6 year Hermit

[Christopherxx]

Hi there gals and guys,

If I remember right a while back I saw a post about either Tibetan Buddhism or Seon Zen and it mentioned some monks going into a specific state of hermitage that listed either 6 months, 2 years, or at max 6 years.

For the life of me I can't remember the name of this practice or the details.

I am hoping one of the more knowledgeable posters can help!

[floating_abu]

Hermitage is one way but it's also easier in many respects..

Abu

[icylake]

in Korean it called Mumungwan(the gateless gate, this name is also from a koan cpmpliation), in Chinese it called Bi Guan(closed gate). in Korea it devided into two types. one is pratice in the hermatage built in a ordinary zen temple, the other is in the isolated, personal hermatage or caves. the latter is not encouraged for the sake of safety(mental or physical). you may suffer from mental delusion in the isolated, helpless condition, and there were some real cases monks really disappeared in its literal sense. the longest case is ven Do-cheon in Jogye order who enter nirvana in some years back, his retreat recored 40(or 44?)years. i've heard some Tibetan monks' retreats are more than that..

[icylake]

and some people critisize mumungwan practice as a pure mental vanity. and they say that: a real practice must be done in the sangha, buddha never wanted his students to practice like him before enlightment, he found "the middle way" by means of the isolated retreat, but it was "the trials and errors" to find the "middle way" and "the four noble path". we don't need to repeat that trials and errors Buddha experienced. we must practice in the sangha(monastics or lay person), join uposatha, need not do such ego centric practice..
although i respect those monks' intensity and sincerity, i agree to the criticism above too.

[Christopherxx]

Thanks Icy!

I agree that the buddha has outlined the path. Though it should be remembered *If I am correct* that many disciples actually lived in isolation and would only recollect to hear a dhamma talk or recite the rules.

The Pali Canon also routinely *I mean over and over* praises seclusion, the talk of seclusion, and I think the buddha goes as far to say that if only when one can't take up that mantle they should join the comfy situation of a monastic.

Thanks again for the info. So long in search!

[icylake]

my pleasure. and in Korea, there is more moderate form of practice called Kido kyulje(setting the pray, zazen, mantra chanting. all of form of practicing the practitoner like) it's very common. doing your own practice over 8 hours a day doing other temple tasks, not going out the temple. there are many 100days kyulje, 300days kyulje, 1000days kyulje, 2000days kyulje, sometimes 10,000days kyulje, in many cases, it started from 100days kyulje (setting), then from the days previous setting ends on, restart another kyulje again, as awhole, except parents' funerals, practitioners don't walk out temple's gate during the setting seasons.

[Yudron]

My favorite movie is "Amongst White Clouds" about Buddhist hermits-- mostly Chan -- who practice in isolation in the mountains of China. It is based on a book by Red Pine that was about both Buddhist and Taoist hermits... and actually features some of the same people that were in that book.

I highly recommend it. These are long term hermits beyond three years. There is an ancient and ongoing tradition of this.

[Adamantine]

My favorite movie is "Amongst White Clouds" about Buddhist hermits-- mostly Chan -- who practice in isolation in the mountains of China. It is based on a book by Red Pine that was about both Buddhist and Taoist hermits... and actually features some of the same people that were in that book.

I highly recommend it. These are long term hermits beyond three years. There is an ancient and ongoing tradition of this.

Yeah I loved that movie!

[uan]

My favorite movie is "Amongst White Clouds" about Buddhist hermits-- mostly Chan -- who practice in isolation in the mountains of China. It is based on a book by Red Pine that was about both Buddhist and Taoist hermits... and actually features some of the same people that were in that book.

I highly recommend it. These are long term hermits beyond three years. There is an ancient and ongoing tradition of this.

Yeah I loved that movie!

I'd never seen the film before. Thanks for sharing. I found it on Youtube and just finished watching it. http://youtu.be/FumyvVOVbaY

[Yudron]

Yeah, I watched it again last night. This movie captures much more of what it is like to be a practitioner in long term retreat in my Tibetan tradition, than any movie about Tibet does. Very moving.