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The Meaning of the Chant of Praise and Aspiration to the Ancestral Teachers
The ritual of the Chant of Praise and Aspiration to the ancestral teachers is directed toward two sacred dimensions:
– The vertical dimension: touching the spiritual ancestors from the Buddha, Mahakasyapa, to the ancestral teachers, understanding that when the teacher transmits the true Dharma, he is transmitting the entire spiritual lineage.
– The horizontal dimension: establishing the Sangha, taking refuge in one another as siblings, accepting, forgiving, and loving each other; failure in the horizontal dimension is failure in the vertical dimension, and vice versa.
A single blossom manifests the wondrous teaching, five petals radiate rare fragrance:
- “A single blossom”: the Udumbara flower – a rare symbol of the Buddha.
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“Five petals”: representing the five schools of Zen:
- In China: Linji, Caodong, Fayan, Guiyang, Yunmen
- In Vietnam: Tang Hoi, Vinitaruci, Vô Ngôn Thông, Thao Duong, Truc Lam
The Vietnamese Zen tradition through the centuries:
– Tang Hoi school (3rd century) – founded by the Vietnamese master Tang Hoi
– Vinitaruci school (6th century) – combining Zen and Esoteric practice
– Vô Ngôn Thông school (9th century) – “farmer’s Zen” (“no work, no food”)
– Thao Duong school (11th century) – intellectuals from Champa
– Truc Lam school (13th century) – founded by Hien Quang, continued by Tran Nhan Tong
By the Tran dynasty, Unified Buddhism (Phat giao Nhat Tong) was established, unifying all schools, becoming the foundation for the Vietnamese Zen tradition and its international transmission.