Ven. Chi Chern – introduction (English)
Born in Malaysia, Venerable Chi Chern was ordained as a Buddhist monk by elderly Master Zhu Mo (竺摩長老) in Penang in 1978. Two years after his ordination, he traveled to Taiwan to further his studies of Buddhadharma in Fo Guang Buddhist College.
In 1980, at the age of 25, he participated in four consecutive seven-day retreats with Chan Master Sheng Yen (Shifu 聖嚴大師), twice as a retreatant and twice as a volunteer. After the retreats, he stayed behind to fast in Wen Hua Guan (the Buddhist institute where the retreats were held). During his stay, Shifu took good care of him in a subtle manner, showing no overt concern to avoid fostering a sense of dependency.
“There were only about 20 to 30 practitioners at the retreats. Shifu devoted himself completely to taking care of us, who were to an extent just ignorant, over-aged kids.” He said, “At that time, Shifu was at his peak physically and mentally. I could sense his strong energy which generated a very tight atmosphere in the Chan Hall.”
“During the retreats, in addition to his constant prodding with huatou, Shifu used inciting words to provoke our emotions and pressed us to tears during prostrations.
“While fast walking, we were asked to investigate into the huatou ‘Who is dragging a corpse around?’ Shifu raised his voice like a lion roar and used the incense stick to demand that we answer the huatou. The phrase ‘dragging a corpse around’ is such a nasty description. It was very hard to withstand the intensity generated by it. Shifu was forcing us to enter into the mass of doubt.”
Under close guidance from Shifu and with the maturity of conditions, Venerable Chi Chern opened up the mind’s eye. It happened in an instant and he was in tears of joy.
“This sensation was like seeking in a dark and cloudy night with no stars and moon. All of a sudden a stroke of lightning appeared. In that instant, one has a glimpse of the path and destination. Though not completely lucid, the impression was there.” Venerable Chi Chern vividly recollected those moments.
Shifu wanted him to go out of the hall and look at the world again. “There is no difference but I could see that the trees and grasses were more lovely. I no longer just stepped recklessly in the grasslands.”
“Shifu helped me to gain a genuine experience of Buddhadharma. I had a heart-felt understanding of the verse: Devoting one’s body and mind to serve in worlds as numerous as dust – This is truly repaying the kindness and benevolence of the Buddha.”
After receiving Shifu’s confirmation, Venerable Chi Chern returned to Malaysia and taught intensive mediation classes. As of the experience of ‘seeing the nature,’ he said “It was a very powerful energy. As a result of that, my understandings and experiences of Buddhadharma flow forth directly from my heart. I told my students that this kind of experience is real.”
In order to spread the teachings to more people, Venerable Chi Chern returned to Taiwan to visit Shifu in 1985. Shifu bestowed transmission to him in the meditation room, giving him the lineage Dharma name “Chuan Xian Jian Mi” (Seeing the esoteric, transmitting the exoteric). Shifu advised him to continue his practice with a huatou, warning him that although he had experienced a deeper taste of the practice, it was not firm enough. Shifu emphasized that there is a need for practitioners who have genuine practice and genuine understanding to teach the Chan Dharma. One must also have a firm and pure faith, as well as great vows. Shifu encouraged Venerable Chi Chern to continue his own cultivation of the body and mind in addition to teaching the Dharma.
Heeding the advise of Shifu, Venerable Chi Chern returned to Malaysia to conduct seven-day retreats. In the 90s, he returned to the Nong Chan Monastery in Taiwan for a seven-day retreat to deepen his own practice. He felt profoundly that the deeper one gets into the practice of Chan, the simpler and more placid it becomes. A tea lover, Venerable Chi Chern called himself a “tea monk.” Making a connection between tea drinking and the understanding of Buddhadharma, he described that particular retreat as a well brewed pot of tea. He commented, “If the tea is truly good, one doesn’t have to worry that it is plain and light in flavour.” A good tea will always leave an endless and timeless taste.
(From Flowers Blossom on a Withered Tree, a biography of Master Sheng Yen, translated into English by Dharma Drum Mountain. )
Venerable Master Chi Chern currently resides in Malaysia. He is the Principal of Malaysia Buddhist Institute, the Abbot of Pu Zhao Monastery in Johor, Malaysia, Vice President of Malaysia Buddhist Association, Spiritual Teacher of Young Buddhist Association Malaysia, President of Malaysia Buddhist Digest Publication, Spiritual Teacher of Malaysia Taiping Buddhist Association, and Spiritual Teacher of Mahabodhi Monastery in Singapore. Master Chi Chern teaches extensively and lead many Chan meditation retreats in various parts of the world including Malaysia, Singapore, Croatia, Taiwan, United States, Canada, Poland, Switzerland, Germany, and England.
釋繼程法師，俗名周明添，父周萬發，母陳梅花。
五五年出生於太平，七三年高中畢業於太平華聯國中。於當年開始接觸佛教，並皈依學佛。畢業後任教於古樓育才小學數年，期間服務於太平佛青團、太平佛教會及馬佛青總會霹靂州聯委會。
七八年因緣成熟，依止三慧講堂竺摩法師出家，法名繼程，號文錦，同年赴台灣受具足戒，三師和尚為印順導師、演培法師與真華法師。並於中國佛教研究院研究部進修佛學，畢業後任教於佛光山東方佛教學院。
留台期間，曾親近當代大德，如印順導師、星雲法師、懺雲法師、聖嚴法師、藍吉富老師與陳慧劍老師等等。於聖嚴法師門下打禪七時，體驗佛法，並承法師允許教導靜坐。
法師返馬後，即活躍於大馬佛教界，並曾閉關一千日進修。出關後，更積極推動佛教弘法、教育工作及禪修課程。於八六年赴台親受聖嚴法師傳授禪宗法脈，賜法名傳顯見密，允許主持禪修密集課程。
廿多年來法師曾擔任馬佛青總會霹靂州聯委會主席、副會長及總會長，馬佛學院教席、訓導主任及副院長，馬佛教僧伽會副主席等等職位。於九十年代後期卸下這些職務，受聘為馬佛青總會宗教顧問、宗教導師，以及多個佛教組織之宗教顧問、宗教導師。
法師在推動佛教事業上，除了參與高級佛學研修班及多項佛青生活營、領袖訓練營、寫作人工作營、精進佛七等之外，並巡迴全馬各地弘法，及在大專院校佛學會中主持講座，還創辦了全國大專佛青生活營、大專佛學研修班、佛教教師生活營、佛教教師研修班、靜七、精進靜七、加行靜七、大專靜七、禪淨共修等課程，這些創辦的課程目前仍然每年在進行，除了靜七及禪淨共修等密集修行課程，仍然親自主持外，其他課程多由學生接班負責。
法師自學佛出家後，因受益於佛法，為與大眾分享學佛心得，故熱心於文字耕耘之工作，從事佛教文學創作，至今出版的著作，包括了散文、論文、講記等，如《如夢集》、《纏》、《出家情》、《船到橋頭》、《只是我聞》、《一代人天師範》、《人生佛教概論》、《小止觀講記》、《六妙門講記》、《心經的智慧》、《春在枝頭》等等約五十種。是我國創作最豐的佛教文學作家，也是馬華文壇創作豐富的作家之一。法師常用的筆名有摩提、塵僧、茶僧、閒僧等等。
法師於八十年代亦加入茶文化推動工作，以茶僧身份在弘揚佛法及茶藝的講座時，努力將茶文化與禪修結會融會。在許多作品中也談及於此，帶動佛教界參與茶文化推動工作，以及茶藝結合佛法的充實內涵之風氣，並於二○○二年吉隆坡舉行的第七屆國際茶文化研討會中代表我國茶藝界提出了《茶禪之旅》的論文。
法師在本地佛曲創作的工作上，也多有表現。從在家學佛時創作「前進吧佛教青年」之歌詞及出家後創作的「無盡燈」、「慧燈普照」、「禪燈」、「含淚的感恩」、「感恩」及「佛青之歌」等歌詞約近百首。其中多首收錄在本地出版的佛曲卡帶中，並與同學周金亮合作出版專輯「禪燈」，頗受歡迎。
近年來法師亦曾多次舉辦書法義展，將書法作品展現於大眾，並將義款捐於馬佛青總會及般若岩止觀堂，亦常捐出書法作品予其他佛教組織、華團義賣籌款。
九九年開始，法師因放下所有職務之方便，應邀赴美弘法，數年來已在美國多個地區的華人社區的佛學組織主持佛學講座及禪修課程，受到歡迎及肯定。近幾年更在歐洲、美國及台灣等地主持禪七、禪十等課程。
二○○二年年初馬佛學院院長竺摩法師圓寂，法師於今年三月受聘回馬佛學院擔任院長一職。二○○七年被選為馬佛總會副會長。
如是我行 