Chan Magazine

"Buddhahood is not apart from our ordinary mind, to be found outside of it. There is no buddha out there with a specific form or appearance. If we constantly seek buddhahood in a certain form, different from our own grasping and self-centered mind, we are bound to fail. A buddha outside of our own intrinsic mind does not exist, since buddhahood is our intrinsic mind."

– Chan Master Sheng Yen,…

"A path that leads you home is a genuine refuge. Places where you can put up your feet and relax are not worthy refuges. A practice like this would be no different from using a clay ox to cross a river. You may have a sense of security when you first enter the river, but the clay will crumble and you will sink."

– Chan Master Sheng Yen, from his new pamphlet, 'Why Take Refuge in the Three…

"To cultivators of Chan, I give three guiding principles. First, relax your body and mind. Second, settle upon a practice method as soon as possible. Third, do not concern yourself with how well you are doing. If you follow these guidelines, your practice will be smooth and fruitful."

– Chan Master Sheng Yen, from his new book 'Attaining the Way: A Guide to the Practice of Chan Buddhism', Spring…

"Among the great masters and adepts, Chan was known as the Dharma gate of ‘letting go of one’s life’ and ‘putting to death one’s delusion.’ When one can die the great death of delusion, then one can live the great life of awakening. This is the meaning of resolving the great matter of life and death."

– Chan Master Sheng Yen, from the introduction to his new book 'Attaining the Way: A Guide to…

"Compassion of the third level has no object to which it is directed. There is no purpose or goal ... no idea of contribution ... one goes wherever and whenever there is a need. One does one’s best, within one’s ability, to help the person in need. When the need is fulfilled, then in one’s mind, there is no trace. It is like a boat travelling through the water – there is no trace left after the…

"How do we contemplate ultimate nirvana? In daily life, we must understand that avoiding vexing situations is not appropriate – running away does no good. Neither does self-deception, or pretending that the situation doesn’t exist. It is best to accept situations without vexation, and deal with them calmly. Of course, this is difficult to do. But even though we are nowhere near ultimate nirvana,…

"Our mind is the same as Buddha. Therefore, for our mind to seek the Buddha is as unnecessary as the Buddha seeking for the Buddha. Likewise, our mind is identical with the Dharma. To use our mind to seek the Dharma is like the Dharma seeking the Dharma - also unnecessary. Buddha, mind and sentient being are not different. There is no Buddha outside of the mind, no Dharma outside of the mind, and…

"One can only understand ultimate emptiness, or emptiness as reality, through direct personal experience, wherein one realizes that all dharmas, whether mental or physical, are both empty and existent. In other words, existence is identical to emptiness. If one has no attachments and makes no discriminations based on a self, then one recognizes that every dharma exists and is empty. One recognizes…

Your Eminence,

I have read of His Holiness Pope John Paul II’s passing on April 3, 2005. I am very pained by this news. The Pope’s passing is our world’s loss. He was a religious leader for all humankind whose unwavering commitment to promoting world peace and whose engagement in interreligious dialogue have been greatly felt all over the world. I believe people of all religions, all countries…

"The great calamity caused by the powerful earthquake and the subsequent tsunami was indeed devastating; eleven countries stretching from South Asia to Eastern Africa were affected. More than one hundred thousand people lost their lives, many hundreds of thousands were injured, and millions lost their homes. Two weeks have gone by since the disaster struck. While immediate relief has been provided…