"The Hall of No-form"

Earlier this year, Reverend Master Mugo posted some pictures and impressions of her visit in June last year to the Venerable Hong Choon Memorial Hall, part of the Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery. Little did I know that a year on I would sit in the same hall. To the north of the City, this is the largest Buddhist Temple in Singapore. A description, outside the Hall, in English and Chinese, reads:

"The Hall of No-Form"

"A piece of calligraphy by the well-known Singaporean artist Tan Sie Hian etches across a signboard that hangs above the hall on the fourth storey of Venerable Hong Choon Memorial Hall. The words "The Hall of No_Form" are boldly engraved on it. At first glance, the name might bewilder many, but it also leads one to fathom on the essence of the Buddha's teachings.
The momentous four-storey building was commissioned by the current abbot of Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery, Venerable Sik Kwang Sheng, in commemeration of his late master, Venerable Seck Hong Choon. The outline of the majestic building resembles that of a huge ship.
On its highest storey it houses one of Asia's largest and most magnificent Shakyamuni Buddha images, which stands at 13.8 metres tall and weighs 55 tons. Venerable Kwang Sheng once commented that it is precisely because the form of this Buddha impresses many devotees that he named the hall "The Hall of No-Form". It reminds all that since all forms do not have inherent existence, substantiality or self-nature, one should not be attached to forms of any kind, including those of the Buddhas, as all forms, without a fixed nature, are changing all the time.
Of course, "form" and "no form" are relative and complementary concepts. Without "form", there is no way that the concept of "no form" which is synonymous with "changing forms", could manifest.
"No form" describes how all phenomena of the world arise only from the gathering of causes and conditions. Nothing by itself has an intrinsic and unchanging nature or self. Take our body for instance, which consits of the four compounded elements of earth, water, fire and wind. They do not have any lasting self-characteristics.
In fact, what we perceive is only the continual process of the rising and falling of the changing elements of phenomena, even though they might appear static in the moment. And since we do not understand the truth of dependent origination and non-self, we are attached to the idea that our "selves" are substantial. This is the cause for all kinds of suffering as it gives rise to differentiation between self and other, and attachment and aversion. As a result, everything the unenlightened experience arises from the deluded mind.
It is stated in the Avatamsaka Sutra that "If one wishes to know the Buddhas of the past, present and future, one should contemplate the nature of all phenomena as arising from one's mind". And in the Diamond Sutra, it is taught that "That which are of forms are of delusion. If one sees all forms as 'no form', one sees the Buddhas." Thus, as practising Buddhists, we should learn to let go of attachment to anything, that is, everything of name (mental content), and form (physical material).
As long as we are diligent and focused, it does not matter which method of Dharma practice we use. For instance, no matter which mantra one chants, one should be able to be able to use it easily for the attainment of spitual realisation. On the other hand, if one is attached to name and form, distraction and differentiation naturally arise, and they in turn impede one from the goal of Enlightenment.
Having used the term "no form" to share the Dharma, may all beings break through the web of delusion and realise the truth. May all enter the realm of the Dharma, and together be enlightened to the meaning of "no form". May all thus attain the ultimate emancipation."

More to follow.

Transcribed from poster. Copyright Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery.