Chan exists universally and eternally. There is no need for any teacher to transmit it; what is transmitted is just the method by which one can personally experience Chan. In China, the Chan school developed from Indian Dhyana Buddhism, which taught methods of meditative concentration aimed at the attainment of an absorbed, concentrated state of mind. This school later spread to other countries from China, and is called Zen in Japan, Son in Korea, and Thien in Vietnam.
Chan starts with gaining thorough knowledge of one’s own self. Through letting go of all attachments and giving rise to wisdom, our mind can regain its luminosity. We call this knowledge of the notion of self “enlightenment” or “seeing one’s self-nature.” This is the beginning of helping yourself to thoroughly solve real problems. In the end, you will discover that you as an individual, together with the whole of existence, are but one indivisible totality.
Chan encompasses four key elements: faith, understanding, practice, and realization. Faith belongs to the realm of religion, understanding is philosophical, practice is belief put into action, and realization is enlightenment. Without faith, we cannot understand; without understanding, we cannot practice; and without practice, we cannot realize enlightenment. Together, these four concepts create the doorway we enter to attain wisdom.
The principle of Chan is taking body and mind from a state of confusion and disparity through a condition of one-mind to the experience of no-mind (or no-thought). This is the result of letting go of one’s clinging attachment to the sense of “I,” and to the illusion of the permanence of the self and phenomena.
The sixth Chinese Chan patriarch, Huineng (638-713), once said, “From ancient times up to the present, all teaching have established no-thought (or no-mind) as the main doctrine, no-form as the substance, and non-abiding as the basis.” No-form is to be separated from form even when associated with form. No-thought is not to think even when involved in thought. No-abiding is the original nature of humankind.” These “no’s” are more commonly known as the idea of “no self,” or as the substancelessness of the self.
When practicing, the “ordinary mind” is the Path, advocated Chan master Mazu. Whether you are walking, standing still, sitting, or lying down, everything is Chan practice. He taught that the bodhisattva path is neither the path of the ordinary people or of the sages. You should not intentionally practice for gain, or get involved in what is right or wrong, grasping and rejecting. This is what he called the “ordinary mind.”
Chan is often referred to as the “gateless gate.”
A “gate” is both a method of practice and a path to liberation. The gateway into Chan will open naturally as long as a practitioner can let go of his/her self-centered conscious mind. In response to people’s needs, past Chan masters adapted other forms of practice and invented methods that made Chan more accessible.
Beginners in Chan practice use basic techniques of concentration to calm and unify the mind.
The purpose of concentration techniques is to take the mind away from a state of scattered thoughts and feelings of affliction and fetteredness. One’s mind first enters a state of concentration and then enters a state where the separation between external and internal disappears. There are two major methods: the methods of huatou (of the Linji lineage, or Rinzai in Japanese), and the method of silent illumination (of the Cao Lineage, or Soto in Japanese).
Huatou
A huatou is a question that you “investigate” (can). Hua means “word,” and tou means “head” or “source.” When practicing huatou, one wants to know, what exists before the application of any verbal or symbolic description (hua). Examples are “Who am I?”, “What is wu?” (wu means “no” or “nothing”), “Who is reciting the Buddha’s name?,” and “Who is dragging this corpse around?” At the first level, you simply repeat the huatou. Next, you really want to know the answer, and gradually enter the stage of “one-mind.” At the last stage, the one-mind breaks apart and no-mind is revealed.
Silent Illumination
The method of silent illumination (mozhao) is simply to do away with all methods of practice. Using no method is the method. Counting the breath is used when the mind is very scattered in order to enhance concentration. When you use silent illumination, your mind simply doesn’t have any thoughts. You let go of everything and realize the state of Chan itself. While there are no thoughts, the mind is still very clear, very aware. Both the silence (mo) and the illumination (zhao) must be present. In this state, the mind is transparent.
Stage 1:
To balance the development of body and mind in order to attain mental and physical health. Various methods of physical exercise for walking, standing, sitting, and reclining are used.
They are unique exercise methods combining Indian Hatha Yoga and Chinese daoyin (exercises for channeling internal energy), and can bring physical health as well as results in meditation. Thus, one who practices Chan well will definitely have a strong body capable of enduring hardship. The mind will establish a state of self-confidence, determination, optimism, peace, and stability.
Stage 2:
From the sense of the small “I” to the large “I.” When you practice the method of cultivation taught by your teacher, for example, huatou or silent illumination, you will enlarge the sphere of the outlook of the small “I” until it coincides with time and space. The small “I” merges into the entire universe, forming a unity.
Since you have joined and become one with universe, the world of your own body and mind no longer exists. What exists is the universe, which is infinite in depth and breadth. You yourself are not only a part of the universe, but also the totality of it.
Stage 3:
From the large “I” to no “I.” Chan is inconceivable. It is neither a concept nor a feeling. Because Chan is a world where there is no self, if there is still any attachment at all in your mind, there is no way you can harmonize with Chan.
Therefore, Chan is the territory of the wise, and the territory of the brave. Not being wise, one would not believe that after abandoning all attachments another world could appear before him. Not being brave, one would find it very hard to discard everything he has in this life – careers, knowledge, and material things.
In short, the purpose of Chan practice is to see your self-nature, and this insight is called “enlightenment.” One might encounter all kinds of good experiences, physical and mental, which enhance your confidence and faith in your practice and in the Dharma, but they are not genuine enlightenment. Genuine enlightenment must be in accord with the principles of Chan: no-form, no-mind, and no-abiding.
But even this is not enough. After seeing your self-nature, you need to deepen your experience even further and bring it into maturation. You should have enlightenment experiences again and again and support them with continuous practice.
Enlightenment is seeing self-nature. Some called this nature “buddha-nature” or the “nature of emptiness.” When one has no attachment to the notion of “self,” one’s attitude in dealing with any situation is called wisdom.
Wisdom is basically a selfless attitude. When wisdom manifests, one’s nature is seen. The notion of “self” here can refer to an individual self, a group of selves, or the universe as an all-encompassing self.
When you practice, you might encounter all kinds of physical and mental experiences. For example, you may feel like you are in the state of unity; you feel like you have completely unified with the universe. These phenomena may enhance your confidence and faith in your practice and in the Dharma. This is not, however, genuine enlightenment.
Genuine enlightenment must be in accord with the principles described by the sixth patriarch, Master Huineng: no-form, no-thought, and no-abiding. When the mind functions without abiding, it is called “no thought”. No form means no unchanging or definite form. Wherever there are phenomena, there is illusion.
Practice should not be separated from living, and living at all times should be one’s practice. Proper practice includes cultivating mindfulness, compassion, intuition, and wisdom. Think less about oneself and more about others. Be aware of your changing mental and physical conditions.
See how they affect your thoughts, words and actions. In all our actions, we should reflect on whether our intentions are beneficial to others. In this way, we will check ourselves before we act. If we put other sentient beings before ourselves, those selfish feelings will not arise as much.
Being considerate of others is as much a form of practice as meditation is. However, sentient beings have their own karmic causes and conditions, their own merits and virtues, their own karma.
You cannot change them, nor can you take on other people’s karma. Of key importance is one’s intention. You should sincerely try to help others, whether or not you succeed. Do not do anything that will make you feel tense, tired, or miserable.
If you whip yourself all the time, you will be of no use to others or to yourself. Use meditation as a supporting discipline and the Buddhadharma as your guideline. Do the best you can, but don’t push too hard.
In all situations, you must practice. During your busy day, try to find little bits of time to sit, relax, and clear your mind. It is not always necessary to sit on a cushion to practice for thirty minutes. You can do your practice anywhere, at anytime, at your desk, in a car, bus, or train.
Relax your body and mind; breathe; settle your mind; let your mind and body refresh itself.
Treasure in Chan Meditation
In modern times, the great strides of science have solved many problems deriving from the natural and social environments, as well as from human physiology and psychology. And yet, with the advancement of material civilization, the problems waiting to be solved have actually increased.
In fact, until the day the Earth perishes, it will remain impossible to completely overcome the problems posed by nature. Similarly, until the day our physical bodies die, it will still be impossible to entirely control our bodily functions.
If nothing else, human beings are incapable of preventing the gradual diminishing of the sun’s thermal energy, so the weakening and eventual destruction of the Earth is inevitable. Again, as human beings cannot stop the aging of the physical organs, the death of the physical body is inevitable, too.
However, as long as the Earth remains inhabitable, we should do what we can to improve our natural environment, so that it can become more favorable to human life and existence. Likewise, while we are still alive, we should do our best to improve our physical and mental health, so that we can live more comfortable and happy lives.
Modern science may help us with these tasks, but we should not leave the responsibility entirely to science. This is because the promotion of science depends on the mental and physical power of mankind, and the only method to bring out man’s greatest intellectual and physical ability, hidden deeply within our bodies and minds, is through the practice of Chan (Japanese: Zen) meditation.
Although the methods of Chan meditation trace their origins to the wisdom of the East, in reality, East or West, all great religious figures, philosophers, outstanding statesmen, scientists, and artists benefit to some extent from the power of Chan meditative concentration.
Even if they do not assume the specific Chan meditative postures or use the name Chan, nevertheless their ability to exercise extraordinary wisdom and perseverance corresponds essentially with the effects of Chan meditation!Xthey are just unaware that such ability is the outcome of meditative concentration. Because of their exceptional endowments, they are able to obtain the power of meditative absorption without intentional effort, which then leads to their prominence in their respective fields.
Since Chan meditation, as we already know, is the best means of uncovering one’s hidden intellectual and physical power, it is not difficult for training in Chan to transform an ordinary person into a great one, and make the ungifted brilliant, the frail robust, the brilliant and robust even more so, thus making it possible for all to become perfect.
Therefore, Chan meditation is the best means to perfect human life, advance society, and improve the entire environment. For an ordinary person, Chan meditation can strengthen one’s resolve and change one’s temperament.
Physically, it helps one regain vitality; psychologically, it gives one new hope as well as a new understanding of the surrounding environment. Therefore, Chan meditation can give you a completely new life, and make you realize how fortunate, free, and vivacious you really are.
The effects of meditation come primarily from concentrating the mind on one point, whether abstract or concrete. Therefore, meditative concentration can be reached in any position: walking, standing, sitting, or lying down. Whether one is engaged in deep thought, silent prayer, prostration, recitation, or even close observation or attentive listening, whenever one’s mind is focused single-pointedly, there is the possibility of attaining meditative concentration.
However, instances of achieving meditative concentration under such circumstances are few and far between, and for the vast majority of people, it can never happen easily. It may have occurred once or twice to a very few people, but it cannot be frequently repeated at will.
It is because of this that the methods of Chan practice developed in the East are necessary. If you wish to obtain such experience, and therefore go to study under a Chan teacher, you will find that these methods can make the experience of Chan, otherwise obtainable only by accident, a treasure that everyone has the opportunity to obtain.
The Precious Human Body
In seeking the experience of Chan, one does not have to adopt any particular posture. For example, the sick, the physically challenged, and the perpetually busy can follow the method taught by their masters and practice anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, wherever they might be, standing or sitting: in bed, in a wheelchair, in a car, at a bus or tram stop, or in an office.
The quickest and most effective method is of course practicing in the full-lotus posture. However, if beginning Chan students, particularly those of middle age or older, wish to become proficient sitting in the full lotus and to enjoy the pleasures of Chan meditation, they must first prepare to tolerate pain and numbness in the legs.
The pain and numbness in the legs is actually a part of the beginners’ struggle with their own weakness. Once they have gone through this phase, they would have at least strengthened their resolve and overcome their fear of difficulty and inability to face reality. Thus quietly, they have taken one step forward in the journey of life.
Of all the animals, only human beings have a body structure that allows the adoption of the lotus posture. So, the methods of Chan meditation are designed only for human beings, and only human beings have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of meditation.
We ought to celebrate being born as a human being, and should treasure this human body that we have. The reason is that as humans, through Chan practice we can derive three major benefits: (1) a tough and pliable physique, (2) an alert mind, and (3) a purified personality. That is why Shakyamuni Buddha often praised the preciousness of human life when addressing his disciples, stressing that among all sentient beings between heaven and hell, those with a human body are most suited to the practice of the Buddhist path.
The Effect of Meditation as Viewed by Scientists
The benefits of Chan meditation were discovered from the reactions of the body and mind. According to Zen no susume (The Recommendation of Zen) by Dr. Kōji Satō, Professor of Psychology at Kyoto University in Japan, Chan meditation produces the following ten psychological effects:
●increased patience,
●curing of various allergies,
●strengthening of willpower,
●enhancement of the power of thought,
●refinement of personality,
●rapid calming of the mind,
●mood stabilization,
●raised interest and efficiency in activity,
●elimination of various bodily illnesses and
●attainment of enlightenment.
Furthermore, Usaburō Hasekawa, MD, writes in Shin igaku zen (New Views on Medicine and Zen) that Chan meditation proves effective in the treatment of the following twelve diseases:
●neurosis,
●hyperacidity and hypoacidity,
●tympanites,
●tuberculosis,
●insomnia,
●indigestion,
●chronic gastroptosis,
●gastrointestinal atony,
●chronic constipation,
●dysentery,
●gallstones, and
●high blood pressure.
The highest objective of Chan meditation is without doubt the transcendence of delusion and the attainment of enlightenment. However, if we begin with lofty talk on the issues of delusion and enlightenment, except for a small minority who have good karmic roots, it will be of little use for the majority of people.
So, we cannot but cite the results of scientific studies to introduce readers to the effects Chan meditation may bring to a person physically and mentally. To those who have had personal experience in Chan meditation, these scientific reports are of no use, but to beginners who would like to give meditation a try, these reports may serve as a lure.
Ensuring a Safe Body and Mind
In daily life, people’s understanding of their own body and mind is extremely limited. As for the mind, you have no time to examine how many thoughts come and go in a day, or even in the minute that has just slipped by. You may have some impressions of a few major thoughts, but about the numerous trivial ones that just flashed by, you are not clear.
Furthermore, physically, your cellular metabolism has not for a single moment stopped. You may know of this fact since it is common knowledge, but in no way can you actually sense and feel it. Of course, there is no need for us to clarify these matters either.
What is important is that we, living in a modern society, must always use a high level of intellect and great physical energy-whether in our studies or daily work, whether making a living or contributing to the public welfare. Yet few people realize that deep within our own reservoir of intellectual and physical energy, there is a huge leak through which tremendous amounts of energy meaninglessly leak out, when at the same time our production of energy is way below our capability and our need.
This is at once a waste of energy, and a stagnation in production: we have failed not only to do our best to broaden our sources of energy, but also to properly reduce its expenditure. This truly is a great pity.
What is this leak? It is our disorderly wandering thoughts, which consume our physical energy and lower our intellect. Among them, thoughts which stir our emotions, such as strong desire, hatred, arrogance, despair, etc., in particular can disturb the balanced functioning of our physiological system.
If you learn the methods of Chan meditation, you can reduce these disorderly and useless distractions, and constantly keep your mind in a restful state of relaxation and calmness, so whenever it is needed to solve a problem, it can always function to the full. Moreover, Chan meditation can make the various endocrine glands in your body work in seamless cooperation with one another, and enhance the coordination between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
For instance, the pituitary, pineal, parotid, and thymus glands of the sympathetic nervous system can cause the constriction of blood vessels to raise blood pressure, thus increasing the sympathetic tone of the body; the outward expressions are alertness and quickness in reaction.
On the other hand, the adrenal, ovarian, testicle, and pancreatic glands of the parasympathetic nervous system can cause the dilatation of blood vessels, lowering blood pressure and reducing the sympathetic tone; the outward expressions are calmness and stability. Combining the merits of both systems will form a perfect personality, whereas inclination to either side will lead to defects in character.
As we are aware, the pressure of work, overtaxation of one’s brain, and external-stimulus-induced strong emotion, whether it be wild rapture or violent rage, can all give rise to constricted blood vessels, increased pulse rate, rising blood pressure, and shortness of breath, resulting possibly in such conditions as cerebral hemorrhage, insomnia, palpitations, tinnitus, neuroticism, and indigestion. This is because when you experience severe emotions, the functioning of your endocrine glands become imbalanced, thus creating toxins in the blood.
The endocrine system normally promotes a healthy body. However, if it loses balance, it will light up your body!|s red light warning system. Chan meditation can transform fluctuating moods into a clear and peaceful state of mind.
Eventually, no danger will make you afraid, and no pleasure will make you wild with joy; no gain will make you feel wealthy, and no loss will make you feel deprived; no opposition will irk you, and no compliance will delight you. Therefore, Chan meditation can ensure the safety of your body and mind.
The Harmonization and Liberation of Body and Mind
To clarify the above, a balance between the body’s sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems should be constantly maintained; otherwise, one will not only be unhealthy physiologically, but also be unhealthy in respect of psychological and character development.
If the balance tilts toward the sympathetic nervous system, then one will tend to be sensitive, selfish, impatient, irascible, unfriendly, and unlikable. If the balance leans toward the other side, then one will be simple, sincere, steady, optimistic, and genial.
In the first case, on the positive side, one might become a proud and aloof philosopher, a shrewd and steel-willed general, or a cynical scholar who detests the world and its ways. On the negative side, one might become an opinionated, violent, vile, and unruly rogue.
In the second case, on the positive side, one might become a compassionate religious leader, a magnanimous statesman, or a broad-minded artist. On the negative side, one may become a person lacking ambition and principles who pays no heed to the line between good and evil and right and wrong, and who says yes to every request.
Of course, if the balance is totally inclined either way, the result will certainly tend to be negative. If one already exhibits positive traits, then it definitely is due more or less to the harmonious cooperation between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
Chan meditation is a method to harmonize the functions of the body’s organs and tissues, helping them to work normally and to achieve their best performance. It starts with tuning the body, breath, and mind, so as to reduce the burden on the sympathetic nervous system, weaken the influence of subjective consciousness, and gradually expand the boundary of self-centeredness until ultimately the existence of self is forgotten, and subjective consciousness melts away into objective consciousness.
For those having reached the stage, their mental afflictions, though not yet thoroughly eliminated, can no longer pose a threat to their physical and mental health.
The reason one has such vexations as greed, hatred, unforgivingness, and resistance to self-reflection and reasoning lies in one’s excessive subjectivity. People with such a mind-set believe that although they are separate from all things, nothing should contradict their subjective thinking.
When they don’t have what they want, they will strive after it; after attaining it, they fear losing it if it is really enjoyable, but fear not being able to dispose of it if they find it detestable. In other words, when they are unable to get what they want, they are no doubt afflicted, but even after attaining what they want, they are still encircled by various afflictions.
Only Chan meditation can gradually transform our self-centered subjective mind-set into an objective one. It will slowly raise us from the depths of the pit of distorted perceptions and afflictions to the free world of objective consciousness, thus liberating our body and mind.
Longevity and Happiness
Proper breathing bears a lot on relieving the burden on the sympathetic nervous system. Generally, people use their lungs and chest as a central point for breathing. Chan practitioners, however, shift their center of breathing to the lower abdomen, or what we call dantian or qihai.
The idea is to use the abdominal pressure as a medium, and then to employ the will to control the parasympathetic nervous system, so as to dilate blood vessels, lower blood pressure, reduce the sympathetic tone, and increase the secretion of acetylcholine to achieve tranquility, serenity, and detoxification.
To shift the center of breathing from the chest to the lower abdomen cannot be accomplished with just a couple of days’ practice. Some teachers of yoga and qigong suggest adopting abdominal breathing to achieve this purpose. But this method is not suitable for everybody. If those for whom abdominal breathing is not physically suitable due to congenital or acquired conditions force themselves to engage in such practice, illness may result.
The safe way is to breathe naturally. Just focus your attention on the breath – don’t strive for a quick result – and maintain normal breathing while you practice. After a period of time, your breathing will naturally slow down, reduce in frequency, and extend in depth. One day, you will find that your center of breathing has already moved down from the chest to the lower abdomen.
Abdominal breathing can transport blood stored within the liver and spleen to the heart to put the stored blood into use. The liver and spleen produce and store blood, holding a third of the body’s total blood supply. Another third is in the heart and another in the rest of the body’s muscle tissue.
The blood stored within the liver and spleen does not normally enter the circulatory system. Only when necessary is it used to compensate for a deficiency in the heart’s blood supply. Abdominal breathing is equivalent to adding an auxiliary heart to the human body, causing the blood volume in the circulatory system to increase onefold.
Increasing the amount of blood in the circulatory system enhances its capacity to deliver nourishment, thus revitalizing and restoring atrophied cells or tissues, and enabling blocked and dying cells or tissues to gradually revive and regenerate. Because of this, Chan meditation can help cure various kinds of rare and serious medical conditions and chronic diseases.
If you ever contract an unusual illness that barely responds to treatment, you might as well learn to practice Chan meditation. Although Chan meditation cannot cure medical conditions as swiftly as removing one’s appendix would appendicitis, it can nevertheless stabilize your moods, reduce your panic and fear of your illness, and ease the suffering caused from the sickness.
Of course, there is a limit to our life span. Meditation cannot make you stay young and alive forever, but it is certainly within its power to help you live a longer, happier and more interesting life.
Cultivating a Perfect Personality
A perfect personality can be nurtured through education, art, religion, etc., but these are not entirely dependable. Some, lured by the temptations of fame, fortune, and power, may take up education, art, or religion, and appear to be of noble character and saintly behavior, but in the depths of their hearts, they harbor unspeakable ambitions and intrigues. These people, we refer to as having a two-faced personality.
Therefore, in this world there are hypocrites who have received good education, and devils hidden in churches amidst the clergy. This is because religious doctrine, ethics, and art appreciation are all inculcated from outside – and sometimes even imposed high-handedly by the authorities – and so they do not necessarily correspond with the inner desires of each individual.
Chan meditation is the best way to cultivate a perfect character. It helps one achieve the goal of perfecting character by triggering one’s inner awakening – no dogma is needed to apply any pressure. To a Chan practitioner, ethics and morals are unnecessary.
Besides, religious doctrine, ethical standards, and moral judgements all lose their applicability due to changes in time, environment, and person. This is why so many new religions and sects within established religions have emerged in recent decades, almost like bamboo shoots popping up after a spring shower. Buddhism is also no exception to this trend.
Although Chan stems from Buddhism, as it does not rely on external conditions or on words and letters, it is a method of cultivation that will always fit the needs of the time. The practice of Chan meditation is a process of baring one’s “self”, just like peeling the stem of a banana tree. After layer after layer of deluded thoughts are stripped off, not only is there no affected self to be seen, but there’s not even a naked self there. First you try to expose your self, but ultimately you find there is nothing to expose at all.
Therefore, Chan practitioners do not need to hide anything from others, or feel any external pressure for trying to reform themselves, much less struggle intensely as if enduring severe pain when cutting out a tumor.
Chan meditation is simply to follow the method of practice to gradually reduce your wandering thoughts.
Once you reach the state of “no-thought”, you will naturally realize that your existence in the past was just a series of accumulated afflictions and deluded thoughts, which are not your true self.
Your true self is inseparable from all objective phenomena: the existence of each objective phenomenon constitutes a part of your subjective existence. So, you do not have to strive for anything or despise anything. Your responsibility is to make your entire being more orderly and more perfect.
Chan practitioners, having reached this stage, will deeply love humanity and all other sentient beings. Their character will be as clear and bright as the spring sunshine. Even though for the sake of conversion and enlightenment they may assume emotional facial expressions, their mind will nevertheless constantly remain as tranquil and clear as a crystalline autumn pond. We call such people enlightened, sages, or noble ones.
Shakyamuni Buddha once said: “All sentient beings possess the wisdom and merit of the Buddha”. So, if you long for the benefits that a Chan practitioner can receive, your wish will certainly come true. Irrespective of gender, age, intelligence, physical strength, profession, social status, or religious belief, the door of Chan is open to all.
Now, there is just one thing extremely important that I must mention: what you have just read is an article on Chan, and this article is absolutely not the same as Chan itself. To know what Chan really is, you have to determine to personally and perseveringly learn under a Chan teacher whom you trust.
Otherwise, these pages will have just provided you with some more information that may tangle you up, and will not in any way assist you in your worthy wish to learn Chan.
The Meaning of Life is to Fulfill One’s Duties and
The meaning of life is to fulfill one’s duties and be responsible. In the journey of life – from birth, to old age, to death – every person plays different roles. For example, children grow up to be parents and students become teachers. You may be a supervisor, an employee as well as a friend. All of these are duties – ethical relationships shared between people.
When duties are not fulfilled, it is said that the roles are “neither fish nor fowl”. This is a term used to describe strange phenomena. When looking at ourselves from an ethical perspective, we often discover that we are “neither fish nor fowl”.
The Value of Life Is to Offer and Contribute
Offering and contributing also begin by fulfilling one’s duties in different roles, taking on responsibility and putting forward contributions.
In this world there are not many people that are directly related to us. If you were to write out the names of all those who have a direct relationship with you from the first moment you can remember, how many would you have? Probably not many. Very few people will be able to write out one thousand names of those who are directly related to them. There are only a handful of friends and relatives that one can think of. When it comes to people who are indirectly related to oneself, then the figure will increase enormously.
When we talk about responsibilities, it is usually about being responsible for certain matters to a small number or specific group of people. Contribution, on the other hand, is completely different. Whether or not an active role is required, whatever the situation, whoever it is, there is always a chance to contribute in relationships both direct and indirect.
For instance, if you are walking on the street and you see a child wanting to cross the road, you are under no obligation to help him cross safely, but this is an opportunity for you to make a contribution. In many cases people will think, “That child will have no problem crossing the road alone. Besides, I’m in a hurry and have no time.” But if a car suddenly hit that child, would you not regret it considering that you had the opportunity to save that child’s life?
Bearing the Task of Contribution
When I was studying in Japan, my late master, Venerable Master Tung Chu, came upon several Taipei Temples in the midst of disputes over land rights and power. He wrote me a letter saying, “Buddhism is currently in a pitiful state. Nobody is undertaking the task of spreading the Dharma but fighting over the property rights of monasteries.” The dispute also involved government claims that since the monasteries were built by the Japanese during their occupation, they were assets of the enemy and should have been returned to the government. Despite this my master encouraged me by saying, “While everyone is fighting over the monasteries, no one is thinking about saving Buddhism by using the Buddha Dharma to save the minds of the people. It is our responsibility to save the future of Buddhism.”
The effort made by Buddhist circles to save monasteries was of little value. Rather, the fundamental solution is to nurture professional Dharma teachers who can make more effective contributions to society. Buddhism has made remarkable contributions to contemporary Taiwan and it is the existence of Buddhism itself, not just its monasteries, that is of real value.
Recently, Nung Chan Monastery fell victim to the Typhoon Herbo disaster. The monastery suffered enormous losses over the two days when it was flooded in one-meter deep water. Despite this, I said to all the disciples of Dharma Drum Mountain, “Although we are flooded, there is still a need to rally our followers island-wide to respond to the calls for the disaster relief of others.” As a result, a fund amounting to three million Taiwanese dollars was collected. This is but one example of how Dharma Drum Mountain may be of positive value to society as a Buddhist organization.
Similarly, over the past few years Dharma Drum Mountain Nung Chan Monastery has facilitated a number of activity camps for students at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Also, we have organized a number of meditation retreats of various levels – such as “Chan Meditation Retreat for Teachers” and “Chan Meditation Retreat for Professionals” – aimed at high school teachers, management personnel of tertiary institutions as well as professionals in industry.
At the “Chan Meditation Retreat for Tertiary Institution Management Personnel”, participants included tertiary institution principals, heads of departments and faculties, chancellors and deans. We have never expected anything in return for our contributions. But at the end of an activity a participant asked me, “How do we repay Dharma Drum Mountain?” I replied, “I hope that after this meditation retreat you may go back to your home and school, and share with those who are receptive what you have heard, learned and believe to be useful regarding the concepts and methods of harmonizing the mind and body. By doing so, you are repaying Dharma Drum Mountain.”
Among them a puzzled lecturer asked, “If this is the case, won’t Dharma Drum Mountain go broke in the long run? Will Dharma Drum Mountain have finances for construction?”
I said, “The more we are willing to contribute, the more people will come forth and support us.”
I told them, “All of you coming to Dharma Drum Mountain to participate in meditation retreats are like retailers going to the factory warehouse to replenish stock. You become our agents upon returning. All your contributions to society become our contributions too. And you repay Dharma Drum Mountain by representing the value of Dharma Drum Mountain in Taiwan’s society today.
Accepting,Retribution,Fulfilling Wishes, Vowing
However, when people experience positive karmic effects they take them for granted. And when they experience negative karmic effects they feel upset. Thinking that they have done nothing wrong in this life, they should not deserve bad karmic effects.
During one of the completion assemblies at the end of the ‘Chan Meditation Retreat for Management Personnel of Tertiary Institutions’, current parliamentarian, Mr Ding Shou Zhong, who initiated the retreats, shared one of his experiences:
“On one occasion my son was playing at a swimming pool. While water was being drained out of the pool, he saw one of his school mates being sucked into one of the pipes and experiencing excruciating pain. He jumped into the water trying to save his friend but ended up with one of his legs being sucked in and sustained a serious injury almost requiring amputation.
“When I heard about the incident, my first thought was, ‘How strange! My entire life has been devoted to social work. I am a kind-hearted person. So why has this happened to my son?’ At the time I found this very unfair. But after a while, the feeling of injustice died down and I started thinking, ‘Perhaps this is the law of cause and effect! Maybe I have committed some unwholesome deeds in my previous life and caused my son misfortune.’ And then I immediately thought, ‘Maybe this child was predestined to meet with this accident and to survive this misfortune will mean that good fortune will follow.’ Thinking in this way I no longer feel upset.”
In this frame of mind, Mr Ding Shou Zhong’s emotions were calmed. The concept of ‘accepting retribution’ gave him the strength to face calamity peacefully.
Another purpose of coming into human existence is to fulfill wishes. It is impossible to know how many wishes we have made in the past. You all would have made many wishes when you were young. When I grow up I will do this. When I graduate I will do that. When I become a mother I must… when I become a teacher I will… We all wish to achieve many things in a lifetime.
When I was young I enjoyed reading, but at the time it was hard to find any books. During that time a fellow army officer said to me, “Mate! Since you like reading books so much, in the future, I will open a bookshop and let you read as much as you want.”
“You can’t put that many books in a bookshop. There isn’t enough space. How about opening a library?” I replied. “Opening a bookshop can make money so that I can make a living. A library would be a liability and of no benefit to me,” he said. I had never thought about making money and so I said, “In the future I will open a library.”
“Then you go and do that,” he said.
After saying so, I really did not know whether there were the causes and conditions to realize it. Thirty or forty years had passed and the opportunity finally arrived. I founded the Chung-Hwa Institute of Buddhist Studies with a library that holds tens of thousands of books. It is anticipated that one day Dharma Drum Mountain’s Buddhist Library will have a collection of two hundred thousand books in addition to the Dharma Drum Humanities and Social Science University Library. My wish has gradually come true. Making a wish is a form of motivation. Once you make a wish you need to fulfill it. Fulfilling wishes is one of the aims in life.
When people participate in our Chan meditation retreats I also encourage them to make vows. For example, when they are experiencing excruciating pain in their legs as they meditate, they need to vow, “No matter how painful my legs are, I will not change posture until I hear the sound of the bell”. Admittedly, although such vows are often made, most people do eventually change posture for the pain in the legs is just unbearable.
Some people stop wanting to make vows after doing it a few times. They wonder what’s the point of making vows if something is not achievable? Nevertheless, I still encourage everyone to keep on repeating vows. As you slowly become more persistent, your vows will gradually be fulfilled. A vow is of little strength if it was made once and not repeated.
When Buddhists perform their daily services in the morning and evening, included is the recitation of ‘The Four Great Vows’:
I vow to deliver innumerable sentient beings.
I vow to cut off endless vexations.
I vow to master limitless approaches to Dharma.
I vow to attain Supreme Buddhahood.
Many people even just after making such vows will often sulk as before or quarrel with family and friends, only to feel upset and remorseful afterwards. Recalling that a moment ago they just made vows to save innumerable sentient beings and cut off endless vexations, they have instead broken the vows. So I tell them that as long as they continually make vows, the situation will gradually change and the strength of their vows will grow with the passing of each day.
The Different Stages of Generating Vows
The Path of Man
The word ‘Path’ in the Path of Cultivation is like the journey of life. The experience and direction of life is known as the way of life. Each person living in this world has their own path to tread and this consists of short term, middle term and long term goals within the journey of life. Begin by learning what is close at hand and then try seeing what is far ahead. Much like when embarking on a journey, you must begin with a single step and move forward one steady step at a time.
Thus we know that, on a human level, directing the mind to the path of cultivation begins with fulfilling one’s responsibilities to the utmost and equipping ourselves with good character and virtues. When a person does not possess the basic requirements of being a human being, nor behave or think like one, then that person may be criticized as being ‘a beast dressed as a man’.
Why is this so? First, they are pitiful in that they do not comprehend what it means to be human. Second, they lack self-control, unable to withstand temptations, stimulation and threats from the environment. Thus they lose control over their mind and body.
The mission of Dharma Drum Mountain is: ‘Uplifting the character of mankind and building a pure land on Earth’. This means starting from the very basics of being human. Hopefully, everyone will bring out appropriate behaviors in the different roles that relate to their identity. In other words, in order to direct the mind to the path of cultivation towards Buddhahood, one must generate vows to fulfill oneself.
The Path of Devas
Directing the mind to the Path of Man is only fulfilling the obligations and responsibilities of being human. But those who cultivate the Path of Devas commit themselves to serving the whole society through contribution. The scope of care, contribution and service encompasses everyone in the world. Such people as these who have big hearts and who perform innumerable wholesome acts accumulate merits that lead to a heavenly existence.
However, those that cultivate the path of Devas only think about human beings on earth. They have not yet thought of other living beings nor have they thought of those living in other worlds. Also, they are still intent on seeking heavenly comfort.
The Path of Self Liberation
Next is the path of liberation. This refers to detachment from the four elements and five skandhas, so that negative karmic activity will not arise, vexations will not appear and the ocean of birth and death in the three realms of existence is transcended.
The Path of the Bodhisattva
Cultivating the Path of the Bodhisattva combines the merits of the Paths of Man, Devas and Self Liberation. This path seeks more than to establish good karmic relationships in the human world. It entails all sentient beings in the ten directions of the past, present and future, as objects of their service, contribution, concern and care. In addition, the performance of wholesome acts is not for the sake of positive karmic results. Mahayana Buddhism always encourages the cultivation of the Path of the Bodhisattva. The path of the Bodhisattva, however, must begin with making wishes, generating vows and fulfilling them.
The Path of the Buddha
Finally, the supreme stage is the Path of the Buddha, which is making vows for what is known in Sanskrit as ‘anuttara-samyak-sambodhi’, which means ‘the ultimate supreme perfect enlightenment’. The Heart Sutra, Diamond Sutra, as well as many other Sutras have always encouraged us to vow to attain ‘anuttara-smayak-sambodhi’. This means not merely generating vows to accomplish the Paths of Man and Devas, but also the Path of Self Liberation, and more importantly, to generate the Boddhisattva vow. Supreme Buddhahood is attained upon the perfection of the Bodhisattva vow.
Regulating the Body by Sitting
To regulate the body by sitting, one should observe the Vairocana Seven-Points of Sitting. This refers to the seven rules of correct sitting posture. Each of these criteria has been used unchanged since ancient days.
Point One: The Legs Sit on the floor with legs crossed either in the Full Lotus or Half Lotus position. To make the Full Lotus, put the right foot on the left thigh, then put the left foot crossed over the right leg onto the right thigh. To reverse the direction of the feet is also acceptable.
To take the Half Lotus position requires that one foot be crossed over onto the thigh of the other. The other foot will be placed underneath the raised leg.
The Full or Half Lotus are the correct seated meditation postures according to the seven-point method. However, we will describe some alternative postures since for various reasons, people may not always be able to sit in the Full or Half Lotus.
A position, called the Burmese position, is similar to the Half Lotus, except that one foot is crossed over onto the calf, rather than the thigh, of the other leg. Another position consists in kneeling. In this position, kneel with the legs together. The upper part of the body can be erect from knee to head, or the buttocks can be resting on the heels. If physical problems prevent sitting in any of the above positions, then sitting on a chair is possible, but as a last resort to the above postures.
The positions above are given in the preferred order, the Full Lotus being the most stable, and most conductive to good results. Sitting cross-legged is most conducive to sitting long periods with effective concentration. The position one can take depends on factors such as physical condition, health, and age. However, one should use the position in which prolonged sitting (at least twenty minutes or more) is feasible and reasonably comfortable. However, do not use a position that requires little, or the least effort, because without significant effort, no good results can be attained.
The spine must be upright. This does not mean to thrust your chest forward, but rather to make sure that your lower back is erect, not just slumped. The chin must be tucked in a little bit. Both of these points together cause you to naturally maintain a very upright spine. An upright spine also means a vertical spine, leaning neither forward or backward, right or left.
Point Three: The Hands
The hands form a so-called Dharma Realm Samadhi Mudra. The open right palm is underneath, and the open left palm rests in the right palm. The thumbs lightly touch to form a closed circle or oval. The hands are placed in front of the abdomen, and rest on the legs.
Point Four: The Shoulders
Let the shoulders be relaxed, the arms hanging loosely. There should be no sense of your shoulders, arms or hands. If you have any sensation of these parts, there is probably tension in those areas.
Point Five: The Tongue
The tip of the tongue should be lightly touching the roof of the mouth just behind the front teeth. If you have too much saliva, you can let go of this connection. If you have no saliva at all, you can apply greater pressure with the tip of the tongue.
Point Six: The Mouth
The mouth must always be closed. At all times, breath through the nose, not through the mouth.
Point Seven: The Eyes
The eyes should be slightly open and gazing downward at a forty-five degree angle. Rest the eyes in that direction, trying not to stare at anything. Closing the eyes may cause drowsiness, or visual illusions. However, if your eyes feel very tired you can close them for a short while.
Regulating the Body by Walking
Regulating the body by walking consists of slow walking and fast walking. Walking meditation is especially useful for a change of pace when engaged in prolonged sitting, such as on personal or group retreats. Periods of walking can be taken between sittings.
In slow walking, the upper body should be in the same posture as in sitting, the difference being in the position of the hands. The left palm should lightly enclose the right hand, which is a loosely formed fist. The hands should be held in front of, but not touching, the abdomen. The forearms should be parallel to the ground. The attention should be on bottom of the feet as you walk very slowly, the steps being short, about the length of one’s foot. If walking in an enclosed space, walk in a clockwise direction.
Fast walking is done by walking rapidly without actually running. The main difference in posture from slow walking is that the arms are now dropped to the sides, swinging forwards and backwards, as in natural walking. Take short fast steps, keeping the attention on the feet.
Supplementary Exercise
Sitting and walking are the two basic methods of regulating your body. There is a supplementary aspect which is to exercise for a short period after sitting, even if you only do one sitting per day. The form of exercise is a matter of individual choice, but it should be moderate, such as Tai Chi or Yoga.
Regulation the Breath
Regulation the breath is very simple. It’s just your natural breathing. Do no try to control your breathing. The breath is used as a way to focus, to concentrate the minds. In other words, we bring the two things – regulating the breathing and regulating the mind together.
Regulating the Mind by Counting the Breath
The basic method of regulating the mind is to count one’s breath in a repeating cycle of ten breaths. The basic idea is that by concentration on the simple technique of counting, this leaves the mind with less opportunity for wandering thoughts. Starting with one, mentally (not vocally) count each exhalation until you reach ten, keeping the attention on the counting. After reaching ten, start the cycle over again, starting with one. Do not count during the inhalation, but just keep the mind on the intake of air through the nose. If wandering thoughts occur while counting, just ignore them and continue counting. If wandering thoughts cause you to lose count, or go beyond ten, as soon as you become aware of it, start all over again at one.
If you have so many wandering thoughts that keeping count is difficult or impossible, you can vary the method, such as counting backwards from ten to one, or counting by twos from two to twenty. By giving yourself the additional effort, you can increase your concentration on the method, and reduce wandering thoughts.
Regulating the Mind by Watching the Breath
If your wandering thoughts are minimal, and you can maintain the count without losing it, you can drop counting and just observe your breath going in and out. Keep your intention at the tip of your nose. If, without any conscious effort, your breathing naturally descends to the lower abdomen, allow your attention to follow your breathing there. Do not try to control the tempo of your breathing: just watch and follow it naturally. A less strenuous method, also conducive to a peaceful mind, is to just keep your attention on the breath going in and out of your nostrils. Again, ignore wandering thoughts. When you become aware that you have been interrupted by thoughts, just return to the method.
Regulating the Mind by Watching the Dan Tian
A third method of regulating the mind is to focus the attention on the dan tian, which is a point located below the navel. The dan tian is not an organ, but a center of psychic energy similar to the Indian chakras. This method is best employed when your breathing has naturally descended to the abdomen. The technique consists simply in mentally following the movements of the dan tian as the abdomen moves in and out as a natural consequence of breathing. This method is more energetic than the methods of breath counting or following, and should be used only after gaining some proficiency in those methods. In any case, the method should not be forced.
General Instructions
Although the methods of meditation given above are simple and straightforward, it is best to practice them under the guidance of a teacher. Without a teacher, a meditator will not be able to correct beginner’s mistakes, which if uncorrected, could lead to problems or lack of useful results.
In practicing meditation, it is important that body and mind be relaxed. If one is physically or mentally tense, trying to meditate can be counter-productive. Sometimes certain feelings or phenomena arise while meditating. If you are relaxed, whatever symptoms arise are usually good. It can be pain, soreness, itchiness, warmth or coolness, these can all be beneficial. But in the context of tenseness, these same symptoms may indicate obstacles.
For example, despite being relaxed when meditating, you may sense pain in some parts of the body. Frequently, this may mean that tensions you were not aware of are benefiting from the circulation of blood and energy induced by meditation. A problem originally existing may be alleviated. On the other hand, if you are very tense while meditating and feel pain, the reason may be that the tension is causing the pain. So the same symptom of pain can indicate two different causes: an original problem getting better, or a new problem being created.
A safe and recommended approach is to initially limit sitting to half an hour, or two half-hour segments, in as relaxed a manner as possible. This refers not only to your inner, but also your outer environment. For beginners, if the mind is burdened with outside concerns, it may be better to relieve some of these burdens before sitting. For this reason, it is best to sit early in the morning, before dealing with the problems of the day. Sitting times may be increased with experience. But people who meditate for extended periods may become so engrossed in their effort that they may not recognize their tensions.
This frequently exists because their minds are preoccupied getting results. So to work hard on meditation means to just put your mind on meditation itself. If you can just do that, there is no reason for tension to arise. On the contrary, deeper relaxation, and calming of the body and mind should result.
People interested in Chan practice often find it difficult to have religious faith. As faith is intrinsically emotional, and Chan practitioners emphasize personal cultivation to gain physical and mental benefits or the experience of Chan, they find it hard to accept religious faith. This is actually a great mistake.
Many people think that Chan practice depends solely on their own efforts, requiring self-reliance, while those who practice by reciting the Buddha’s name depend solely on external help. Both of these views are incorrect. In reality, Chan practice also requires external help, and the practice of reciting the Buddha’s name also requires one’s own effort. One can hardly become an accomplished Chan practitioner through one’s own efforts. In India, China and Tibet, all mediators need the support and the assistance of teachers, Dharma-protecting deities, and the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. That is why Chan monasteries in China erect and worship the status of Dharma-protecting deities such as the eight divisions of divinities and the four deva kings.
In the past, eminent masters often encouraged Chan practitioners to “entrust their bodies to the monastery and their lives to the Dharma-protecting deities” during Chan meditation. You do not need to be concerned about your body since it will be taken care of by the masters on duty. You simply follow the monastery’s routines. However, to achieve good results in your practice, you need the support of Dharma-protecting deities. Without such assistance, one may turn into demonic hindrances. Practicing Chan depending solely on one’s own efforts without believing in the power of the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and Dharma-protecting deities can not be considered practicing Buddhism at all.
Chan practitioners should believe in that in addition to meditating diligently and working on Chan, they need to accumulate merit and cultivate virtue. The idea that one can attain enlightenment or liberation by meditating on one’s own is itself an obstacle that precludes real liberation. How can a self-seeking person become enlightened? Therefore, the Chan school also emphasizes practices such as giving and repentance. If one does not show concern for the benefit of all sentient beings, sincerely give of oneself for others, and devotedly practice giving and make offering, it will be quite difficult to succeed in spiritual practice.
In the past, many as-yet-unenlightened Chan masters at large monasteries engaged in “work cultivation”, performing all linds of manual labor for their masters and monasteries. Such work included carrying water, chopping wood, cooking and other kitchen chores, growing vegetables, as well as cleaning up and maintaining the monastery and grounds.
At traditional Buddhist monasteries, forty-eight types of work were performed by monastic practitioners. Even today, they are relieved of complex tasks only during seven-day Chan retreats to avoid distractions. Otherwise, every monastic is assigned long-term tasks. Therefore, during our seven-day Chan retreats, we make it a rule to ask every participant to do some simple chores.
Chan monasteries encourage monastics to give their spare cloths, money or other possessions to the needy, keeping only the most basic necessities. In the past, a typical monastic Chan practitioner’s belongings weighed just a little over one kilo, because they gave away whatever came into their possession.
From these examples, we can see that a Chan practitioner must be ready to make offerings and practice giving, as well as give away unnecessary personal belongings to those who need them. Unfortunately, many Chan practitioners today are presumptuous, arrogant, selfish and petty, and lack faith. This is pity and dangerous. How did this happen? It is because people who take up Chan practice hope to have physical and mental experiences such as stability, joy and health. However, once these objectives are achieved, they see those achievements as the product of their own efforts, rather than the result of a spiritual response from the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, or the support of Dharma-protecting deities in the monastery. Nor do they believe these effects are due to the skilful guidance of a venerable master or certain teacher. As a result, they become arrogant, conceited and complacent, lacking both belief and a sense of respect.
“Faith” means that, in spite of our own limited capacities and knowledge, we believe in the existence of certain realities. This can best be illustrated by the Chinese expression: “We look up to a sage’s noble behavior like looking up to a lofty mountain. Unattainable though it may seem, we yearn for it in our hearts.” When we see a lofty mountain, even though we are as yet unable to reach its peak, we still believe that there must be great masters residing yonder, and the scenery must be fantastic. The higher we climb, the more we discover things we have never seen before. This is belief based on admiration. Standing far below, we revere what is high above us, generating a belief that there must be some unknown power above that can help us. But if our faith is insufficient, we will not be able to believe in things that Buddhism talks about that are beyond our ken, and our spiritual practice will not be effective.
Chan Buddhism advocates belief in our own nature, that is, the belief that we ourselves can attain Buddhahood, and that we are originally the same as all Buddhas, not lacking in any single attribute of a Buddha. Chan Buddhism asserts that if only we let go of our self-centeredness, we will instantly see our “original face,” so we can all attain Buddhahood. Our original face is the Buddha in our own nature. The Buddha-nature is inherent in us, not acquired after cultivation. For this reason, many people misunderstand Chan Buddhism and neglect the importance of faith.
The basic theory that we are all intrinsically Buddhas is correct. But in practice, it does not quite work that way. As an illustration, everyone may become a parent, but does that mean a newborn baby is a parent? He has yet to grow up and reach adulthood. He is not a parent yet, and is still a baby. Will a baby become a parent in the future? Not necessarily. Those who take monastic vows at an early age and practice celibacy will not become parents, nor will those who are married but infertile. In theory, everyone can be a parent. But in actuality, it is not necessarily so.
Similarly, in a democratic society every citizen has the right to vote, and be elected to office. However, while the majority has the right to vote, few have the opportunity to be elected. Due to a lack of ability or causes and conditions, we can only vote, but can never be elected. There are, however, those who, upon hearing that in Chan teaching “everyone has the Buddha-nature,” fancy themselves as equivalent to Buddhas with perfect wisdom, though they are nothing but ignorant, mediocre people. Seeing Buddha images, they not only refuse to prostrate, but scoff, saying that as present Buddhas themselves, they do not prostrate to past Buddhas. They think, “I have a Buddha within. Why bother to worship clay or wooden statues of Buddhas, or their painted images!”
Such people believe that only their own mind is the Buddha and that there is no Buddha outside their mind. When they see other people making prostrations, they call it attachment. When people prostrate to a venerable master, these self-proclaimed Chan practitioners shake their heads and sign, “There is no need to prostrate to the Buddha, let alone a monastic.”
One time, while someone was prostrating to me, they were pulled up by a lay practitioner who said to them, “Do not prostrate! Do not harm the master!” I, to whom the followers made prostrations, was being harmed? I was puzzled, so I asked, “What do you mean? How is he harming me? He said, “If you are really an eminent monk of great attainment, do you still need to have people prostrate to you? If you do, that means there is attachment in your mind. The more people prostrate, the more you feel like an eminent monk. You will not attain liberation and enlightenment your whole life.”
I though to myself, “Well! He has a point.”
The lay practitioner continued, “If you really attained liberation, then when he prostrate to you, you should reproach him saying, ‘Don’t be attached to anything. Since one should have no notion of self, person sentient beings, or beings with a lifespan, naturally there should be no notion of master and disciple. Why bother to make prostrations!”
Oh! This layman has a really sharp tongue. I asked him, “Do you prostrate to the Buddha?” He said, “I prostrate to the Buddha within.” I asked, “How do you do that?” He replied, “I do not do it with my body, but with my mind.” I asked, “How do you do it with your mind?”
He said, “Achieving a free and easy state of mind is prostration. Having no obstructions in the mind is prostration.” What he meant is that there was no need to prostrate to Buddhas or bodhisattvas, and he believed in nothing but himself. Actually, this is neither Buddhism nor Chan, but a type of arrogant, demonic view that lacks faith. This kind of person may have had some minor experiences in meditation and developed a kind of overconfidence, which we call “pride of superior attainment.” After having read some specious Chan texts, they are caught up in erroneous views. While in this life, they think they have already attained liberation. Once they die, they may be reborn in the heavenly realm if they have great merit. However, because they do not have the right view and understanding or believe in the Three Jewels, they will fall into a miserable plane of existence once they have exhausted their karmic rewards in heaven. If they have an improper attitude, do not keep the precepts, and always do evil, they will fall into hell as fast as an arrow.
Therefore, Chan master believe in the existence of heaven, hell, Buddha land, and worlds of troubles. Only to highly advanced Chan practitioners who are practicing vigorously but still harbor some attachment in their minds would a Chan master say, “There is no Buddha, no Dharma, and no Sangha, There is no heaven and hell.” Chan masters say this because liberation can never be attained if one’s mind is attached to the Three Jewels, heaven, or hell. On the other hand, beginning Chan practitioners must be remained to make a clear distinction between cause and effect, and between ordinary people and sages. Otherwise, in speaking against attachment, they become trapped in inverted views, reversing cause and effect, and, as ordinary people, passing themselves off as sages. Ordinary people are just ordinary people. We should not facy ourselves as ancient Buddhas who reappear in this world, equal in all respects to the Buddhas of the past, present and future.
Chan practice is not just sitting meditation. Chan practice is not about just talking big, or solely seeking enlightenment and wanting to be equal to all past, present and future Buddhas. While promoting Chan teachings, we should also emphasize the importance of faith. By so doing, we can make it easier for people to practice successfully and help uplift their character.
Chan methods also require that we let go of our attachment to the self. This must start with having faith, practicing giving, and keeping the precepts. Eliminating this attachment requires a sense of shame, humility, gratitude, and repentance. We should also have faith in the Three Jewels, Buddhas and bodhisattvas, the various Dharma-protecting deities, and Chan patriarchs, as well as the teachers who guide us in our practice.
Contrarily, if you are so arrogant that, having barely embarked on the Chan path, you refuse to prostrate to the Buddhas, respect the Dharma and Sangha, or believe in the various Dharma-protecting deities, then do not even think about the possibility of attaining enlightenment or seeing your true nature.