International Bhikkhuni Day, 2014 (Part 1)

Honouring Eminent Asian Buddhist Women in the Modern Era

In conjunction with International Bhikkhuni Day, 2014, Gotama Vihara Society Malaysia has decided to honour outstanding Asian Buddhist women, both monastic and lay, who had made an impact to Buddhism in the modern times. Many of them have not received the due recognition nor had their stories written by scholars. For a start, we are focusing on Asian women as they have a long way to go to achieve recognition and support.

Below are summaries of these extraordinary women. Most of the information are obtained from a combination of either one of these sources - personal interviews, the 11^th Sakyadhita International Conference on Buddhist Women publication: Eminent Buddhist Women, Vietnam, 2010, personal blogs and world-wide web pages.
A. Great Meditation Masters

1. Korea - Ven Daehaeng Kun Sunim (1927-2012) 

is one of Korea’s foremost ‘Seon’ (Zen) masters. She was a self made nun who did not go through formal monastic training. During her time, the status of monks and nuns were almost equal and nuns were able to take full ordination and establish their own monasteries. As a child she had an inclination to meditate. After her family was made homeless when the Japanese Army persecuted them and they lived in the forest, she took the opportunity to meditate in the mountains.

Spiritual Path

In 1950, Ven Daehaeng took the samaneri vows under Ven Hanam Kun Sunim. She entered Sangwon Temple and spent four years in the mountains. With only the clothes she was wearing, and sleeping under trees, she ate whatever leaves and grass that was available. To keep herself safe, she smeared her body with mud which caused her skin to crack and bleed during winter. She was mistaken to be mentally ill and was bullied and beaten. During the Korean War, she was arrested on suspicion of being a spy for North Korea.

Ven Daechaeng received full ordination in 1961 and for six years, she stayed in a small hut in Sangwonsa Temple on Mt. Ch’iak. Her focus was on finding her true Buddha-nature and trying to understand the true owner, the true doer. After about thirty years of intense practice and upon her awakening, she was absorbed in the various questions that spontaneously arose from inside.

In 1972, Ven Daehaeng founded the Hanmaun Sonwon (One Mind Zen Centre) and became its abbess. She attracted several hundred disciples and became the first nun in Korea to have male disciples. She also had about 100,000 lay followers and her Dhamma talks were usually attended by thousands of people.

Venerable’s Teachings

Her teaching emphasised on the daily cultivation of mind by being aware; that everyday life and every moment was a perfect time to practice. She believed that everyone was endowed with the wisdom and abilities of all Buddhas which was different from the egoistic, individual self. She called this wholesome mind ‘juinkong’ (the master who is void). One was to entrust everything to it and would be peaceful here and now and be free from the bondage of ego, and thus the web of suffering.

The perfect moment and answer to overcome suffering thus lay within us and there was no need to rely on outside powers or to search from elsewhere. Once this cloud of habits and discriminations had lifted, our inherently bright foundation, our true nature, could shine through. She taught us to entrust, to let go of everything that confronted us, to our inherent foundation, and then to go forward while observing.

Venerable’s Achievements

Her monastery established a leading weekly Buddhist newspaper, Hyundae Bulkyo (Modern Buddhism) in 1994. They also produced a journal and other publications, conducted research and workshops, and became a pioneer in setting up on-line sites. She formed choirs to encourage hymn singing daily, as part of the awareness practice. In 1996, the Hanmaum Science Institute was formed.

She had great compassion for people who were sick and was seen as a Bodhisattva of medicine with her healing powers.  She took on other’s pain, both physical and mental and healed them without even touching them. She also has psychic powers and communicated with deities, the deceased and with plants and animals.

She established fifteen branch temples in Korea and ten worldwide - in the United States, Canada, Germany, Argentina, Thailand and Brazil. She contributed to the modernisation and popularisation of Korean Buddhism throughout the world.

Publications and Awards

Ven Daechaeng authored ‘No River to Cross: Trusting the Enlightenment That’s Always Right Here’, and ‘Wake Up and Laugh.’ She was awarded the Outstanding Women in Buddhism Award from the United Nations in 2002 and the Sarvodaya Award from the Sri Lankan religious welfare agency in 2001. Due to her popularity and success, she was accepted by the Chogye Order, the largest Buddhist Order in Korea. She passed away at the age of 85 after leading 63 years of monastic life.