The Japanese pressed the war into the interior and at the end of 1944 they finally succeeded in taking the city of Shao Guan. But even then, despite being so close to Nan Hua, they did not attack it. We believed that they feared the spiritual power of Xu Yun. Throughout the occupation, they never permitted their occupation soldiers to disturb the sanctity of the monastery.
But to return to my story- in 1940, Wei Yin, the man who would one day succeed Xu Yun as Abbot of Nan Hua Monastery, became a monk. It was my honor to shave his head and to give him his name Wei Yin which means, the Dharma Seal of Cause and Effect. His secondary name was Zhi Gua which means know the results. In other words, determine an action's cause and its effect and you will obtain the desired results. Wei Yin stayed at Nan Hua monastery to assist Xu Yun with the additional burdens of helping the war victims. Also that year, knowing of the disrepair and disorder into which the once great Yun Men Monastery had fallen Xu Yun sent me there to help restore order and to oversee the building restoration. For this task Xu Yun elevated me to the rank of Master.
It was necessary that I pass many Japanese soldiers during my two-day walk to Yun Men monastery. But again, Xu Yun's infiuence was so great that it extended even to me and no soldier dared to interfere with my passage. Having safely arrived, I took up residence at Yun Men.
At Dan Xia Shan, the third great monastery in the Shao Guan area, there were no problems with the Japanese. This monastery's remote location discouraged military activity and Master Ben Wen was able to maintain monastic peace and discipline.
I remained at Yun Men monastery until 1944 when Xu Yun decided to establish a Buddhist College at Nan Hua in order to teach the ancient Vinaya Monastic Code to all those who would become monks and nuns. Now I could understand Xu Yun's goal and his advice to me to stay in college. My teaching degree qualified me to supervise the organization of this new Vinaya School and also to become one of the teachers.
