what shifu has to say
Practice of Chan puts the heart and mind to rest
In recent years, no matter whether here in Taiwan or overseas, I have been seeking to bring the joy of Chan practice to everyone. Why is that? The world at present is quite chaotic and unstable, and everyone is longing for some stability and peace, is craving for stability and peace. And the most simple way of finding stability is by letting the heart and mind return to its origin.
Building a bridge to enlightenment
A monk once asked Master Nanquan Puyuan (Jap. Nansen Fugan, 749-835): “There is a shining jewel in the sky. How can one fetch it?” Nanquan responded: “Cut down some bamboo stalks to build a bridge, then climb up the bridge to the sky to fetch it. The monk did not understand, and asked once more: “How can you build a ladder into the sky?” Nanquan asked him in turn: “If you don’t, how will you fetch it?”
The Face of Chan
Chan is not something mysterious or complicated. Chan is living a simple and uncomplicated life. The more simply we live, the more we will be able to understand the happiness of pure simplicity. Chan is a life of truth, goodness and beauty: truth – everything is true, beauty – everything is beautiful, and goodness – everything is good. Chan means returning to the source, to our primordial Self, which is most safe, most liberating and most complete. There is no need to search for life outside that!