Ch'an

Intuitive meeting of minds is pointing directly to the human mind regarding the insight to reality. This requires one to have experienced some degree of enlightenment, which is beyond the expression of words.

Chan got to the West after World War II mainly attributed to two systems of Japanese Zen, advocated by Kyozan Joshu Sasaki and Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki respectively. Although Westerners approach Chan somewhat differently than Asians do, they both appreciate its physical and mental benefits for their lives. 

Chinese culture and Chinese Buddhism influenced each other and are inseparable.  Ancient China, influenced by Confucianism and Taoism, was a rather humanistic and naturalistic society, so Buddhism in China has become an earthly religion, a unique quality of Ch'an Buddhism.

Chan Buddhism originated with Shakyamuni Buddha and its essential spirit has never varied. It places great emphasis on daily life and the experience of direct awakening. By practicing Ch'an, even when one cannot achieve enlightenment, one is certainly planting the roots of good karma and will be able to have fewer afflictions and develop more wisdom. 

"The true meaning of Ch'an is wisdom and compassion, and the meaning of meditative absorption is not to be affected by our environment and not to be subject to any temptation. Ch'an Buddhism teaches that concentration and wisdom are one, with which we are able to deal with people and events objectively without giving rise to mental affliction.

Ch'an practice lies in our daily life. Spiritual practice is to constantly pay attention to our action, speech, and thought, and correct ourselves, and therefore attain spiritual liberation and freedom of mind.

The spirit of Chan is concentrating the mind on a single thought and cultivating awareness of our actions.