What is Chan?

By Category: Meditation & PracticeTags:

Chan is meditation throughout our lives.

When we live with Chan, the taste of food and feel of clothes will change. We will not feel difficulty when dealing with our affairs. Any matter can be laughed away. The human world has its ups and down, but when we have a Chan mind it is like the world is ours and nothing is lacking. All human beings rely on the necessities of food, clothing, and shelter. When there is no fear of material scarcity, when a certain level of comfort is gained, then humans come to look for mental fulfillment through music, painting, and the arts. But even after human life becomes beautiful in this way, there comes a sense that true meaning is still lacking and gradually, humans come to hope that liberation and freedom can be found within their minds. Many then turn to religion to find what is sublime, true, wholesome, and beautiful. It is a life of Chan mediation.

Chan has a sense of humor and wit to it.

In the world of Chan, there is nothing worth becoming sad or bothered about. Without shape or form, Chan permeates everything. Chan is our intrinsic nature. But if we try to write, speak, or think of Chan, we cannot grasp it. Chan is the subject of study for awakening. It must be experienced and understood personally.

Chan is a treasure of the human realm.

Chan has no fixed format, but accommodates each person’s efforts and capacity. Chan is a treasure of the human realm. It helps us recognize ourselves. Chan is absolute transcendence. It is the spirit of self-respect, embodied by the words “Even against an army of thousands, ever forth I shall go.” Chan is what brings us to the Buddhist path. It is a prerequisite to the authentic realization of awakening. It is the means by which all practitioners can verify their accomplishment for themselves.

Chan is like a dish.

It is salted and spiced just the way you like it. Chan is like a living room that feels completely changed by hanging a painting or placing a flower vase. Chan is like a tissue that can be crumpled up into nothing. Chan is like an empty fist that is unclenched and becomes a fist no longer.

Chan cannot be captured with words.

It just is. Once spoken, it is no longer Chan. Chan is not about delusion or enlightenment, but about seeing your own intrinsic nature. Chan cannot be attained simply by sitting properly, but especially for beginners sitting meditation is still an important gate of entry into Chan.

If you come to know intrinsic nature, that is Chan.

From Ten Paths to Happiness, written by Venerable Master Hsing Yun.

Image from Pixabay.

More Featured Articles

The Intrinsic Nature of Women’s Rights and Equality in Buddhist Philosophy
Equality is a truth of human life within the universe, it is an aim of humanity, and it is also the basis of Buddhism.The Avatamsaka Sutra says:“All sentient beings are equal.”The Great Perfection of Wisdom Treatise says: “From the very highest level of all Buddhas to the low level of animals, all are equal and there are no differences between them.”The Diamond Sutra says: “All dharmas are equal with no Read more
Take Delight in Shared Joy
Sharing joy with others is not only a virtue, it is also a delightful experience.To take delight in shared joy is to give willing support to those who are compassionate in helping the needy; it is to give genuine praise to those who have dedicated themselves to the highest achievements in life. If we want to be successful in this world, we must cultivate the Read more
Overcoming Greed
Greed is a basic disease of all sentient beings. In our realm, the desire realm (kamadhatu), the force and effects of greed can be felt especially strongly. Greed is based on ignorance and cannot function without it. The fundamental ignorance that enables greed to function is the belief in a self that exists separately and independently from other sentient beings. This belief leads to nothing Read more
The Web of Human Relationships
Human beings are social animals; we cannot live apart from community. As Buddhists, we are told to seek the Dharma among the people, for the Dharma does not exist in some other world or far away place; the Dharma is here among us, embodied in each and every being. When we understand that human society is nothing other than a web of human relationships, we Read more
Keeping Distance
We sometimes see signs on the highway warning: “Keep a safe distance.” Actually, it is not only in driving that we need to keep a distance. For safety reasons, any person and anything in the world needs to keep a distance.Take, for instance, the human body. Our eyes, nose, and mouth all need to keep a distance from one another. Our internal organs all have Read more
The Strength of Commitment
To "commit" is to give assurance to others and to make a conscientious effort to deliver a promise. To instill credibility and trustworthiness, we must honor our words. Confucius once said, "One without credibility is like a large vehicle without a brake pedal, or a small carriage without axles. How can one go anywhere?"Living up to one's word is a basic courtesy. In past agricultural Read more
Master's Advice on Daily Practice
As we live, we must strive for a life of value. Buddhism is different from philosophy, for it does not only deal with knowledge and theory. Rather, Buddhism calls for devout faith, developed morality, and most importantly: spiritual practice.All we need is the right intention to begin any form of spiritual practice, whether it is bowing to the Buddha, chanting sutras, repentance, meditation, or other Read more
To Live in Hope
When there is hope, there is a future. The worst tragedy in life is to live without hope for the future. When there is hope, there is a future. One of the mottoes of the Buddha's Light International Association is "to give others hope." That is the highest act of benevolence. On the other hand, to disappoint and render others hopeless is the cruelest act.People live Read more
Putting Teachings into Practice
Dharma is for people. There is one thing about the Dharma that I am completely sure of: the Dharma is for people. The Buddha’s teachings are not a cold philosophy designed merely to rearrange the concepts in our minds, they are a living act of compassion intended to show us how to open our hearts. I learned this truth just as everyone must learn it—by Read more
Not Lying
Trustworthy WordsIf you lie, you will not be trusted. If you cannot be trusted, you will be ineffective in your own life and useless to other people. Lies hurt others because they damage their trust and their sense of what is right and wrong. This is a very serious kind of damage; it wastes time, frightens people and causes them to doubt their basic intuitions Read more
To Think Positively
Humans are thinking animals! Since the beginning of time, there have always been people who fantasize, who have delusions, who dream—and many who have ideals. When we lie in our beds at night, we should be free from worry. Yet thoughts about our lives often arise then; thoughts about family, country, or even the world. Everything is within our minds.The average person often tends to Read more
Trees Have Roots; Waters Have Sources
Trees have their roots, and people have their origins. As hu­man beings, we must endeavor to increase joy in the world for the sake of everyone in the world, and we also must ensure that life will sprout flowers and bear fruits as strong and stur­dy as the peach. “Mother” is the source of life for every person, and she is also the harbor on Read more