| HOME | ABOUT US | EVENTS | MEDITATION | TEACHINGS | COMMUNITY | PUBLICATIONS |
ORIGIN OF CHAN | |
 |
The Character of ChanWe have briefly covered the history and transmission of Chan. Let's discuss the character, or style, of Chan. The fifth patriarch Heng-jen (d. 674) had two prominent disciples -- Shen-hsiu and Hui-neng. The Shen-hsiu style was based on step-by-step practice. Hui-neng, however, emphasized the practice of no practice. Both used the mirror to illustrate their styles. Shen-hsiu used this analogy: cultivation is like polishing a mirror. Examine and rectify your behavior until the self-nature/mirror is clean. This process continues until purity of mind is achieved.Hui-neng also used the mirror analogy. According to him, there was no mirror -- and therefore nothing to dust or polish. This means that original self-nature is clean and pure. There is no need to take anything away, no need to add anything. A Chan saying illustrates: "As long as there is nothing in your mind, any direction -- north, east, south or west -- is fine." Each lineage has its own rules, style and method of practice, but the goal is the same: free the mind and no problems exist. In Chan practice there are no definitive standards. As long as your mind is at peace, you are fine. Proper understanding is essential to Chan practice. Without it, even practice will not achieve results.
|
