The tonsure ceremony of Taiwan’s famous cartoonist Cai Zhizhong was hosted at the Shaolin Temple--the ancient monastery of Chan sect and the holy land of martial arts on Nov. 17 or the 3rd day of the tenth lunar month. Mr. Cai Zhizhong, aged 72, devoutly paid worship for master Shi Yongxin as a teacher, with dharma name Yanyi.
Shaolin monks lined up entering into the hall at 9 o’clock in the morning. Then abbot Yongxin walked into the Sutra-Keeping Pavilion amid Buddhist chants, conferred the Three Refuges for Mr. Cai Zhizhong and tonsured him, cutting 3000-trouble hair and gaining peaceful prajna wisdom.
At the ceremony, abbot Yongxin gave a dharma teaching: “it’s hard to become a man and also rare to hear Buddha doctrines. The goal of learning Buddhism is to end birth and death. Renunciation is not only releasing from worldly life, but also releasing from worries. The process of being a wise, conscious man through diligent practice and cultivation is very tough, but, as long as you make efforts, endless dharma benefit will be gained!” Mr. Cai Zhizhong received that delightedly, and expressed that he would reverently uphold the Three Treasures and follow precepts, consciously arrange daily recitation, attain unsurpassed bodhi early and benefit more sentient beings.
Abbot Yongxin talked with Mr. Cai Zhizhong joyfully at the Abbot Hall. “Many branches have derived from Shaolin Chan culture, for example, Chan medicine, calligraphy, painting and so on. I also hope that there will be more artists or masters becoming attached to Shaolin and carrying forward Chan culture”, said abbot Yongxin.
Mr. Cai looked back on his special ties with Shaolin Temple and abbot Yongxin, sharing a lot of feelings and experiences about his comic creation. In recent years, Mr. Cai created many works based on Shaolin culture, including Madam White Snake·Thunder God·Shaolin Temple, Shaolin Temple: A Palace of Martial Arts under Heaven and so on.
Mr. Cai Zhizhong visited Shaolin Temple for cultural exchanges many times in Sept. 2006, Oct. 2010, Sept. 2013, Aug. 2014 and Aug. 2015, having a special attachment to Shaolin culture meanwhile expressing many times that he hoped to be tonsured in Shaolin Temple, diligently learn and practice the Three Categories of Studies, concentrating on his cultivation and creation.
(Edited by Zou Xiang and photographed by Li Fangjie and Ren Hongbing)
