Lately, I got some emails questioning about Chan and WCK and Shao Lin… Heaven, earth, man…
This give raise for posting this post.
My view on chan … is as the following.
Chan’s most important key is to give up “self” as the center of one or the universe or cosmos
If this first key cannot be accepted totally and wholely, then , disregard of what one’s reason or theory or practice or meditation, or train from famous monks, or remember or the Koan… the cultivation will not succeed, period.
There is only either one use “self” as center or “no self” as center nothing in between. Thus, Chan called for a totally give up the “self” as the center.
Since, mostly, we as normal human being by default, we are using “self” as center. such as my body, my idea, my home, my lineage of WCK, my money, my sifu…my race… my country. That is just the way we are and we need to accept this before we can go a further step to change the center to “no self” from “self” if we choose to. Can’t jump from Self to no self as center before we accept who we are and work on it.
The second Key is to accept that every occurance/phenomenan (sp) is impermanent.
Thus, Chan called for give up of attachment or taking things so serious that thinking it will be always being the same way.
With acceptance of the Keys above, one immune from hope and fear. since one doesn’t recognize a “self” as one, and since existance is impermant so there is no permenant status to cling on as a reference. ect.
As an example, One gives up anger because what is the reason to get angry? “by who’s standard one let’s one’s thought sequencially link up and run amok to give raise to anger ?”
Not to mention, it is silly to think about the Southern Shao Lin Chan Monks would develop martial art the advance type to become rebels and killing Qing.
So what is Chan go to do with Shao Lin buddhist monks?
With “no self” Qing is living being. Han is living being. All political chaos is just a phenomenon of impermenent. All shall past, why creating cause and effect by make believe Han is me, Qing is you. You killed my people. We are permanent in resenment… Ok then contionus to create a loop of killing karma. you kill me and I kill you… on and on and on similar to the energize Bunny. Is that the mission of Buddhism?
Those who think like these; with “self” and taking every thing as Permanent will suffer.
So, what is Chan got todo with WCK? Well, when one practiced SLT for example, if one doesn’t cling to “oh am I doing this properly?” " oh I am the best in SLT", “oh Tan Sau has to be like this permanently and absolutely.” but accept things and let things flow. Then, that is very Chan. as it was said " as it is". On the other hand, when one accepted not using “self” as reference…
Then, disregard of in sitting meditation or daily life everything is Chan. certainly, as a human, the transformation taking time and process. But if the keys are not accepted. there is no way to overcome the anger or greed or ignorance…
Next time when one is in anger state watch for the source of the anger, not trying to reason with it. See how from no where the anger arise. Certainly, one needs lots of training in Awareness and concentration or Vissapana and samantha but then every one can learn. A thought is just a thought it will raise up and fade. But we just create more after one started. EVeryone tries to be peace but we don’t know the way how to be peaceful. Thus, we study Chan.
But, Until one really really accept the keys above .. most 99% of fighting thoughts raise from the use of “self” as center of universe. most broken of the five precept thoughts raise from self center. (Next time when dinne in chinese restorant, ask love sweat sour pork? barbeque Chicken? Kong Pao Chicken? why is that 
self? )
so, there is no way out if one continous to use “self” as the center. It is great for Website and everyone get creative to discuss about chan. But, IMHO, if the discussion is about scratching each other’s back and not get into the bottom line. Those who really likes to know about Chan will be just cycling in the paradigm of self trying to understand the paradigm of No self.
So what if we learn more about sunyata, lokitasvara…samadhi.. sitting meditation in mountain and due to the tranquil and silence of the natural thinking that is chan…those will not contribute much when things are really chaos daily. and SLT will not progress… but confused between paradigm.
As it said in the song of enlightement,
True is it true?
False is it false?
Missing a hair bread loosing a thousand mile.
That Hair bread is about the platform has to be based on “no-self” center and not attaching to things too deeply ( not that one is not serious) because phenomenon is impemament. With this one will live fully in the present or this instant. instead of living in multi time Zone. such as when doing SLT, the thought is living in multi time zone----- " how does my sifu did last week?" what does the Kuen Kuit said in 1850? why yesterday my Tan is not like this… what time is hongkong now when sigong does his SLT
Can’t practice Chan without accepting the above keys and let the past melt. One can no longer live like before anymore, once choosen the Chan’s way. Is that for you? will you willing to give up the flanboyan dream of become the invicinble martial art star or the Greatest gate keeper? will you willing to give up Kong Pao Chicken also?
Just my crazy two cents. I don’t know much about Chan.
so you can disagree big time. that is ok.
