禅佛教

Chan Buddhismus

Chan is one of the most wonderful things. It is not just any thing, everything cannot go outside its environment. It contains everything, at the same time it makes nothing out of everything....

First of all, we would like to tell you that Chan is not like knowledge and knowledge cannot deviate from Chan;

Chan is not like religion, the effect of religion can be obtained from Chan;

Chan is not like philosophy, but philosophy is not able to surpass the field of Chan;

Chan is not like science, for science the factual and the spirit of experience are important, which are also exactly the demands of Chan.

Since the existence of space and time, Chan exists universally in a boundless space and in an infinite time. Chan is an art of wisdom of life. It teaches people to devote themselves to the present life, especially in a hectic and tense modern society. Chan can sprinkle coolness and sunshine into your tired and restless heart and let you taste the joy of freedom and contentment after waking up.

禅宗公案

Joshu's Chan

Chan's Koan

Joshu began the study of Chan when he was sixty years old and continued until he was eighty, when he recognized Chan. He taught from the age of eighty until he was one hundred and twenty.

A student once asked him, "If I have nothing in my head, what should I do?"

Joshu replied, "Throw it out."

"But if I don't have it, how can I throw it out?" continued the questioner.

"Well," said Joshu, "then carry it out."

禅宗公案

No Water, No Moon

Chan's Koan

When the nun Chiyono studied Chan under Bukko of Engaku she was unable to attain the fruits of meditation for a long time.

At last one moonlit night she was carrying water in an old pail bound with bamboo. The bamboo broke and the bottom fell out of the pail, and at that moment Chiyono was set free!

In commemoration, she wrote a poem:

In this way and that I tried to save the old pail

Sincse the bamboo strip was weakening and about to break

Until at last the bottom tell out.

No more water in the pail!

No more moon in the water!

禅宗公案

The Moon Cannot Be Stolen

Chan's Koan

Ryokan, a Chan master, lived the simplest kind of life in a little hut at the foot of a mountain. One evening a thief visited the hut only to discover there was nothing to steal.

Ryokan returned and caught him. "You have come a long way to visit me," he told the prowler, " and you should not return empty-handed. Please take my clothes as a gift."

The thief was bewilderes. He took the clothes and slunk away.

Ryoken sat naked, watching the moon. "Poor fellow," he mused, "I wish I could have give him this beautiful moon."

禅宗公案

If You Love, Love Openly

Chan's Koan

Twenty monks and one nun, who was named Eshun, were practicing meditation with a certain Chan master.

Eshun was very pretty even though her head was shaved and her dress plain. Several monks secretly fell in love with her. One of them wrote her a love letter, insisting upon a private meeting.

Eshun did not reply. The following day the master gave a lecture to the group, and when it was over, Eshun arose. Addressing the one who had written to her, she said: "If you really love me so much, come and embrace me now."

禅宗公案

Three Kinds of Disciples

Chan's Koan

A Chan master named Gettan lived in the latter part of the Tokugawa era. He used to say: "There are three kinds of disciples: those who impart Chan to others, those who maintain the temples and shrines, and then there are the rice bags and the clothes-hangers."

Gasan expressed the same idea. When he was studying under Tekisui his teacher was very severe. Sometimes he even beat him. Other pupils would not stand this kind of teaching and quit. Gasan remained, saying: "A poor disciple utilizes a teachers influence. A fair disciple admires a teachers kindness. A good disciple grows strong under a teachers discipline."

禅宗公案

Flower Shower

Chan's Koan

Subhuti was Buddha's disciple. He was able to understand the potency of emptiness, the viewpoin that nothing exists except in its relationship of subjectivity and objectivity.

One day Subhuti, in a mood of sublime emptiness, was sitting under a tree. Flowers began to fall about him.

"We are praising you for your discourse on emptiness." the gods whispered to him. "But I have not spoken of emptiness." said Subhuti. "You have not spoken of emptiness, we have not heard emptiness." responded the gods. "This is the true emptiness." And blossoms showered upon Subhuti as rain.

禅宗公案

Temper

Chan's Koan

A Chan student came to Bankei and complained: "Master, I have an ungovernable temper. How can I cure it?"

"You have something very strange," replied Bankei. "Let me see what you have."

"Just now I cannot show it to you," replied the other.

"When can you show it to me?" aseked Bankei.

"It arises unexpectedly," replied the student.

"Then," concluded Bankei, "it must not be your own true nature. If it were, you could show it to me at any time. When you were born you did not have it, and your parents did not give it to you. Think that over."

The Four Noble Truths

Buddhas first and most important teachings are the “Four Noble Truths”. Those can be summarized as follows:

Life has inevitable suffering
Suffering is caused by greed, ignorance and selfish desires
There is an end to suffering
The end to suffering is contained in the eight fold path

The Eightfold Path

Buddhism summarizes the way to overcome suffering in eight principals, the so called “Noble Eightfold Path”:

Right Understanding
Right Thoughts
Right Speech
Right Actions
Right Livelihood
Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Right Concentration

慧能

Der sechste Patriarch Hui Neng

Hui Neng (chin. 慧能) the sixth patriarch of Chan (Zen) was the founder of the school of sudden awakening, which emphasizes that sudden enlightenment is possible with proper teacher and method. The teaching of the sixth patriarch emphasizes the unity of everything.

Hui Neng was the most famous Chan master in Chinese history. After his death, his works were collected and classified as the only Chinese Buddhist sutra. It is called the Plattfomsutra of the Sixth Patriarch. His school of sudden awakening is the only major Chinese school of Chan Buddhism. Hui Neng's disciples spread the Dharma (teaching) throughout Asia.

Hui Neng defined sitting Chan as, "In the midst of all good and evil, no thought in the mind - this is called sitting. Seeing someone's true nature, being completely unmoved - this is called Chan."

He taught sitting Chan should always be practiced, not just when formally sitting. He emphasized that it is the attitude of mind that is important, not the physical posture, because truth can be found while standing, walking, or lying down.

The most important point in the teaching of Chan is self-observation, which means reflecting one's own light inward. If we are too busy criticizing others, it will be difficult to focus our thoughts on ourselves and thus get to know ourselves.

The followers of Chan Buddhism therefore focus all their attention inward and reflect solely on their "true nature", which in China is called "true face". Only when I have come to understand myself will I come to understand the people and the world around me.