A Study Of Master Han-Shan's Chan Teaching

Chan Buddhism, with its everlasting vitality and wide adaptability, has been offering an influential and effective way for calming, purifying and enlightening one's mind.This thesis is a study of Master Han-Shan's Chan teachings and in particular explores the Chan wisdom through his philosophical system and the methods and process involved in his teachings of Chan practice. With "Mind " as the center of the full text, the thesis also attempts to introduce a way which focuses on the purification of one's own mind in the hope of bring a better society for generations to come.The thesis is composed of three parts: Preface, Main text and Conclusion.The preface describes the motivation and aim of the thesis.The main text includes four chapters:The first chapter introduces the historical background and the journey of Master Han-Shan's Chan practice. In particularly, it illustrates how Han-Shan attained enlightenment through his assiduous practice of Chan and in the meantime benefited others by establishing monasteries, lecturing on Sutras and writing commentaries on the Buddhadharma.In the second chapter, three main Chan practice theories of Master Han-Shan are elaborated. First, for Han-Shan, the originally pure True Mind is inherent in all sentient beings. With this understanding, Han-Shan further expounds the notion of "Sudden awakening to one's mind and directly realizing Buddhahood" in ChanBuddhism. In addition, he asserts True Mind as the basis for ordinary people to achieve Buddhahood. Second, with his treatise of Mind and Consciousness-Only. Han-Shan explains that all phenomena are produced by mind and consciousness. To have the conviction of the doctrine of "Mind and Consciousness-Only"', a cultivator should recognize that the key in Chan practice is to cultivate based on the. non-arising and non-ceasing True Mind. Third, for Han-Shan, the techniques of sudden enlightenment and gradual cultivation are compatible with each other. Han-Shan states that sudden enlightenment and gradual cultivation are just teaching devices or skillful means developed to lead sentient beings with different capacities to enlightenment. So they are compatible and ultimately in one essence.The third chapter introduces the main meditative approach in Master Han-Shan's Chan teachings, namely, Can Hua-tou, or "engaging the Hua-tou". ( Hua-tou refers to the source of word before it is uttered. It is a method used in Chan meditation to give rise to doubt. The cultivator meditates on questions such as "who is reciting the Buddha's name? ". He does not rely on consciousness reasoning. ) In addition to the right views needed for Chan practice, the aim, techniques, essentials and process of " engaging the Hua-tou'' are also disscussed. It should be clear that from the discussion in this chapter, the approach of "engaging the Hua-tou" is able to not only purify one's mind but also lead one to enlightenment.The fourth chapter summarizes the two distinct features of Master Han-Shan's Chan teachings. The first is the thought that "Chan and other sects of Buddhism are in one essence". With this understanding, Han-Shan committed himself to resolving the opposition between Chan and other sects of Buddhism in his times. The second distinct feature is Han-Shan's emphasis on the integration of compassion and wisdom in the practice of Bodhisattva Way. After having reached the great accomplishment in Chan practice, Han-Shan devoted all his life to establishing monasteries and to Buddhadharma lecturing and writing. In so doing, he successfully actualized the Bodhisattva Way in benefiting oneself as well as others.The conclusion points out the significance and implications of MasterHan-Shan's Chan teachings in the modern world. With his diligence, wisdom and unconditional altruistic behaviors, he has exemplarily established himself as a great Chan master thus inspired sentient beings from generation to generation.