64- Bhikkhu Saddhaloka

 

Saddhaloka Bhikku, “the German Monk” – called ‘Thay Tay Duc’, the master from West Germany by the local Vietnamese,

 “The German Monk,” often known simply as “Venerable,” lived in Hong Kong for decades, and even many who knew little or nothing about him will remember the striking sight of a tall foreigner in saffron robes striding purposefully through the streets of Sheung Wan, Central, or Yuen Long. He was born in Munich in 1938 and christened Heinrich Knote. When he was two years old his mother died, and he lived with his father and paternal grandmother. At the age of 18 he resolved to devote his life to the Buddha-Dharma, despite the strong disapproval of his Christian family.

 In 1964, Heinrich Knote was ordained Samanera Saddhaloka by Venerable Saddhatissa at the Sri Lankan vihara in London. The newly ordained Samanera stayed on in the UK for several years, continuing his studies of the Buddha-Dharma and studying Chinese, first with Archie Barnes (a lecturer in Chinese at Durham University) and then on his own. He also spent some time in a small Buddhist community at Johnstone House in Dumfries, Scotland, later to become the Kagyu monastery of Samye Ling, established by Chögyam Trungpa and Akong Rinpoches. He then went to Thailand, where he studied Pali, Sanskrit, and meditation, and in 1967 received full bhikkhu ordination, with Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, the influential Thai Buddhist reformer and founder of Suan Mokkh, as his preceptor. He also spent time in Chinese monasteries in Malaysia, studying Buddhist texts and Chinese medicine.

 Venerable Saddhaloka came to Hong Kong in 1969, hoping to travel on to monasteries in China to continue his studies. However, as at that time the Cultural Revolution was raging throughout Mainland China, he was unable to obtain a visa and stayed on in Hong Kong. He lived for a time in monasteries on Lantau Island and elsewhere, studying with Chinese masters, and then moved to the city, where he taught the Buddha-Dharma and treated people with Chinese medicine. 

 

During this period, when large numbers of traditional Chinese books were entering Hong Kong from across the border as people tried to save them from the destruction of the Cultural Revolution, he built up an extensive library of Buddhist texts, Chinese classics, and books on traditional Chinese medicine. Out of these, he selected certain texts that were very hard to obtain and either arranged for old editions to be reprinted or prepared new editions. The late English bhikkhu Venerable Abhinyana who, in his memoirs (Not This, Not That), recalls meeting Venerable Saddhaloka in 1983, describes him as “operating a small Buddhist printing press, above which he slept in a windowless attic.” Venerable also translated texts from Chinese into English himself, including The Discourse on the Ten Wholesome Ways of Action (?̵??~?D?g), The Discourse on the Questions of the Deva (?ѽаݸg), The Discourse on the Foundations of Mindfulness (???B?g), and A Dialogue between Han-Shan and Shih-Te (?H?s?B?o??). 

 In 1982, Venerable Saddhaloka began visiting the Vietnamese “boat people” in the Hong Kong government refugee camps. At that time Christian groups were active in the camps, but no members of the Buddhist sangha were visiting them, despite the fact that many of the Vietnamese were Buddhists. Venerable Saddhaloka spared no effort to help the refugees, getting up at 3 a.m. to make the long journey to the camps, bringing, food, drink, medicine, books, and other things. Inmates of the camps from that time recall how “Thay Tay Duc” (“The Master from West Germany”), as they affectionately called him, came daily to the camps for 16 years, on rainy days, on cold winter days, and on hot, humid days, his brown robe damp with sweat. In those dark days, he not only ministered to their material needs but inspired in them hope, and, in many, a renewed faith in the Buddha-Dharma. However, unlike some of the other religious groups, he insisted that gifts should be shared and everyone helped, irrespective of religious affiliation. He also never engaged in proselytizing activities.

 During this period, Venerable Saddhaloka often worked closely with the late Pam Baker and the many others who assisted her over the years in providing the refugees with legal advice. These included Peter Barnes, who recalls how “Dear Monk,” as they knew him, would frequently visit their tiny office in Mongkok ferrying letters from the Vietnamese, asking for assistance. His impression of Saddhaloka Bhikkhu was that of a “true gentleman, with the emphasis on gentle, despite his stern exterior.” 

 In 1998, when the last of the refugee camps finally emptied, Venerable Saddhaloka continued to serve the Vietnamese community in Hong Kong. He rented a small temple in Yuen Long where the Vietnamese could meet, and he continued his work of teaching the Buddha-Dharma, treating people with Chinese medicine, and helping people whenever he could. He lived extremely simply and gave away most of what he received.

 Venerable Saddhaloka also taught and led meditation sessions for Westerners and other English-speaking residents of Hong Kong. He often said that he followed “the teaching of the Buddha,” not Buddh-“ism,” and he recognized no distinctions among “yanas.” His ways of teaching were sometimes described as “old-fashioned”—a description that in fact seemed to rather please him. He expected his students to read sutras and traditional commentaries preferably in Chinese or another of the traditional languages of the Dharma, or at least in English translations that followed the original texts as closely as possible. Sometimes he would himself translate extempore passages of Chinese or Pali. He also insisted that students should know a text thoroughly before engaging in debate about its content. However, even those of his students who may have gone on to align with more “modern” or “secular” forms of Buddhism feel extremely grateful for the thorough grounding in the tradition his teaching provided.

 In the years leading up to his death, Venerable became progressively thinner and weaker. It was obvious that he was often in a great deal of pain. However, he bore it with great patience and endurance, never complained, and never took painkillers. He died in Hong Kong on 9 December 2013. The ceremonies for his funeral on 4 and 5 January 2014 were attended by hundreds of people.

 As a scholar, Saddhaloka Bhikkhu had a broad and deep knowledge of the Buddhist canon, as well as of the Chinese classics and Chinese medical texts. However, as his life story shows, his engagement with the Buddha-Dharma was far from being mere book learning. His life was an example of compassion in action.

Mờ các bạn đọc cáo phó trên báo Hông không khi Ngài  viên tích vào 5/1/2014 tại Hongkong

Saddhaloka Bhikku, “the German Monk” – called ‘Thay Tay Duc’, the master from West Germany by the local Vietnamese, was laid to rest January 5, 2014 in Hong Kong. The ceremonials initially took place at the Hung Hom Funereal Home, then carried on at Wo Hop Shek Cemetery in the New Territories, with a vegetarian meal afterwards at Chua Yuen Long (Yuen Long Monastery).

Hundreds attended on the previous evening when the Diamond Sutra was chanted thrice and hundreds were in attendance on the following morning before carriage of the physical body to its final earthly destination. Long lines of devoted friends formed to give last respects with three burning incense sticks; while others gave the formal three full genuflections in the Buddhist style at the main alter, showing their reverence and giving thanks for his devoted service to the Vietnamese community over all these years.

Saddhaloka’s brother and sister were placed foremost during the rites, with their children. This surely was an impressive sight as a German family, unfamiliar with the Asian way of celebrating the passing on of a fellow, found themselves in the midst of great mourning.

The initial hymnal chant by the Vietnamese yellow-robed head monk was particularly beautiful. The soulful lilts heart-catching, before the entire congregation took up the refrain.

The climax came as the coffin descended into the depths of the hall prior to incineration of the remains. A loud wailing proceeded as the highly visible and audible laments of those who loved this monk rent the morning airs… repeated when the wooden housing of the coffin slowly moved into the furnace area. The doors closed with the final views presented with that touch of modernity via the large LCD screen.

In large part the crowds were made up of women between the ages of thirty to fifty and this no doubt corresponds to those most active years when the Vietnamese fled their homeland because of ravages in civil war and when this territory was startled by the sheer numbers that were arriving. Thus the camps were set up with their problematic regulations which disallowed any sense of comfort, barely. They were just survival camps under the government’s policy of deterrent.

It was in this situation that ‘Thay Tay Duc’ took action, bringing supplies as recalled by one Hong Kong Buddhist devotee, Sally Lee:

“In the days when the camps were still running in the early nineties, I would often send my car and driver to take him to the camp. He brought so much in the way of books, food, and so on that my driver complained the car suspension nearly broke! He was truly exceptional – not only spoke and wrote perfect Mandarin Chinese but was able to write Chinese herbal prescriptions for our ailments.”

A eulogy from a barrister at law in Hong Kong in the 1990, Michael Darwyne (who worked with the well known lawyer Pam Baker), was given by another helping friend of the monk’s, Rob Stewart – who himself would help with the loads that arrived in those days:

Titled: In gratitude for the life of reverend Saddhaloka Bhikku

It was my privilege to see the Master regularly for approximately seven years. This was at a time when his Ministry in the Detention Centres for Vietnamese Refugees was at its busiest.

The Master was a man of few words, and his every word was chosen carefully.

His words were the outer reflection of a disciplined mind.

He had the capacity to walk into hell remaining tranquil and calm-as he did so often in the Detention Centres.

His presence radiated understanding and compassion.

He had a childlike sense of humour that would lighten the darkest day, and was never at the expense of another.

Like a lion, he could be fierce when this was needed.

Like a dove he was gentle and this was his usual state.

Like an eagle he saw every thing.

His understanding of human nature was obtained from years of careful observation.

You could never fool the Master.

But if you tried he never held it against you.

You could never upset the Master.

But if you tried he would respond with soft laughter.

You could never defeat the Master.

He was an enlightened soul who had no need to be on this plane.

His life was dedicated to serving others.

To this he dedicated his entire Ministry.

We were so fortunate and blessed to be in his presence.

We shall always remember him with gratitude and joy.

A titan has passed.

Michael Darwyne
January 5, 2014

In my own case as a journalist I requested an interview from the Bhikku in the mid-Eighties and he replied: “first read “What the Buddha Taught”, by Walpola Rahula. I did and got back to him, but he always slid out of any press interview and had disappeared before I ever got to any formal questioning. This book is under the persuasion of Theravada Buddhist practice and Saddhaloka took his vows in Thailand, Therevada territory, before finally arriving in Hong Kong.

Thus we have the German monk, often seen yet little known, ever busy with very technical translations yet not issuing writings of his own and more concerned with ‘doing’ as a Karma Yogi within the Buddhist enclaves. Helping people, especially the Vietnamese and held high in the esteem of his Buddhist friends high and lo despite that he held very tough views, such as when he said to me: “There is no Buddhism, Buddha never taught an ism…”

 

Và lời tán thán công đức Ngài  nhân lễ giổ một năm 

 

It is already more than a year since Saddhaloka Bhikkhu passed away. He is still greatly missed by all his students, past and present, and by all his friends. His loss is felt particularly keenly by Hong Kong’s Vietnamese community, whom he dedicated many years of his life to serving. On 23 November 2014, the Vietnamese Buddhist community held a memorial ceremony for him at the eponymous Saddhaloka Temple on Hong Kong’s Tsing Yi Island. They have also compiled a bilingual (Vietnamese and English) book in memory of him, full of photographs and moving recollections.