DM Heng Sure, the President of the Board of Dharma Realm Buddhist Association (DRBA), together with the DM Heng Jang, Abbot of Dharma Realm Guanyin Sagely Monastery in Malaysia, DM Heng Lyu, Abbot of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, DM Heng Bin, Director of DRBA, and DM Heng Hing, manager of Cixing Monastery on Lantau Island, Hong Kong, led 32 laymen and women from America, Australia, Malaysia and Hong Kong, on the first Buddhist History and Culture delegation to China. They arrived in Beijing on September 5^th to begin the 14 day tour.

The main purpose of this trip was to worship the tooth and body relics of the Buddha, which are a national treasure, and to visit virtuous and eminent Chinese monks, such as Venerable Yi Cheng, the President of the Chinese Buddhist Association; Ven. Ben Huan, the 100-year-old Abbot of Hongfa (Propagating Dharma) Monastery; Ven. Ming Zhe, Abbot of Zhanshan Monastery; Ven. Keming, Abbot of Guoqing (National Purity) Monastery at Tiantai Mountain; and Ven. Ming Guang, the 95-year-old monk who had cultivated in seclusion from the outside world for decades. The delegation received a warm welcome and great hospitality at all of the monasteries they visited, as well as from the local officials in charge of religious affairs.

All the Dharma Masters and laypeople in the delegation comported themselves in accord with the Dharma and with CTTB traditions and the Venerable Master’s teachings. They were admired by the local people, some of whom even prostrated themselves before the Dharma Masters in front of everybody regardless of the dirty ground. For instance, one time after lunch at a vegetarian restaurant in Ningbo, the waiters and waitresses all lined up with palms together to see Dharma Masters off with reverence. Some prostrated themselves; others were moved with tears and speechless. When asked why, they replied that they had never met any monastic as adorned and dignified as those in our delegation.

September 6^th was the delegation’s first official day of activity. The sun shined magnificently in Beijing that morning. With the help of layman Hsu, we had the opportunity to visit Fahai (Ocean of Dharma) Monastery in the suburbs and view a fresco done in Ming dynasty. This monastery and fresco are normally not open to the public. Even though the fresco was painted more than 560 years ago, its colors were still bright and dazzling. We could imagine how vibrant the Buddhist art must have been in that period.

The delegation also had the rare opportunity to visit the second of eight major places in Beijing, Dalingguang (Great Effica-cious Light) Monastery, to make obeisance to a national treasure: the tooth relic of the Buddha. It’s said that there are only two tooth relics of Buddha in the world. One is kept in Sri Lanka, and the other one is enshrined and worshipped here in Beijing.

The Abbot of Dalingguang Monastery personally welcomed and received the delegation. At the guest house, he related the history and cultural background of the tooth relic of Buddha, and then personally presented gifts to the Dharma Masters and laypeople.

Thereafter, in the grandest and most dignified traditional Buddhist ceremony, with ancient Buddhist music played by traditional instruments, we were led to the main hall of the pagoda housing the Buddha’s tooth relic (called Greeting Immortals Pagoda) to offer incense and make obeisance. We then walked up the spiral ladder to the Buddha Hall where the tooth relic of the Buddha was enshrined and prostrated ourselves in veneration.

Abbot Chang Zang further spoke about the remarkable wonders of the tooth relic and introduced the DM Yan Dao who stood to the side and guarded the tooth relic. He was known as the Iron Arhat, because he had protected the tooth relic at the risk of his life.

It happened on December 25, 1996. At the invitation of the Burmese government, the tooth relic was delivered to Rangoon to be viewed and worshipped by the Burmese. Unexpectedly, a local rebellious faction tried to blow up the tooth relic in an attempt to force a coup d’etat. One bomb exploded by the side of the lion statue in front of the Tooth Relic Pagoda. Another bomb was placed in the flower vase in front of the Buddha statue. Strangely enough, the bomb didn’t go off in the vase. Instead, it moved forward, taking the vase with it, and didn’t explode until it was in front of the altar. DM Yan Dao, who was on guard by the altar, took in the situation and immediately hurled himself on top of the relic to protect it with his body. Five people were killed and seventeen were injured in this disaster; however, DM Yan Dao escaped without a scratch. This is how he got the name “Iron Arhat.” It’s truly an amazing response!

Chinese Buddhist Association is headquartered at Guangji (Vast Salvation) Monastery. The supervisor, DM Yan Jue, gave the delegation a guided tour of the monastery. Ven. Sheng Hui, the Deputy President of the Association, DM Puzheng, the Director of International Affairs, and Lin Zhang, the Deputy Secretary, all received the delegation with warmth and sincerity. They all hoped to have more frequent contact and interaction with DRBA in the future. In 1987, Ven. Master Hua invited 100 monastics from China to attend the CTTB Water, Land and Air Dharma Ceremony. Ven. Sheng Hui was one of them, he felt like old friends with DM Sure at their first meeting.

DM Zheng Xiu from Daputi (Great Bodhi) Monastery in Harbin is one of the youngest abbots in China. Learning that Dharma Masters from DRBA were visiting China and undaunted the hardship of the long journey, he led a group of eleven disciples and on a 19-hour train ride from Harbin to Beijing to request the Dharma. The delegation invited them to join them the next day in visiting Tanzhe Monastery, a famous ancient monastery which was established much earlier than the city of Beijing, and the “Stone Sutra” at Yunju (Cloud Abode) Monastery in Fangshan. After lunch, Dharma Masters Heng Sure and Heng Lyu gave Dharma talks, filling the audience with Dharma joy.

At the fervent recommendation of Chief Editor Shi of China’s Religion and Culture Press, we met layperson Tang who had produced a TV documentary series of 30 episodes entitled “The Biography of Venerable Xu Yun”. Perhaps in the near future when this program is aired, the life and achievements of the Venerable Xu Yun will make deep impressions in every person’s heart. In this Age of the Dharma’s Decline, this is an expedient way to teach living beings.

To be continued