THE PATRIARCH CHAN
The Patriarch Chan approach is a unique "mind to mind" transmission, independent of words and scriptures. It was directly transmitted by Buddha Shakyamuni all the way through generations of Chan patriarchs to the present time from India to China, and from there to Korea, Japan, and Taiwan.
This approach, deeply rooted in the realization of the complete and ultimate enlightenment, directly points to the human mind and emphasizes the need to realize the inherent empty nature (also called Buddha Nature) and consequently to become a Buddha. After realizing the complete and perfect enlightenment, the Buddha explained that all sentient beings have the same intrinsic wisdom and compassion as all the Buddhas and the great bodhisattvas. However, because of the self-attached and discriminating mind, they are not aware of it. Therefore, it is clear that if we are able to let dissolve the mind of self-attachment and discrimination, the inherent wisdom and compassion will appear.
Patriarch Chan emphasizes the so-called “sudden” approach and the importance of practice in daily life, and explains that realization can be achieved only in the course of everyday life.
It also teaches practitioners how to be immersed in the phenomena without being affected by them.
It is a method without any particular form, and can be suitable to any situation.
Patriarch Chan differs from Tathagata Chan and from other methods in several aspects, but the most important one is that while Thatagata Chan uses a gradual practice, Patriarchal Chan makes use of the sudden approach, emphasized in China at the beginning of the Tang Dynasty from the Sixth Patriarch Huineng and explained in his famous Sutra.
Patriarch Chan practitioners make use of this vision and principles moment by moment during the entire day without any idea that they are practicing anything, or that there is anything to attain, or that there are afflictions to get rid of, or anything that needs to be purified. They only apply their inherent awareness, also called "True Mind", moment by moment without any self-reference or discrimination, doing the practice here and now in this world and in any situation.
This approach, deeply rooted in the realization of the complete and ultimate enlightenment, directly points to the human mind and emphasizes the need to realize the inherent empty nature (also called Buddha Nature) and consequently to become a Buddha. After realizing the complete and perfect enlightenment, the Buddha explained that all sentient beings have the same intrinsic wisdom and compassion as all the Buddhas and the great bodhisattvas. However, because of the self-attached and discriminating mind, they are not aware of it. Therefore, it is clear that if we are able to let dissolve the mind of self-attachment and discrimination, the inherent wisdom and compassion will appear.
Patriarch Chan emphasizes the so-called “sudden” approach and the importance of practice in daily life, and explains that realization can be achieved only in the course of everyday life.
It also teaches practitioners how to be immersed in the phenomena without being affected by them.
It is a method without any particular form, and can be suitable to any situation.
Patriarch Chan differs from Tathagata Chan and from other methods in several aspects, but the most important one is that while Thatagata Chan uses a gradual practice, Patriarchal Chan makes use of the sudden approach, emphasized in China at the beginning of the Tang Dynasty from the Sixth Patriarch Huineng and explained in his famous Sutra.
Patriarch Chan practitioners make use of this vision and principles moment by moment during the entire day without any idea that they are practicing anything, or that there is anything to attain, or that there are afflictions to get rid of, or anything that needs to be purified. They only apply their inherent awareness, also called "True Mind", moment by moment without any self-reference or discrimination, doing the practice here and now in this world and in any situation.