Richard Hunn Explains the Concept of Ch'an

[Shi Da Dao]

The following explanation of the concept of Ch'an is taken from Richard Hunn's 1988 edited edition of Charles Luk's English translatiof 'Empty Cloud' - or the Autobiography of Master Xu Yun (1840-1959), and forms part of a glossary that Richard added to that edition. This extract can be found on page 224 of the 1988 Element Books edition:

‘This is often translated as Dhyana in other contexts, but in the ‘Transmission of the Mind’ or Ch’an School proper, it has a wider meaning. Though Ch’an adherents do indeed cultivate dhyana and prajna or stillness and wisdom, the Ch’an School understands this in a dynamic and not static way. Bodhidharma’s mission was to ‘point directly to the Mind for outright cognisance of the Dharmakaya or Buddha-body without passing through the gradual stages mentioned in the teaching school. His Chinese successors also ‘pointed to the mind’ without fixed methods and in early times they had only to hint about the presence of this immutable Mind for their disciples to awaken to it without further ado, then understanding the difference between this essentially still mind and their previous thinking and comparing which alone held them in bondage. For expediency’s sake, such direct awakening was called Ch’an. Eventually, because people found it harder to lay down their false thinking, the Masters were compelled to use strange-seeming tactics such as shouts, blows, etc., with the introduction of the gong-an and hua tou methods, but all along they had only wished to indicate this mind.

The Ch’an School has thus specialised in a direct and abrupt awakening. Instead of its adherents having to pass through the gradual stages mentioned in the teaching school. Five main Ch’an schools appeared in China, these being the Gui Yang, Lin Ji, Cao Dong, Yun Men and Fa Yan Schools.’

In the picture, Richard Hunn is explaining the above point to me whilst walking within the grounds of the Buddhapadika Temple, Wimbledon, South London.  The photograph is dated the 12th of September, 2004.  Nearly ten years on I remember this moment as if it had just happened!