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Home>About>Shaolin Kung
Fu>Chan and
Meditation |
| Chan and
Meditation |
 Bodhidharma preached a new school of Buddhism - the Chan
Sect - by combining the essence of traditional Chinese
Philosophy. The Chan Sect advocates self-cultivation
through seated meditation. The daily routine for monks
in the temple consisted of "sitting cross-legged in
front of the wall" in perfect composure, in order to
stifle all distracting thoughts, as preached by
Bodhidharma. There were no written instructions to
follow; and for a Chan Sect devotee, "instant awakening"
is of primary importance. The Chan Sect thus transformed
the abstruse, over-elaborate Indian Buddhism that was
adapted to the traditional Chinese psychology. This
partially explains why it remained popular for centuries
while other sects experienced rise and fall. This Chan
Sect reached its zenith during the Tang Dynasty
(618-907), when the majority of monastery inhabitants
were Chan devotees. Thus was laid a solid foundation for
its introduction to the rest of the world.
A traditional Chinese philosophy holds, tranquility
contains movements. Silent self-cultivation in an age of
turmoil requires moveable supplements or supports so
that the cultivator could reach the destiny of "true
tranquility." The Chan Sect held that this inner state
could never be fully developed without the practice of
martial arts. Survival is the main motivator for
mankind, with no exception for the Chan devotees. Master
Bodhidharma did not leave the cave until the moment the
realized the truth of "maintaining emotional tranquility
with movements and controlling movements with emotional
tranquility. Tranquility and movements benefit and
complement each other." |
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