Module II

The Practice of Chan

In the first module we looked at the foundations on which the Chan path rest, the origins of Chan from the perspective of the Buddha's teachings and the history of Chan itself.

Just as the Buddha used expedient means to teach Dharma to different people at different levels of experience and capability, Chan uses expedient means to train the mind to divest itself of vexation and attachment and to attain the same enlightenment as the Buddha's. In this module we look at the practices that make up the Chan path. You will learn about:

  • Chan practice: the precepts, concentration (meditation), and the cultivation of wisdom.
     
  • Knowing the mind
     
  • Mindfulness and daily life
      
  • Chan and enlightenment
       
  • Transmission