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What is Chan?
Chan is a Mahāyāna Chinese Buddhist tradition and is the ancestor of the better-known Japanese school of Zen Buddhism.
The practices and doctrines that later formed Chan (Zen) Buddhism existed in China before a semi-legendary Indian monk called Bodhidharma arrived in the 5th or 6th century CE, but Chan as a distinct, self-conscious school did not.
Bodhidharma is traditionally credited as the first patriarch, but he was essentially a key figure in organizing and initiating a tradition based on existing meditation practices.
"Chan" (禪) is the Chinese transliteration of the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which means "meditation," "contemplative absorption," or "meditative concentration". As a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism, it represents a tradition focused on direct, experiential insight into the nature of reality and the attainment of awakening, rather than mere study of scriptures.
Chan Buddhism practices focus on direct insight into one's own Buddha-nature through meditation, mindfulness, and the cessation of clinging thoughts to achieve "no-mind".
Key techniques include seated and walking meditation, working with huatou and gong'an (koan) and the practice of silent illumination (mozhao).
