation rather ignorantly, e.g. if the cultivation deals with things, they cling to the notion of things, and if it deals with the mind, they cling to the notion of the self. From their point of view, cultivation depends on external aids, and if they have the fortune to meet a celebrated Buddhist Master and to learn the supreme Dharma from him, they would be able to remove their vexing passions and accumulated habits. As they are totally unaware of their own passions and habits emerging in everyday life, they allow themselves to be dominated and carried away by them all the time. As long as their cultivation is dependent on external help, rather than the practice of self-introspection, they have missed the crucial point of cultivation, consequently, no matter how hard they may try, they can get nowhere in the quest of Enlightenment.

They are farmers with little or no knowledge about the technology in farming. No matter how hard they work, they cannot acquire the great harvest. However, this group of people is better than the first group.

1.3.3   Lack of consistency and persistency

Some Buddhists who have long experienced life's hardship are firmly entrenched in the belief that Buddhism would help them to liberate themselves from suffering in and beyond the world and so they take up the Dharma of cultivation in all earnestness. However, despite their long and diligent practice in reciting sutra and mantra, in Name-Reciting, or in meditation, to their bitter disappointment they find that they have made no progress at all; in fact, the more methods they practise, the more confusion and the more frustration they have. In desperation one may say "I'm bound to fail. It is all due to my bad karama. What can I do? I'm so helpless", etc, etc.

They are like farmers who are not patient enough. They grow crops here and there, trying different methods but none of the crops can grow up because it is sufficiently cultivated. Consistency and persistency are essential attitude towards cultivating the Buddhist Way.[iv]

2. Christianity:

2.1 The reasons of Christian monk training:

The life of a monk was hard so why did people choose to become Medieval monks? It was a commitment for life. The life of a Medieval monk appealed to many different kinds of people in the Middle Ages. The reasons for becoming a Medieval monk were as follows:

a. To devote their lives to serving God

b. To live a life in a secure retreat

c. To escape from a violent world

d. The lead a quiet and peaceful life

2.1.1 The Three Vows of the Medieval Monks

Different orders had different vows. The three vows of the Benedictine monks were:

a. The Vow of Poverty

b. The Vow of Chastity

c. The Vow of Obedience

The three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience were the basis of the rule of St. Benedict and the life of the Medieval monks.

2.2 Medieval Monks and the Monastery

Medieval Monks lived in a monastery. Each monastery formed an independent, self-supporting community which meant that the Medieval monks had no need of going beyond the limits of the monastery for anything. Monasteries gradually increased in wealth and numbers and some came to form enormous establishments, covering many acres and, within its massive walls, had the appearance of a fortified town. In the twelfth century four hundred and eighteen monasteries were founded in England; in the next century, only about a third as many. In the fourteenth, only twenty-three monasteries were founded in England.

2.3 Some facts about monks in middle ages:

Monks in the Middle Ages were highly educated and could typically read and write in Latin. Monks dedicated their lives to serving God and members of the community. They spent their days praying, studying and performing manual labor. Each monastery was a self-supporting and independent community that could sustain itself without outside help.

Becoming a Monk

Medieval monks came from all social classes and had to go through a lengthy process to become a monk. A person who was actively seeking to enter a monastic order was called a “postulant.” This period usually lasted for one month and then the postulant would enter the novitiate phase for one year, after which time the monk would take his first vows. Four years into the process, monks would take the solemn monastic vows and then remain a monk for the rest of their lives.

2.3.1 Child Monks

In the Middle Ages, some parents would dedicate their children to a life of service and prayer as a monk. The child, called an oblate, would then be raised in a monastic community gaining education and performing religious duties such as daily prayers.

2.3.2 Benedictine Order

Medieval European monasteries were typically based on the rules set forth by St. Benedict in the 6th century. Monks entering the Benedictine Order would take three sacred vows including the vow of chastity, the vow of poverty and the vow of obedience.

2.3.3 Prayer Times

Monks in the Middle Ages performed a daily routine of prayers throughout the day and night. Beginning with their early morning “Lauds” prayer at 5 A.M., the monks would pray at eight set times within each 24-hour period. The monks used ''The Book of Hours'' to guide their prayers at each of these times. Each hour corresponded to a particular section of ''The Book of Hours,'' which would contain specific prayers and hymns for the monk to use at that time.

2.3.4 Labor

Middle Ages monks labored both indoors and outdoors. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Benedictine Monks played an important part in European agriculture. They used their education and training to copy manuscripts. The monks copied the Scriptures for use in the Church and copied other manuscripts to help preserve ancient literature for future generations.

Moreover, there're also regulated monastic jobs and occupations of medieval monks whose names and descriptions are simply listed below:

a. Abbot - the head of an abbey

b. Almoner - an almoner was an officer of a monastery who dispensed alms to the poor and sick

c. Barber Surgeon - the monk who shaved the faces and tonsures of the monks and performed light surgery

d. Cantor - the cantor was the monk whose liturgical function is to lead the choir

e. Cellarer - the cellarer was the monk who supervised the general provisioning of the monastery

f. Infirmarian - the monk in charge of the infirmary

g. Lector - a lector was a monk entrusted with reading the lessons in church or in the refectory.

h. Sacrist - the sacrist was the monk responsible for the safekeeping of books, vestments and vessels, and for the maintenance of the monastery's buildings

i. Prior - in an abbey the deputy of the abbot or the superior of a monastery that did not have the status of an abbey.

2.3.5 The daily life of Medieval monks

The daily life of Medieval monks was dedicated to worship, reading, and manual labor. In addition to their attendance at church, the monks spent several hours in reading from the Bible, private prayer, and meditation. During the day the Medieval monks worked hard in the Monastery and on its lands. The life of medieval monks were filled with the following work and chores:

a. Washing and cooking for the monastery

b. Raising the necessary supplies of vegetables and grain

c. Reaping, Sowing, Ploughing, Binding and Thatching, Haymaking and Threshing

d. Producing wine, ale and honey

e. Providing medical care for the community

f. Providing education for boys and novices

g. Copying the manuscripts of classical authors

h. Providing hospitality for pilgrims

2.3.6 Daily Routine of a Monk in the Middle Ages

The daily life of a Medieval monk during the Middle Ages centred around the hours. The Book of Hours was the main prayer book  and was divided into eight sections, or hours, that were meant to be read at specific times of the day. Each section contained prayers, psalms, hymns, and other readings intended to help the monks secure salvation for himself. Each day was divided into these eight sacred offices, beginning and ending with prayer services in the monastery church. These were the times specified for the recitation of divine office which was the term used to describe the cycle of daily devotions. The times of these prayers were called by the following names -  Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, Nones, Vespers and Compline.[v]

2.4 Trainings to be 'religious' according to the Bible

2.4.1 The crown of two kinds

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ( 1 Corinthians 9:25)

The former also includes physical training:

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:8)

The latter includes:

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. (Daniel 1:1)

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, (2 Timothy 3:16)

and for both 'crowns':

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4)[vi]

3. Xian (Sennin)

This section chronologically reviews how Chinese texts describe xian "immortals; transcendents". While the early Zhuangzi, Chuci, and Liezi texts allegorically used xian immortals and magic islands to describe spiritual immortality, later ones like the Shenxian zhuan and Baopuzi took immortality literally and described esoteric Chinese alchemical techniques for physical longevity. On one the hand, neidan (internal alchemy) techniques included taixi (embryo respiration) breath control, meditation, visualization, sexual training, and Tao Yin exercises (which later evolved into Qigong and T'ai chi ch'uan). On the other hand, waidan (external alchemy) techniques for immortality included alchemical recipes, magic plants, rare minerals, herbal medicines, drugs, and dietetic techniques like inedia. The earliest representations of Chinese immortals, dating from the Han Dynasty, portray them flying with feathery wings (the word yuren "feathered person" later meant "Daoist") or riding dragons. In Chinese art, xian are often pictured with symbols of immortality including the dragon, crane, fox, white deer, pine tree, peach, and mushroom. [vii]
C. Intersections:

1. Similarities and differences:

a. reclusive or secular?

b. means? [viii]

c. duration?

d. mantra and prayer

2. Rivalry or Intergration?

a. Comprehension of Christianity

b. Amalgamation

c. Unassimilables

D. Conclusions:

1. Output reviews

2. Potential and possibilities