WHAT IS CH'AN ?

Ch'an means Meditation in Chinese. It is the historical root of Japanese Zen. Both Ch'an and Zen are rooted in the Mahayana traditions of Compassion and Wisdom which are central to the Buddhist path. Ch'an employs traditional Buddhist meditation techniques to explore important questions concerning our place in the world. To know yourself through Ch'an is to go beyond the ego and to perceive the relationship between yourself and the Universe. In this quest it places emphasis on personal experience, both in meditation and in everyday life. Ch'an opens the door to a fresh appreciation of life, death, self and mind. It accords with present day Western psychology and philosophy and in several respects goes beyond them, to provide basic values for life in the modern world. Although Ch'an Buddhism is not well known in this country, its broad approach has much to offer Westerners. It fulfils a need for a contemporary viewpoint which, whilst based in traditional orthodox practice, also relates to our present time.