What makes Chan Buddhism?
Chan was founded by the Indian monk Bodhidharma (short: Damo) about 500 AD in the Song Shan Shaolin Temple. Chan became known in the West under the Japanese term Zen.
The meditating Buddha as a statue or effigy is today often equated with Chan. Damo's philosophy was based on the teachings of Buddha. Damo also rejected the worship of statues and images established after the Buddha's passing.
According to Damo, the central element of the teaching of the historical Buddha is the enlightenment to be sought, which is to be achieved through meditation and reflection. Damo rejected the study of scriptures of any kind.
According to him, the transmission of Buddhism should take place exclusively "personally" (today called "Dharma talk"). In this process, a master does not instruct his disciples on the content of scriptures, but directly guides the followers in conversations by repeating the core statements (mainly "enlightenment").
According to Damo, an important element in this process is meditation, in which the students immerse themselves in a form of "spiritual emptiness" in order to make room for the "true teachings" of Buddha.
However, meditation (even more so in the lotus position) is more than difficult for the average European, since in the West the tradition of eating, drinking or conversing cross-legged on the floor does not exist. Just to hold the cross-legged position calmly and relaxed, "Westerners" usually need years of practice, while Asians are used to this sitting position from early youth. So to find enlightenment, Europeans would first have to learn "sitting" over a long time, and then practice meditation for more years.
According to Damo, the goal should be the unity of the mind with the "Buddha nature", which can only be achieved in existence. According to this view, every human being is a Buddha, only that the realization has been "buried" and must first be rediscovered.
From the Chan culture of Damo two different schools developed, the northern and the southern view. The southern doctrine prevailed, which understands enlightenment as an "event coming towards one", while the northern one was mainly based on meditation.
Probably the most important representative of the "Chan doctrine" was Hui Neng, a successor of Damo.
If you look at the life story of Buddha, you start to wonder.
The Indian prince left his palace to find the "meaning of life". In the process, he met several important masters who shaped his views and gave him a certain direction.
For many years, however, Buddha meditated without experiencing enlightenment. Half-starved and in a kind of trance state for months, he had actually already given up on his goal when a woman handed him a bowl of rice soup.
YOU AND I - WE ARE ONE. I CAN'T HURT YOU WITHOUT HURTING MYSELF
- MAHATMA GANDHI - INDIAN LAWYER - 1869 TO 1948
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