Then in 1952, I wrote a dissertation on the Heart Sutra that was particularly well-received. The government in Beijing decided to permit its publication. I immediately wrote to the publisher in Beijing expressing my great desire to learn of my master's response to the dissertation. Miraculously, one of the clerks in the publisher's office decided to hand-carry my letter and dissertation directly to Xu Yun and to await his reply. Xu Yun read both, then he told the clerk that he approved of the dissertation and sent me his blessing. His words were relayed to me; and this indirect communication was the last I ever had with my beloved master.
On October 13, 1959, at the age of 101, Master Xu Yun entered final Nirvana. The news of his death saddened me beyond description. Publicly, I held special memorial ser- vices and wrote an epitaph for him; but privately, I was overwhelmed with sorrow. For days I wept and could not eat or sleep. I knew how very much I owed him. I knew that in his wisdom he foresaw the threat to our Chinese Buddhist Dharma, the Dharma of Hui Neng and Lin Ji and Han Shan. He wanted this Dharma transplanted to the United States where it would be safe, and he had given me the honor of doing this.
The manner of Xu Yun's death also caused me to appreciate even more the power of his great heart. I understood clearly that he was able to transcend physical existence and to postpone his entrance into final Nirvana until he was ready to make this last journey... until he had fulfilled his sacred obligation to use his influence to protect all clergymen in China.
I and other Buddhist clergy, along with many clergymen of other religious faiths, owe our lives to Xu Yun's devotion to the Buddha Amitabha and to his unshakable conviction that this Glorious Presence dwells within the hearts of all human beings.
Shanti. Shanti. Shanti. Amitofo! (Amitabha)
January 1996
Master Jy Din Sakya
Abbot Hsu Yun Temple
Honolulu, HI
