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Exploring Chán: An Introduction to the Religious and Mystical Tradition of Chinese Buddhism
Drawing on over three decades of study and practice, Chuan Zhi, an ordained monk in the Chinese Linji tradition, takes us on a fascinating journey to uncover the causes and conditions that led to Chan’s formation as a unique expression of Chinese Buddhism. Along the way, he deftly explores some complex topics: How and why did the Chan institution invent its characteristic lineage system and what is its significance? How has state sponsorship shaped the presentation of Chan and Zen throughout the Orient? How might there be a disparity between the mystical practice of Chan and its religious expression? How does one “do” Chan as a mystical practice, and why would someone want to? And how might a practitioner of Chan best engage with its institutional form to ensure healthy spiritual growth? Offering his own insights along with those of past meditation masters, historians, scholars, and canonical texts, Chuan Zhi takes us on a fascinating journey that challenges many long-held assumptions. Throughout the narrative, he argues that Chan’s mystical practices are as valuable for life today as they have been for centuries.
474 pages, Hardcover
Published November 26, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 22, 2021
Wide ranging - quotes Einstein (‘A human being is part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. We experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest. A kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from the prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which they have obtained liberation from the self.’) and Djuna Barnes (‘Dreams have only the pigmentation of fact') discusses and disagrees with Donald Hoffman’s theory that all the ‘matter’ of the universe is derived from consciousness - all of this while laying the ground work, in clear and easy to understand prose, for what it takes to begin a buddhist practice.
August 12, 2020
This book is a deep dive into both the history of Chan Buddhism and the rigors of training to employ it in daily life. Textbook in length and comprehensive detail, this is a huge impressive work. It is beautifully written, deeply researched, erudite, thoughtful, and insightful.
The first part of the book delves into the history an devolution of Buddhism from its beginnings in India through its migrations into many Eastern countries, including China, Tibet, Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, etc. It touches on the different cultural interpretations of the religion in these countries and how they changed over the centuries we see how Buddhism was politicized, institutionalized, and utilized as a political tool.
As an American, immersed in Western culture, it is enlightening and completely intriguing to me how human beings in the far east have for centuries valued introspection, personal development, and reduction of the ego. There is little to no accent on inner life in America, and I think that’s a travesty. We continually express greed and self-absorption. The reduction of the power of the ego as taught by Buddhism would be a welcome addition to the upbringing of Westerners.
However, that’s not to say history in the East has not included its own greed and even imperialism. These deep studies of non-attachment (that their religion was supposed to give them) did not prevent them from the desires involved in imperialism. As recently as World War II that war was justified in the name of Buddhism. Buddhist institutions were manipulated by the state in support of its nationalism.
In short, perhaps Buddhism has been as bastardized as Christianity has over the centuries.
As weighty as this book is, it is not hard to read. Yes, one should take it slowly, especially as some of the concepts will be new. But once you reach the second part of the book and start launching into the how-to manual it becomes even more fascinating. The whys, the hows, the result, the reward. The understanding, the peace, the potential for contentment.
It is a book to be be read, re-read, studied, and contemplated. And its exercises, methods, meditations to be focused on and practiced.
This is assuming that you can ascribe to Buddhist theories. It means that you accept suffering as a main proponent of life. That was for a long time, for me, a sticking point. I hated to look at life as suffering. But with further study of Buddhism you realize it is not as simple as that. You begin to realize that Buddhism simply suggests suffering is the piece of life that brings everyone down. And of course that’s true. So if you can learn to accept, detach, (so very hard!) and find a path to maintain that, life will be easier.
I know they call Buddhism a religion, but I think, for me anyway, that it’s a theory of life. A theory of the meaning of life. The way to handle life as gracefully as possible with all its traumas and ups and downs.
The other part that has always been a problem for me with Buddhism is feeling that as a passionate person I wanted to feel the highs, and then must necessarily have to suffer the lows as well.
Enough of my thoughts and musings. This is a deeply thought-provoking work. Indeed I would call it a “life work” for this author, one he should be incredibly proud to have written. It is an enormous contribution to the field of study of Buddhism.
The first part of the book delves into the history an devolution of Buddhism from its beginnings in India through its migrations into many Eastern countries, including China, Tibet, Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, etc. It touches on the different cultural interpretations of the religion in these countries and how they changed over the centuries we see how Buddhism was politicized, institutionalized, and utilized as a political tool.
As an American, immersed in Western culture, it is enlightening and completely intriguing to me how human beings in the far east have for centuries valued introspection, personal development, and reduction of the ego. There is little to no accent on inner life in America, and I think that’s a travesty. We continually express greed and self-absorption. The reduction of the power of the ego as taught by Buddhism would be a welcome addition to the upbringing of Westerners.
However, that’s not to say history in the East has not included its own greed and even imperialism. These deep studies of non-attachment (that their religion was supposed to give them) did not prevent them from the desires involved in imperialism. As recently as World War II that war was justified in the name of Buddhism. Buddhist institutions were manipulated by the state in support of its nationalism.
In short, perhaps Buddhism has been as bastardized as Christianity has over the centuries.
As weighty as this book is, it is not hard to read. Yes, one should take it slowly, especially as some of the concepts will be new. But once you reach the second part of the book and start launching into the how-to manual it becomes even more fascinating. The whys, the hows, the result, the reward. The understanding, the peace, the potential for contentment.
It is a book to be be read, re-read, studied, and contemplated. And its exercises, methods, meditations to be focused on and practiced.
This is assuming that you can ascribe to Buddhist theories. It means that you accept suffering as a main proponent of life. That was for a long time, for me, a sticking point. I hated to look at life as suffering. But with further study of Buddhism you realize it is not as simple as that. You begin to realize that Buddhism simply suggests suffering is the piece of life that brings everyone down. And of course that’s true. So if you can learn to accept, detach, (so very hard!) and find a path to maintain that, life will be easier.
I know they call Buddhism a religion, but I think, for me anyway, that it’s a theory of life. A theory of the meaning of life. The way to handle life as gracefully as possible with all its traumas and ups and downs.
The other part that has always been a problem for me with Buddhism is feeling that as a passionate person I wanted to feel the highs, and then must necessarily have to suffer the lows as well.
Enough of my thoughts and musings. This is a deeply thought-provoking work. Indeed I would call it a “life work” for this author, one he should be incredibly proud to have written. It is an enormous contribution to the field of study of Buddhism.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews