"The truth is always one, but the ways that sentient beings may approach that truth are many." -Master Hsing Yun (founder of Fo Guang Shan)

Venerable Master Hsing Yun founded Fo Guang Shan in 1967. According to the Fo Guang Shan website, "Since then it has evolved from a mountaintop bamboo forest to the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan." Fo Guang Shan is an amalgamation of all eight schools of Chinese Buddhism, seeming to focus mostly on Cha'an (more commonly known as Zen) and Pure Land Buddhism. As Master Hsing Yun writes in his book, Only a Great Rain, "Though China historically produced eight major schools of Buddhism, and though these schools were quite distinct from each other at one time, it is important to understand that there is no fundamental difference between them... For this reason, modern Chinese Buddhists generally practice a mixture of techniques from two or more of the eight schools. One of the most effective forms of Buddhist practice is to mix Zen practice with Pure land Practice." As a part of the Buddhist monastic experience I will be required to adhere to the basic Buddhist ethics for living in a monastery:


     1) No taking of life

     2) No taking what is not given (i.e. no stealing)

     3) No lying

     4) No sexual activity

     5) No intoxicants

And according to the pre-departure guide they're pretty strict about these, "Breaking any of these rules will result in immediate expulsion from the program. While participants will not be required to formally take any sort of vows, the standard for the program is basically equivalent to that for monastics in training." These are the same five precepts all Buddhists take (including lay persons) with "no sexual activity" replacing "no sexual misconduct." No intoxicants includes all legal and illegal drugs (my entire Chico State education will be a waste) although tea and coffee are allowed. In conjunction with monastic tradition I will also be shaving my head. This is not a requirement of the program but as I said in a previous post I think it will help me make the transition to daily monastic life. According to buddhanet.net, "When the prince who was to become the Buddha left his palace to seek a way beyond ageing, sickness and death, it is said that one of the first things that he did was to shave off his hair and beard and put on the yellow cloth. Buddhist monks always completely shave their head and beard, showing their commitment to the Holy Life (Brahmacariya) of one gone forth into the homeless life (In India some ascetics tear out their hair, while others never touch it so that it becomes a tangled mass)." Though this will be a big change for me (because I am attached to my long locks) it's important to remember that shaving the head is not all important. A Japanese proverb reads, "Atama soru yori kokor wo sore" or "Better to shave the heart than to shave the head."

My flight departs San Diego International Airport at 8:30 pm, taking me on a one hour flight to San Francisco. After a three hour layover I will begin my 13 hour trek across the Pacific. Until then I will be watching the World Cup, eating my last non-vegetarian meals, and packing any last minute things I will need. Next time we talk I'll be on Taiwan time!! Namaste.