Ch'an ("Zen")

Ch'an ("Zen" in Japanese) is both the most mystical and the most basic of Buddhist paths. Ch'an is considered mystical because of the idea that, through meditative discipline, human beings are capable of intuitively seeing reality in such a way that abolishes suffering. Ch'an Buddhism is also seen as mysterious due to its non-logical character, and its incorporation of Taoist ideas.

Ch'an is perhaps the most fundamental kind of Buddhism in the sense that its "back to basics" attitude encourages a practical interpretation of the eightfold path. Ch'an is also a distilled or crystallized version of Buddhism because it urges each individual to walk the spiritual path, and avoids placing undue responsibility upon religious authorities. In this way, Ch'an is a return to the practices of the historical Buddha, emphasizing minimal reliance upon scripture and a life characterized by meditative practice.

Shaolin could be described as Buddhism with Taoist leaning. Taoism provided much of the blueprint for our martial techniques, yet it was Buddhism that provided a mental and spiritual direction for the use of those techniques. This Taoist-body/Buddhist-mind notion is crucial to understanding Shaolin. The practicality of Shaolin Ch'an surfaces not only in our philosophy, but also in our combat training, as that training gives us practical tools as well as spiritual ones.

Go to: Ch'an (Zen) Stories