The Essence of Chan

The Essence of Chan

Author: Guo Gu

Publisher: Shambhala Publications

Published: 2020-10-27

Total Pages: 130

ISBN-13: 0834843080

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Clear and illuminating commentary on one of Bodhidharma’s most important texts—designed to help Chan practitioners apply timeless and essential advice to their practice Legend has it that more than a thousand years ago an Indian Buddhist monk named Bodhidharma arrived in China. His approach to teaching was unlike that of any of the Buddhist missionaries who had come to China before him. He confounded the emperor with cryptic dialogues, traveled the country, lived in a cave in the mountains, and eventually paved the way for a unique and illuminating approach to Buddhist teachings that would later spread across the whole of East Asia in the form of Chan—later to be known as Seon in Korean, Thien in Vietnamese, and Zen in Japanese. This book, a translation and commentary on one of Bodhidharma’s most important texts, explores Bodhidharma’s revolutionary teachings in English. Guo Gu weaves his commentary through modern and relatable contexts, showing that this centuries-old wisdom is just as crucial for life now as it was when it first came to be. Masterfully translated and accompanied by helpful insights to supplement daily practice, The Essence of Chan is the perfect guide for those new to Chan, those returning, or those who have been practicing for years.


Book Synopsis The Essence of Chan by : Guo Gu

Download or read book The Essence of Chan written by Guo Gu and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2020-10-27 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Clear and illuminating commentary on one of Bodhidharma’s most important texts—designed to help Chan practitioners apply timeless and essential advice to their practice Legend has it that more than a thousand years ago an Indian Buddhist monk named Bodhidharma arrived in China. His approach to teaching was unlike that of any of the Buddhist missionaries who had come to China before him. He confounded the emperor with cryptic dialogues, traveled the country, lived in a cave in the mountains, and eventually paved the way for a unique and illuminating approach to Buddhist teachings that would later spread across the whole of East Asia in the form of Chan—later to be known as Seon in Korean, Thien in Vietnamese, and Zen in Japanese. This book, a translation and commentary on one of Bodhidharma’s most important texts, explores Bodhidharma’s revolutionary teachings in English. Guo Gu weaves his commentary through modern and relatable contexts, showing that this centuries-old wisdom is just as crucial for life now as it was when it first came to be. Masterfully translated and accompanied by helpful insights to supplement daily practice, The Essence of Chan is the perfect guide for those new to Chan, those returning, or those who have been practicing for years.

Silent Illumination

Silent Illumination

Author: Guo Gu

Publisher: Shambhala Publications

Published: 2021-03-09

Total Pages: 161

ISBN-13: 0834843498

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Our natural awakening—or buddha-nature—is inherent within all of us and waiting to be realized. Buddha-nature has the qualities of both silence and illumination, and by working with silent illumination meditation you can find your own awakening. Distinguished Chan Buddhist teacher Guo Gu introduces you to the significance and methods of this practice through in-depth explanations and guided instructions. To help establish a foundation for realizing silent illumination, he has translated twenty-five teachings from the influential master Hongzhi Zhengjue into English, accompanied by his personal commentary. This book will be an indispensable resource for meditators interested in beginning or deepening their silent illumination practice.


Book Synopsis Silent Illumination by : Guo Gu

Download or read book Silent Illumination written by Guo Gu and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2021-03-09 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Our natural awakening—or buddha-nature—is inherent within all of us and waiting to be realized. Buddha-nature has the qualities of both silence and illumination, and by working with silent illumination meditation you can find your own awakening. Distinguished Chan Buddhist teacher Guo Gu introduces you to the significance and methods of this practice through in-depth explanations and guided instructions. To help establish a foundation for realizing silent illumination, he has translated twenty-five teachings from the influential master Hongzhi Zhengjue into English, accompanied by his personal commentary. This book will be an indispensable resource for meditators interested in beginning or deepening their silent illumination practice.

Dharma Drum

Dharma Drum

Author: Master Sheng-Yen

Publisher: Shambhala Publications

Published: 2006-10-10

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 0834828235

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Here is an ideal guide to the practice of Chan Buddhism by a great modern teacher. Part One presents Master Sheng Yen’s lively, anecdotal account of the history and main principles of the Chan tradition, along with his careful instructions for meditation. Part Two consists of 180 of his gemlike aphorisms and sayings that serve as inspirations to spiritual practice. The book will appeal to beginners as well as experienced students.


Book Synopsis Dharma Drum by : Master Sheng-Yen

Download or read book Dharma Drum written by Master Sheng-Yen and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2006-10-10 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here is an ideal guide to the practice of Chan Buddhism by a great modern teacher. Part One presents Master Sheng Yen’s lively, anecdotal account of the history and main principles of the Chan tradition, along with his careful instructions for meditation. Part Two consists of 180 of his gemlike aphorisms and sayings that serve as inspirations to spiritual practice. The book will appeal to beginners as well as experienced students.

Essential Chan Buddhism

Essential Chan Buddhism

Author: Guo Jun

Publisher: Monkfish Book Publishing

Published: 2013-04-02

Total Pages: 194

ISBN-13: 0983358915

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An inspiring introduction to Chan Buddhism in a value-priced hardcover edition. Perfect for daily spiritual guidance and gifts.


Book Synopsis Essential Chan Buddhism by : Guo Jun

Download or read book Essential Chan Buddhism written by Guo Jun and published by Monkfish Book Publishing. This book was released on 2013-04-02 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An inspiring introduction to Chan Buddhism in a value-priced hardcover edition. Perfect for daily spiritual guidance and gifts.

Orthodox Chinese Buddhism

Orthodox Chinese Buddhism

Author: Chan Master Sheng Yen

Publisher: North Atlantic Books

Published: 2007-08-07

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 9781556436574

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As a well-known scholar and meditation master—His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama called him “extremely modest, a true spiritual practitioner of deep and broad learning”—Sheng Yen is uniquely qualified to guide Western seekers into the world of contemporary Chinese Buddhism. Written while the author was secluded in solitary retreat in southern Taiwan, Orthodox Chinese Buddhism provides a wealth of theory and simple, clear guidelines for practicing this increasingly popular form of spirituality. One of the most influential Buddhist books in the Chinese language, the book explores a wide range of subjects, from distinguishing core teachings from outdated cultural norms to bridging the gap between Western and Chinese traditions. In the process, it addresses such questions as “To what extent should Buddhism be Westernized to fit new cultural conditions?” and “Does Westernization necessarily lead to ‘a dumbing down’ of Buddhism?” In addition to the translation of the complete original text, this edition includes new annotations, appendixes, and a glossary designed for the Western reader.


Book Synopsis Orthodox Chinese Buddhism by : Chan Master Sheng Yen

Download or read book Orthodox Chinese Buddhism written by Chan Master Sheng Yen and published by North Atlantic Books. This book was released on 2007-08-07 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As a well-known scholar and meditation master—His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama called him “extremely modest, a true spiritual practitioner of deep and broad learning”—Sheng Yen is uniquely qualified to guide Western seekers into the world of contemporary Chinese Buddhism. Written while the author was secluded in solitary retreat in southern Taiwan, Orthodox Chinese Buddhism provides a wealth of theory and simple, clear guidelines for practicing this increasingly popular form of spirituality. One of the most influential Buddhist books in the Chinese language, the book explores a wide range of subjects, from distinguishing core teachings from outdated cultural norms to bridging the gap between Western and Chinese traditions. In the process, it addresses such questions as “To what extent should Buddhism be Westernized to fit new cultural conditions?” and “Does Westernization necessarily lead to ‘a dumbing down’ of Buddhism?” In addition to the translation of the complete original text, this edition includes new annotations, appendixes, and a glossary designed for the Western reader.

The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma

The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma

Author: Bodhidharma

Publisher: North Point Press

Published: 2009-11-01

Total Pages: 148

ISBN-13: 1429952768

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A fifth-century Indian Buddhist monk, Bodhidharma is credited with bringing Zen to China. Although the tradition that traces its ancestry back to him did not flourish until nearly two hundred years after his death, today millions of Zen Buddhists and students of kung fu claim him as their spiritual father. While others viewed Zen practice as a purification of the mind or a stage on the way to perfect enlightenment, Bodhidharma equated Zen with buddhahood and believed that it had a place in everyday life. Instead of telling his disciples to purify their minds, he pointed them to rock walls, to the movements of tigers and cranes, to a hollow reed floating across the Yangtze. This bilingual edition, the only volume of the great teacher's work currently available in English, presents four teachings in their entirety. "Outline of Practice" describes the four all-inclusive habits that lead to enlightenment, the "Bloodstream Sermon" exhorts students to seek the Buddha by seeing their own nature, the "Wake-up Sermon" defends his premise that the most essential method for reaching enlightenment is beholding the mind. The original Chinese text, presented on facing pages, is taken from a Ch'ing dynasty woodblock edition.


Book Synopsis The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma by : Bodhidharma

Download or read book The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma written by Bodhidharma and published by North Point Press. This book was released on 2009-11-01 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fifth-century Indian Buddhist monk, Bodhidharma is credited with bringing Zen to China. Although the tradition that traces its ancestry back to him did not flourish until nearly two hundred years after his death, today millions of Zen Buddhists and students of kung fu claim him as their spiritual father. While others viewed Zen practice as a purification of the mind or a stage on the way to perfect enlightenment, Bodhidharma equated Zen with buddhahood and believed that it had a place in everyday life. Instead of telling his disciples to purify their minds, he pointed them to rock walls, to the movements of tigers and cranes, to a hollow reed floating across the Yangtze. This bilingual edition, the only volume of the great teacher's work currently available in English, presents four teachings in their entirety. "Outline of Practice" describes the four all-inclusive habits that lead to enlightenment, the "Bloodstream Sermon" exhorts students to seek the Buddha by seeing their own nature, the "Wake-up Sermon" defends his premise that the most essential method for reaching enlightenment is beholding the mind. The original Chinese text, presented on facing pages, is taken from a Ch'ing dynasty woodblock edition.

The Shaolin Chanwuyi

The Shaolin Chanwuyi

Author: Agnes S. Chan

Publisher: Chanwuyi Publishing House Limited

Published: 2010-08

Total Pages: 204

ISBN-13: 9789889712648

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Shaolin Chanwuyi (Chan, Wushu, and Healing) is a unique Chan Buddhism branch that has been the tradition in the Yonghuatang within the Shaolin Temple. Since it has been an inclusive practice within the temple and was not revealed to others, the principles and authentic methods remain unknown to many. This book, as the first introductory book of Shaolin Chanwuyi, was written based upon the teaching of Master Shi Dejian who is the eighteenth successor of Shaolin Chanwuyi. This book describes the history and philosophy of Shaolin Chanwuyi and explains the methods for practicing. The goal of Chanwuyi is to obtain enlightenment and wisdom, develop virtuous character, and maintain good health. This is the ultimate Chan; it cannot be expressed in words. Shaolin Chan, Wu, and Yi are united and complementary. Shaolin Wushu first focuses on training the mind, which is the essence for perfecting Shaolin Wushu. It is only when one has become proficient in Shaolin Wushu that can one understand the mind and body, then can improve the mental and physical problems. By healing oneself and others, one in turn can nurture a heart of Chan. Chan, Wu, and Yi go together; the three components are united into one thing.


Book Synopsis The Shaolin Chanwuyi by : Agnes S. Chan

Download or read book The Shaolin Chanwuyi written by Agnes S. Chan and published by Chanwuyi Publishing House Limited. This book was released on 2010-08 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shaolin Chanwuyi (Chan, Wushu, and Healing) is a unique Chan Buddhism branch that has been the tradition in the Yonghuatang within the Shaolin Temple. Since it has been an inclusive practice within the temple and was not revealed to others, the principles and authentic methods remain unknown to many. This book, as the first introductory book of Shaolin Chanwuyi, was written based upon the teaching of Master Shi Dejian who is the eighteenth successor of Shaolin Chanwuyi. This book describes the history and philosophy of Shaolin Chanwuyi and explains the methods for practicing. The goal of Chanwuyi is to obtain enlightenment and wisdom, develop virtuous character, and maintain good health. This is the ultimate Chan; it cannot be expressed in words. Shaolin Chan, Wu, and Yi are united and complementary. Shaolin Wushu first focuses on training the mind, which is the essence for perfecting Shaolin Wushu. It is only when one has become proficient in Shaolin Wushu that can one understand the mind and body, then can improve the mental and physical problems. By healing oneself and others, one in turn can nurture a heart of Chan. Chan, Wu, and Yi go together; the three components are united into one thing.

Three Chan Classics

Three Chan Classics

Author:

Publisher: BDK America

Published: 1999-05

Total Pages: 168

ISBN-13:

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This volume includes The Recorded Sayings of Linji, Wumen's Gate, and The Faith-Mind Maxim. The Recorded Sayings of Linji is one of the seminal books of Zen. The great Zen teacher Linji lived and worked in ninth century China, but his teachings continued to guide and influence people for centuries afterward, and he was considered the grand ancestor of major streams of Zen in China, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan. The direct, incisive teachings preserved in his recorded sayings have shown a perennial power to challenge and stimulate would-be seekers of the truth. He strips away the supernatural aura of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and refers the symbolism of the Buddhist scriptures to human processes, to actual and potential psychological transformations involving individuals and social groups. He analyzes the relationship of language to reality and conditioning to perception and motivation in ways that both prefigure and surpass "modern" discussions on these points. Whether or not they are already familiar with Zen Buddhism, modern readers can read Linji's sayings as a direct demonstration of its viewpoint and call. Wu Men's Gate is a classic collection of forty-eight Zen "public cases" accompanied by comments and verses, presented as teaching materials within the Zen tradition. Zen students would focus their attention on these cases and meditate via their intricate patterns of meaning. By interrupting and reshaping patterns of thought, these classic Zen cases were intended as tools to refine minds and open them to wider perspectives on reality. The Faith-Mind Maxim is a short, 36 stanza poem written by Seng-can. It encompasses the thought of Early Buddhism and later developments such as the Voidness School, the representation-only School, and the Flower Garland School. It expressly extols the essence of the Mahayana and, above all, the One Vehicle ideal. It clarifies unique Zen attitudes, such as not depending on words by being beyond all discriminations and conventions, directly pointing to the mind (i.e. the One Mind), seeing one's own nature by returning to the root, and becoming a Buddha. The Faith-Mind Maximmay be regarded as the first revolutionary work in the Zen tradition or in Chinese Buddhism.


Book Synopsis Three Chan Classics by :

Download or read book Three Chan Classics written by and published by BDK America. This book was released on 1999-05 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume includes The Recorded Sayings of Linji, Wumen's Gate, and The Faith-Mind Maxim. The Recorded Sayings of Linji is one of the seminal books of Zen. The great Zen teacher Linji lived and worked in ninth century China, but his teachings continued to guide and influence people for centuries afterward, and he was considered the grand ancestor of major streams of Zen in China, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan. The direct, incisive teachings preserved in his recorded sayings have shown a perennial power to challenge and stimulate would-be seekers of the truth. He strips away the supernatural aura of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and refers the symbolism of the Buddhist scriptures to human processes, to actual and potential psychological transformations involving individuals and social groups. He analyzes the relationship of language to reality and conditioning to perception and motivation in ways that both prefigure and surpass "modern" discussions on these points. Whether or not they are already familiar with Zen Buddhism, modern readers can read Linji's sayings as a direct demonstration of its viewpoint and call. Wu Men's Gate is a classic collection of forty-eight Zen "public cases" accompanied by comments and verses, presented as teaching materials within the Zen tradition. Zen students would focus their attention on these cases and meditate via their intricate patterns of meaning. By interrupting and reshaping patterns of thought, these classic Zen cases were intended as tools to refine minds and open them to wider perspectives on reality. The Faith-Mind Maxim is a short, 36 stanza poem written by Seng-can. It encompasses the thought of Early Buddhism and later developments such as the Voidness School, the representation-only School, and the Flower Garland School. It expressly extols the essence of the Mahayana and, above all, the One Vehicle ideal. It clarifies unique Zen attitudes, such as not depending on words by being beyond all discriminations and conventions, directly pointing to the mind (i.e. the One Mind), seeing one's own nature by returning to the root, and becoming a Buddha. The Faith-Mind Maximmay be regarded as the first revolutionary work in the Zen tradition or in Chinese Buddhism.

The Bodhidharma Anthology

The Bodhidharma Anthology

Author: Jeffrey L. Broughton

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2023-09-01

Total Pages: 202

ISBN-13: 0520923367

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In the early part of this century, the discovery of a walled-up cave in northwest China led to the retrieval of a lost early Ch'an (Zen) literature of the T'ang dynasty (618-907). One of the recovered Zen texts was a seven-piece collection, the Bodhidharma Anthology. Of the numerous texts attributed to Bodhidharma, this anthology is the only one generally believed to contain authentic Bodhidharma material. Jeffrey L. Broughton provides a reliable annotated translation of the Bodhidharma Anthology along with a detailed study of its nature, content, and background. His work is especially important for its rendering of the three Records, which contain some of the earliest Zen dialogues and constitute the real beginnings of Zen literature. The vivid dialogues and sayings of Master Yuan, a long-forgotten member of the Bodhidharma circle, are the hallmark of the Records. Master Yuan consistently criticizes reliance on the Dharma, on teachers, on meditative practice, and on scripture, all of which lead to self-deception and confusion, he says. According to Master Yuan, if one has spirit and does not seek anything, including the teachings of Buddhism, then one will attain the quietude of liberation. The boldness in Yuan's utterances prefigures much of the full-blown Zen tradition we recognize today. Broughton utilizes a Tibetan translation of the Bodhidharma Anthology as an informative gloss on the Chinese original. Placing the anthology within the context of the Tun-huang Zen manuscripts as a whole, he proposes a new approach to the study of Zen, one that concentrates on literary history, a genealogy of texts rather than the usual genealogy of masters.


Book Synopsis The Bodhidharma Anthology by : Jeffrey L. Broughton

Download or read book The Bodhidharma Anthology written by Jeffrey L. Broughton and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2023-09-01 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the early part of this century, the discovery of a walled-up cave in northwest China led to the retrieval of a lost early Ch'an (Zen) literature of the T'ang dynasty (618-907). One of the recovered Zen texts was a seven-piece collection, the Bodhidharma Anthology. Of the numerous texts attributed to Bodhidharma, this anthology is the only one generally believed to contain authentic Bodhidharma material. Jeffrey L. Broughton provides a reliable annotated translation of the Bodhidharma Anthology along with a detailed study of its nature, content, and background. His work is especially important for its rendering of the three Records, which contain some of the earliest Zen dialogues and constitute the real beginnings of Zen literature. The vivid dialogues and sayings of Master Yuan, a long-forgotten member of the Bodhidharma circle, are the hallmark of the Records. Master Yuan consistently criticizes reliance on the Dharma, on teachers, on meditative practice, and on scripture, all of which lead to self-deception and confusion, he says. According to Master Yuan, if one has spirit and does not seek anything, including the teachings of Buddhism, then one will attain the quietude of liberation. The boldness in Yuan's utterances prefigures much of the full-blown Zen tradition we recognize today. Broughton utilizes a Tibetan translation of the Bodhidharma Anthology as an informative gloss on the Chinese original. Placing the anthology within the context of the Tun-huang Zen manuscripts as a whole, he proposes a new approach to the study of Zen, one that concentrates on literary history, a genealogy of texts rather than the usual genealogy of masters.

Fathering Your Father

Fathering Your Father

Author: Alan Cole

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2009-02-09

Total Pages: 363

ISBN-13: 0520254856

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"Fathering Your Father is indubitably an important, timely work. In this incisive re-reading of the sources for the early history of Chinese Chan Buddhism, Cole conveys a new understanding of material familiar to scholars that might well make students engage with these sources more imaginatively. Hitherto scholars have pored over the five or six key sources; now we are invited to read them as successive literary inventions. In short, this study has no competition and is bound to provoke debate."—T. H. Barrett, Professor of East Asian History, School of Oriental and African Studies, London, and author of The Woman Who Discovered Printing


Book Synopsis Fathering Your Father by : Alan Cole

Download or read book Fathering Your Father written by Alan Cole and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2009-02-09 with total page 363 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Fathering Your Father is indubitably an important, timely work. In this incisive re-reading of the sources for the early history of Chinese Chan Buddhism, Cole conveys a new understanding of material familiar to scholars that might well make students engage with these sources more imaginatively. Hitherto scholars have pored over the five or six key sources; now we are invited to read them as successive literary inventions. In short, this study has no competition and is bound to provoke debate."—T. H. Barrett, Professor of East Asian History, School of Oriental and African Studies, London, and author of The Woman Who Discovered Printing