Ch'an+Buddhism+PLJB

__**The Uniqueness of Ch'an Buddhism**__ By Peter Lee & Joe Beikirch

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__**//Brief Description//**__ //History//:

Buddhism traveled into China along the Silk Road in the first half of the first century A.D. Buddhism became more prominent in China as traffic along the Silk Road grew larger and larger. By the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), its capital, Chang’an, was one of the most prosperous cities around the world and Buddhist translations were for the first time available. It was during this period that a new branch of Buddhism arose in the land of China through an Indian monk, Bodhidharma. This new school, with elements from Daoism combined, came to be known as the Ch’an school.

//General Principles:// The general principles of Mahayana Buddhism are apparent in Chan Buddhism. That is to say all sentient beings have Buddha-nature, which is essentially the mind itself. The objective of Ch’an practice is to discover one’s Buddha-nature through pracitce of Buddha’s teachings and meditation. The ultimate goal of this is to become a Completely Enlightened Buddha. The followers of Ch’an Buddhism also believe that the world is an illusion produced by each individual’s mind, and every thought the individual makes has the power to lead to a retributive future result (karma), and this decides what form one will appear in his or her next life. Once one understands this cycle, he or she becomes enlightened and nirvanna is attained when one is emancipated from the endless cycle of life and death to join the Universal mind.

// Variations: // 1. Theory of the double truth 2. "a good deel entails no retribution." 3. The method of enlightenment is to live naturally. 4. Enlightenment is a sudden revelation, not a gradual process. 5. The state of enlightenment is indescribable. 6. There is no reality besides the phenomenal world. As one can observe, these six variations show the influence of Daoism during the synthesis of Ch'an Buddhism.

//Meditation//

There are multiples types of meditaition in Cha’n Buddhism such as sitting meditation, intensive group practice, koan practice, etc. Sitting Meditation, called ZuoChan in Chinese (sitting dhyanna) is the core aspect of Chan practice. While meditating, one aummes a position called the lotus position, and directs mind by regulating breath in and out.

// Work Cited: //

"The building blocks of Chan or Zen Buddhism ." Imperial Tours. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. < [|__http://www.imperialtours.net/chan_buddhism.htm__] >.

"Chan Buddhism." Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism:Buddhism, Hinduism, TaoismBuddhism, Hinduism, Taoism Thai Exotic Treasures - Gifts and Information. Wikipedia, Web. 15 Feb. 2011. < [|__http://www.thaiexotictreasures.com/chan_buddhism.html__] >.

Shih, Hu. "Ch'an (Zen) Buddhism in China Its History and Method." thezensite. Jan. 1953. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. < [|__http://www.thezensite.com/ZenEssays/HistoricalZen/Chan_in_China.html__] >.

// Picture Cited: // http://factoidz.com/the-shaolin-temple-of-china/ 2.16.2011

http://www.chan.ch/chan_english_home.htm 2.16.2011

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hsuan_Hua_Hong_Kong_1.jpeg 2.16.2011

http://www.shaolintemple.50g.com/shaolinchina.htm 2.16.2011