Compassion and Chan, Practice Wholeheartedly-The Spiritual Ecology Series

- Part of "The Spiritual Ecology" Series, authored by Master Hsin Tao

The Ling-Jiou Mountain was a barren virgin land four decades ago and I was moving construction materials - buckets of sand and stone in my hands and on my shoulders - to build the first man-made structure as a workhouse and shelter for my disciples and followers alike, who were there as Dharma palas for my fasting retreat at the same time. There were no paths or roads up the mountain, and section-wise the passageways gradually took shape from our footprint, and the rest is history.
Buddhas and our patriarchs have all left behind solid examples of keeping a balance between physical labor and religious practice in daily life. On the eve of celebrating LJM's 40th anniversary, we deem it fit to consider that tradition as an integral part of our legacy for inheritance and a key characteristic of our sect philosophy.
When Buddhists take to environmental protection, it can hardly ever be just slogan-chanting, but actual dedication to the cause. LJM has a long record of running campaigns to pick up trash visitors leave behind on trails, parks, and beaches. Doing physical work makes the experience an even bigger gratification for our volunteers. A disciple got frustrated by the seemingly endless litter people threw away and doubted the merit of our effort. "Keep doing it is all," was what I said to him. It is indeed never enough when it comes to cleaning up the environment. The key question is what your share is.
Compassion and Chan as the cornerstones of our sect philosophy can respectively suggest the following: Chan refers to an awakening unobstructed by the karma of cause and effect, and compassion is a straightforward indication that every moment be lived to the full of its presence. Enjoy life as is and help others take delight in theirs. Planting a tree or picking up a sheet of wastepaper appear to be rather trivial, but they are minor in scale yet solemn in nature. Thus, they are both bighearted and meaningful.