• What can be cooked from squid: quick and tasty

    In 520 (different dates of this event are called – 486, 526, 527), the 28th patriarch of Buddhism, Bodhidharma, comes to China, whose name literally meant the Teaching of Enlightenment. In Chinese, his name was transcribed as Putidamo or simply Damo. He came from South India, presumably from Madras. Legends tell that Bodhidharma was the son of a wealthy Indian prince, but left secular affairs and devoted himself to the wheel of dharma – Buddhist teachings. What brought the Buddhist patriarch to China? In his opinion, Buddhism in China is misunderstood, its essence is distorted, inner understanding is replaced by a purely mechanical ritual.
    Sincerity as the highest expression of inner ritual, purity of heart were for Bodhidharma criteria of merit and virtue. Acting (wei) as an active human intervention in the naturalness of the inner message and inner nature of a person was opposed to non-action (wei) – hence the naturally spontaneous course of events. As it was said in Chan Buddhism, the founder of which is considered Bodhidharma , "to allow things to manifest in their suchness."
    Bodhidharma taught: "Pacify your heart (soul) in non-action, and then the external form will naturally follow this in its manifestations." And one of the patriarchs of Ch'an Huineng (638-713) continued this thought: "Follow the truth of your heart, and not the external manifestations of dharmas."
    However, Bodhidharma was not understood in the paradox and strangeness of his teaching. He retired from the court of Emperor Liao, visited the neighboring state of Wei. In the city of Luoyang, the capital of Wei, his admiration was caused by the pagoda of the Yunninsi (Eternal Rest) Monastery. After that Bodhidharma retired to Shaolin Monastery – a small monastery built near Luoyang in Henan province on Songshan Mountain in Dengfeng County. The monks exhausted themselves by reading the sutras for a long time, thus moving further and further away from true enlightenment. The insight of one's own nature in its truth was overshadowed by pompousness, faith in other people's words, and not in the dictates of one's own heart.
    Bodhidharma declared that the goal of Buddhism – to see the Buddha's heart, that is, to realize the Buddha within oneself. Thus, everyone is a Buddha in potency, you just need to wake him up. It was possible to become a Buddha "here and now" in the act of direct perception of the truth, freely and fully entering the unclouded mind of a Buddhist. Truth is transmitted outside of words in written instructions, but as a lamp passing from teacher to student.
    The monks did not understand the instructions of Bodhidharma, and he retired to a cave located not far from the monastery, where he, facing the wall, spent almost nine years in a sitting contemplation position (zochan) (according to some chronicles – ten). The patriarch plunged into a state of deep meditation, but, as the legend says, only once did he fall asleep. Waking up, Damo in anger tore out his eyelashes and threw them on the ground. From them have grown bushes of fragrant tea, which Buddhists drink during a long meditation, invigorating the mind.
    After nine years of contemplating the walls, the monks were imbued with respect for the strength of the spirit Bodhidharma and the teaching that he preached. But only two people agreed to take the harsh patriarch as disciples – monks Daoyu and Huike, to whom he taught the truth for five years. According to legend, Huike, who became the successor of the first patriarch, cut off his hand and laid it in front of Bodhidharma demonstrating the purity of their thoughts and determination to comprehend the teachings of Ch'an – one of the currents of Buddhism, widely using the ideas and methods of Indian yoga and Chinese Taoism.
    Spiritual teaching preached Bodhidharma , expressed by a short requirement: two occurrences and four actions. Two occurrences – it is the achievement of enlightenment through spiritual inner development and contemplation (spiritual entry) and by performing practical actions (entry through action). Thus, an inextricable connection between external and internal, form and deep image, physical and mental, phenomenon and its symbol was postulated. Spiritual entry into a state of enlightenment of consciousness, which cannot be touched and polluted by worldly affairs, was mainly based on sitting meditation, traditionally performed facing the wall, as Bodhidharma did. As the Ch'an Buddhists said, "the present state of a person is false, only the return to one's own nature is true."
    In accordance with this teaching, the most important occupation for adherents of internal styles of martial arts is internal work on oneself. It leads to the attainment of an "empty heart", that is, a state of mind that is free from everything of everyday life that usually fills human consciousness. This is not a denial of real life. Only the identification of the vital (the foundations of being) with the bustle of life, the highest manifestations of the spirit with everyday trifles is rejected. The human mind eternally dwells in the vanity of worldly affairs, rushes about in conventions and boundaries, determined by itself, not understanding at times their unnaturalness. It only takes a little – to see the Great Symbol behind the ordinariness and monotony of life, having cognized the depth of all external forms, to overcome it. Then all things are perceived in unity, and a person overcomes that invisibly thin, but extremely dense veil that prevents him from merging with natural naturalness and gaining "spontaneity of self-manifestation of the spirit."
    Liberation from everyday hustle and bustle, from everything that most people are inspired by, leads to what the Ch'an calls the "great emptiness" – to absolute spiritual freedom. And this freedom makes it possible to know the true essence and meaning of human life, usually hidden by the illusions of thinking. Intellectually, the "great emptiness" turns out to be a new vision of the world; emotionally – calmness of the spirit, its serenity, in a volitional respect, independence from the surrounding people and circumstances.
    In other words, an adequate comprehension of the deep essence of martial arts (what is hidden behind the technique) requires the study of the ideas of Buddha and the restructuring of the mental structures of the personality using the "Ch'an" methods in accordance with these ideas. We are talking about the "four noble truths" discovered by Buddha two and a half thousand years ago. The first truth is, "There is suffering that is universal." The second clarifies: "The reason for the suffering of people – in their desires. "In other words, by suffering Buddha understood stress, mental stress, which is based on a feeling of fear, inextricably linked with hope (after all, stress is not what happens to a person, but how he reacts to what is happening. who has lost all hope, along with it loses fear.) Suffering (a fusion of fears and hopes) stems from various "wants", which always and everywhere seized a person. – it does not matter, strive to get what you want, be afraid that you will not get it or lose it, and hope at the same time for a successful outcome – this is constant excitement, anxiety, tension, that is, suffering.
    The third truth of the Buddha states: "Liberation from suffering consists in the annihilation of desires." The fourth concretizes: "The path to liberation from suffering – this is an eightfold "middle path" that equally avoids the extremes of asceticism and sensual pleasures. "It consists of correct understanding, correct thinking, correct statements, correct actions, correct lifestyle, correct efforts, correct aspirations and, finally, correct concentration of the spirit – contemplation. An old oriental poem speaks of this path like this:

    Man is subject to birth,
    Old age, sickness and death.
    Therefore, he is not free. These
    Four drovers determine with sticks
    His way.
    If you pray
    Or do rituals
    To break free –
    You are a fool.
    Do you want to dive into Nirvana?
    Then behold
    The depths of your spirit ...
    Human life is like lightning.
    Flashed - and it is not.
    The greenest trees
    They will also dry up sometime.
    If you achieve enlightenment by contemplation,
    You will be calm forever.
    You will understand that eternal and transitory
    Blooming and fading
    Good and bad –
    Just an illusion of your consciousness ...

    Unlike European thinkers, who in different ways called for changing the surrounding conditions in order to become happy, Buddha denied the dependence of the state of mind on the state of the external world. He believed that it was necessary to change not the world, but himself. We all know that "the rich also cry", that you can have a full set of material wealth and still suffer. But the secret of happiness is very simple: you need to learn to understand life correctly, to feel its rhythm correctly, to build your behavior in accordance with this rhythm, to plunge into the bottomless depths of your subconscious every day. In other words, Buddha urged people to be happy "here and now," and not "later," as a result of some external events.
    Entering through the action prescribed by the first teacher provides for four types of actions – retribution for evil, lack of worldly aspirations, service to dharma (that is, Buddhist teachings), following fate. The last type of actions allows you to exhaust life in its entirety, since a person does not rush in search of a way out of his own predestination, but considers his life as the realization of the universal path and the law of all things- Tao.
    At the level of practical actions that make it possible to achieve stable changes in the mental states of a person, a number of directions have arisen in Buddhism. "Chan" is one of them. His practice includes meditation, work with energy, impact on the internal organs of the body and the physiological processes taking place in it. Collectively, these three groups of methods are referred to as "inner workings".
    The task of meditative methods is to work out the entrance, stay and exit in relation to certain space-time situations, both real and imaginary, by directing the mind, feelings and will to external or internal objects. In this case, the first stage of meditation (contemplation) is the performance of exercises (or actions) associated with concentration of attention on breathing, movement, heart work, balance, energy circulation, any object or its separate quality. Already at this stage, the adept begins to "hear" weak signals emanating from the external and internal world. Thus, the key postulate of spiritual entry was the tranquility of the spirit and the purification of consciousness by regulating one's own breathing.
    The second stage allows a person to acquire a state of "no-mind", due to which he, as it were, dissolves his "I" in natural elements. Having lost the sense of his own personality, he perceives himself as a part of the great whole. – of all Being. His consciousness is completely freed from all anxiety, and he realizes the principle of "one body", ie. begins to feel the "voices" coming from within the beings around him: people, animals, plants. That is why the martial arts master not only senses any movement of the opponent, but also anticipates all his plans in advance. After all, he is connected with him by this "one body"!
    Breathing-energy exercises are aimed at mastering the vital energy "qi" and developing inner strength. This group of methods makes it possible to learn how to conduct "qi" through the three middle and twelve paired channels, to accumulate it in a special center located inside the abdomen. One who knows how to control "qi" can, at the right time, throw it into the opponent through the striking limb, or defend himself against his blows with it. Working with energy allows you to dramatically enhance your own combat capabilities, increases the ability to endure any extreme impacts without harming your health, and also contributes to the achievement of serenity of spirit.
    The system of influencing the internal organs of the body and the physiological processes occurring in it includes postures close to those of Indian yoga, the impact on biologically active points of the body with self-massage techniques, original breathing exercises for deep ventilation. It combines static and dynamic exercises. However, both are just a shell that hides the main – work with energy, concentration of attention, self-hypnosis. It is through "inner work" that a change in the state of the psyche takes place, acquiring a stable character. In Buddhist terms, such a transition is called "from samsara to nirvana."

    \

    The next area of ​​Buddhism is its Chinese and Japanese varieties - Chan Buddhism and Zen Buddhism respectively. The main differences Ch'an Buddhism from other areas, experts call four principles:

    · The insight of one's inner nature by approaching the Buddha, potentially available to everyone.

    · Be able to directly indicate the essence of human consciousness.

    · Do not create written instructions.

    · To convey the truth outside the teaching, in a different way.

    It must be admitted that the type of Buddhism considered in this section is attractive in that it gives an opportunity to followers (students) as if to find the "truth" themselves, to achieve "enlightenment" and "wisdom", to the state of which their gurus only personally fails(supervises the process of achieving a certain state of "human consciousness"), and then the student as if"Goes by itself." Therefore, Chan Buddhism attracts people striving for perfection "on their own" - one side, but, on the other side, those who cannot independently achieve psychological comfort in life, which, as it seems to many, is a sign of "perfection", are taught with the help of a guru.

    Let's start looking at the differences Tibetan Buddhism based on Mahayana and Vajrayana from chinese Ch'an Buddhism(which existed in China several centuries before the formation of Tibetan, but did not have serious state support) on the example of comparing the positions of the disputing parties, widely known to modern scholars of Buddhism.

    After the exemplary representative of the classical Indian Mahayana preached in Tibet for a long time, Shantarakshita (VIII century), it gradually became clear that between the teachings Tibetan Mahayana and the doctrines of the Chinese (and some Korean: in Tibet, Master Kim was quite famous for his sermons, who also adhered to the Ch'an tradition) hashans there are serious and perhaps irreconcilable contradictions. Meanwhile, Kamalashila , successor Shantarakshits , and the Chinese monks had numerous followers from among the Tibetan aristocracy, court nobility and members of the royal family. Therefore, the need arose to find out which version of Buddhism is true and to a greater extent consistent with the teachings of the Buddha himself (an approach that is quite natural for neophyte Tibetans). It was decided to find out in the traditional way for India - by way of a dispute, at which the Indian side was represented by Kamalashila , and the Chinese Hashan. This dispute took place in the monastery Samye ... Its exact date is unknown, the conditional date of the dispute can be considered 790.

    According to traditional Tibetan sources, the dispute ended in complete victory Kamalashila (which even led to suicide among supporters Hashana ), after which the king banned the preaching of Chinese Buddhism, and Tibet finally and irrevocably turned to the classical Indian models.



    Tibetan sources reduce the subject of discussion to several points.

    1. First, Hashan Mahayana taught that awakening and attaining Buddhahood occurs instantly, or suddenly, whereas Kamalashila preached the classical doctrine of the bodhisattva path, ascending through ten stages of perfection during three immeasurable ( asankheya ) world cycles through the practice of six perfections - paramit .

    2. Secondly, Hashan Mahayana denied the value of the paramitas themselves, considering them to be worldly virtues (with the exception of prajna paramitas ), contributing to the improvement of karma, but having nothing to do with the awakening and realization of Buddha nature. From his point of view, it was necessary to suppress any karmic activity in general, for good deeds are also tied to samsara, as well as bad ones.

    3. Third, Hashan Mahayana Unlike Kamalashila believed that the main method of cultivation is contemplation, aimed at achieving a complete stop of the thought process and achieving a state of "not thinking" (Chinese at the nannies ), in which all differences and mental constructs disappear ( vikalpa ; chinese fenbe ), as well as the subject-object dichotomy. Following the cessation of "thinking," our own nature, which is Buddha nature, unfolds immediately and spontaneously. Kamalashila he did not recognize this method, considering it purely negative and not leading to awakening.

    Many researchers believe that the real controversy in Samye was conducted more broadly than between Indian and Chinese Buddhism(and not even between the classical Mahayana and the teachings of the Chinese Ch'an school), as is commonly believed. The scale of the Samye controversy goes far beyond this. This is a polemic between the two currents, both in Indian Buddhism and in Mahayana Buddhism in general, for the theses put forward by Hashan Mahayana reflected the positions held by many Buddhists in India itself (especially within the framework of the tantric tradition). Its theoretical basis, undoubtedly, was the theory Tathagatagarbhi (especially the position " our own Mind is Buddha "), While Kamalashila, following his teacher, adhered to the teachings of the syncretic school Madhyamaka Svatantrika Yogacra with her completely different understanding of both the structure of the path and the nature of Buddha nature.

    But chinese Chan Buddhism basically adheres to the principles expressed by Heshan Mahayana, who rejects much of the "canonical" Buddhist dogmatics and steps-practices of "perfection", as if "liberalizing" the course of "enlightenment" for its followers and making it potentially available to everyone. From this we can draw a general conclusion: Tibetan a way to gain "enlightenment" was potentially inaccessible to the majority (it was the prerogative of the "spiritual" and powerful upper circles of society - despite its Mahayana "folk" basis), and the Chinese not only declaratively declared that "in every person there is a particle of Buddha", but also gave this opportunity to everyone " a particle of Buddha "as if" to cleanse "" from worldly attachments "already during one life," in this body. "

    Considering the dispute between the schools of Kheshan and Kamalashil, one must not forget that Tibet was a single state, the ruler and monks of which supported Kamalashil's side primarily because they needed a religious justification for supporting the hierarchy of government of the Tibetan state crowd - "elitism" (what we spoke in the previous section), which, during the dispute in Samye, only became on the basis of Buddhism, taking root only after the "yellow-cap" reform (15th century). While in China Buddhism did not have the support of state power and had to adapt to the status of “ religions for the people ". It can be seen from this that, based on the Mahayana traditional for India, the Buddhists of Tibet, as it were, “involuntarily” reproduced many principles from the forgotten Theravada (in which the attainment of “enlightenment” was recognized only for a select few); and Kheshan's supporters reproduced the principles “ religions for the people ”, Which was originally the well-known Mahayana, spreading beyond India. Such is the paradox associated with the possibilities of state support for the religious system.

    Its beginning Chan Buddhism takes in the 6th century, when an Indian preacher came to China Bodhidharma (literally " Law of Enlightenment "). It is mythically believed that the founder of Ch'an Buddhism, like Buddha, came from a wealthy and noble Hindu family and, like Buddha, abandoned worldly life and devoted himself to spreading the "true teaching." The final form of Chan Buddhism took place at the turn of the 8th - 9th centuries, when the number of its followers increased so much that it was necessary to fix special rules of conduct for monks.

    It should not be forgotten that Ch'an Buddhism originated and developed in the slave-owning class Chinese society, where the "dominant" was the ideology of the "great sage of antiquity." Confucius (551-479), who focused special attention on the punctual performance of each member of the estate of their social duties, brought into literal compliance with about 300 large and 3000 small rules of social ethics of the upper and middle strata of society. In the same time for slaves the main religious basis remained Taoism .

    The Chinese type of Buddhism was strongly influenced by the teachings of Confucius, whose social side was obliged to obey to some extent the followers of Buddhism, who were primarily monks. Apparently, therefore, the Chan Buddhist monks were apostates from some of the original rules for monks, recorded in Vinaya Pitake.

    It is also possible that this initial compulsion to apostasy (in the “favor” of Confucian discipline) was the reason for the greater “freedom” of Ch'an Buddhist monasticism: in the communities of Ch'an Buddhism, monks could engage in a variety of physical labor, which was considered “a special kind of meditation that teaches consciousness to be fully involved in the work of the body, to merge with it ”. Since the 9th century, Ch'an Buddhist communities have appeared in neighboring China Korea , and at the turn of the XII-XIII centuries. this direction of Buddhism penetrated into Japan , where it soon established itself.

    Name Ch'an Buddhism accurately reflects his being. Word chan (short for channa ) is nothing more than a transcription of Sanskrit dhyana (contemplation, meditation ). This indicates predominantly yogic, psycho-practical orientation this direction of Buddhism. Another, little-known, name of this school is the school “ Buddha Hearts » ( buddha hridaya; Fo Xin Zong ). The fact is that Bodhidharma often considered an incarnation of the Buddha. According to traditional legend, it was founded by Buddha Gautama Shakyamuni himself, who once raised a flower in front of his disciples and smiled ("Buddha's Flower Sermon"). No one, however, except Mahakashyapa , did not understand the meaning of this gesture of Buddha. Mahakashyapa answered the Buddha, also lifting a flower and smiling. At that moment, he experienced an awakening: the state of awakening was transmitted to him by the Buddha directly, without instruction in oral or written form. So, according to Chan , the tradition of direct (" heart to Heart ”) Transmission of“ awakening ”(“ enlightenment ”) from teacher to student.

    X - XI centuries Chan turns into one of the leading schools, creates large monasteries and a spiritual hierarchy, which was clearly out of harmony with the original anti-authoritarian and anti-bureaucratic ("popular") spirit of the early Chan ... In the XI-XII centuries, the process of institutionalization Chan ended. The main principles of the Chan school are the following provisions: "Look into your nature and you will become a Buddha" and "Awakening is transmitted in a special way from heart to heart without relying on written signs."

    As you can see, the way to achieve Buddhist "enlightenment" is through slow"Neurolinguistics" ( preparation of the psyche with "written signs"); or using a straight line quick transmission of huge volumes of algorithmically structured information "eye to eye" and through biofield communication (preparation of the psyche "from heart to heart") - by methods of subsequent yoga practice after preparation (regardless of the method of preparation for meditation) does not save society "Enlightened" varying degrees from crowd- "elitism"... On the contrary, the “enlightened ones” are overgrown with divine authority, even if they themselves do not want it: it is true that their guardians from the authorities and a weak-willed crowd can “wish” this for them, after which they can only support the prevailing type of crowd- “elitism” - they cannot offer anything in return. This is practical proof that "enlightenment" does not equal the acquisition of the Human type of psyche, and the latter does not happen to any of the super "enlightened" gurus in any of the varieties of Buddhist schools.

    The second (after the statement about the inner essence of Buddha) position Chan meant that awakening, being the original and unborn nature of consciousness, (Japanese Zen teacher of the XVII century Bankei especially emphasized this very definition) cannot be caused by any external factors, including the study of canonical texts. It is appropriate here to cite a parable that clearly characterizes anti-canonical orientation of Chan and Zen:

    “One day the Ch'an teacher I-shu, who lived on Mount Bizhuishan, saw a great crowd of believers ascending to the Bizhuishan monastery located on the mountain for pilgrimage, since the monks were airing Buddhist sutras at that time. And in these places there was a legend that if the wind blows on the sutras, it will also blow away all the troubles and hardships of believers and increase their wisdom. Therefore, numerous believers and continuously climbed the mountain in order to receive this benefit brought by the wind. The Ch'an teacher I-chu understood this and said:

    - I will also air the sutras!

    Having said this, I-syu immediately stripped himself to his waist and lay down to sunbathe on the grass. Many believers, looking at this, were surprised and could not understand what was the matter, condemning the inappropriate behavior of the monk. When the monks from the monastery found out about this, they also ran there and began to ask I-syu not to behave so reprehensibly.

    Then I-shu very patiently explained to them the meaning of what he was doing:

    “The sutras that you air are dead, and therefore bookworms get in them, and they cannot do anything with them. The sutra that I air is alive, it can preach, it can do the service, it can eat. And every person endowed with wisdom will perfectly understand which of these two sutras is more valuable! "

    Both do not lead to righteousness. "Bookworms" of the canons, which deaden life, "zombifying" the psyche of students is bad. But "zombie" with the help of "live" communication with the subject, whose psyche contains the same sutras, but in a much larger volume - no better. This parable is indicative of the fact that the guru I-shu called himself sutra , even if not on purpose, but - wanting to show students the difference between canons and live communication. It's hard to deny the benefits of live communication. But communication for the sake of transferring to students and followers of the method of sensing and understanding the Language of Life, and through it and communication with God and " communication ”For the sake of transferring to the students the method of Buddhist“ enlightenment ”- different things. Therefore, the Buddhist guru correctly called himself alive sutra - an information base, limited by the capabilities of the egregor, which includes his psyche .

    State " awakening ", according to Chan , can be implemented by any person " through epiphany» , « enlightenment of consciousness ", Which is carried out by the awakened teacher "Thanks to" certain methods of influencing the psyche of the student.

    “Thanks to” this influence, the teacher, as it were, conveys, broadcasts the “awakening” of his “sober” (in terms of European translations) consciousness to the student, “just as the Buddha transmitted his awakening to Mahakashyapa ».

    This idea explains the exceptional importance for Chan. lists Dharma continuity containing information about the sequence of the transfer of awakening from one teacher to another (this is called " transfer of the luminaire "- chuan deng). To emphasize the principle of immediacy, "supportlessness" of this transmission and to eradicate the attachment of students to letter, image, symbol many Ch'an masters of the early period defiantly burned sutra texts and sacred images.

    Monk Linji I-xuan even said: “ If you meet Buddha, kill Buddha. Meet the patriarch - kill the patriarch ". The meaning of this statement is that one should kill in oneself the attachment to everything external, to all images and names; Buddha is man himself in his truth, and not some religious authority or teacher of the law. Moreover, this is not an image or text. At the same time, Ch'an practice presupposed the strictest discipline and full authority of the teacher for the student, which was enshrined in the 12th-13th centuries in the normative statutes of Ch'an monasteries ("pure rules" - qing gui ), a kind Ch'an Wine .

    In my psycho-practice school Chan is also quite original. Despite the fact that some directions Chan (especially Caodong / Soto ) practiced the traditional contemplation in a sitting position with crossed legs ( zuo chan / za zen ), this school did not consider this to be the most perfect and even more so the only possible method. Most Ch'an directions prescribed monks to be in a state of contemplation. in any form of activity, even during physical labor, which was obligatory for all Ch'an monks (the principle of the teacher Bai-chzhang: “ A day without work is a day without food "). And the "advanced" monks had to be able to engage in contemplative practice even in their sleep. Sometimes, to stimulate an instant awakening, Ch'an monks practiced stick strikes, striking unsuspecting, contemplative disciples.

    Therefore, Ch'an Buddhism does not give preference to strict ascetic restrictions and hermitism, detailed by the “canons” of religious and ritual practice, and is freely consistent with farming, literature, painting, and martial arts.

    "Zombifying" the psyche with images " from teacher to student ", Not amenable to any intelligible awareness by both sides (in this type of Buddhism, the immense intuitive-shaped component dominates more than ever, due to, among other things, the rejection of images of letters, images, symbols - from measured images) provides simultaneously reliable protection from external ("canonical" and other linguistic) intrusions into it of everything "unauthorized" - which, apparently, is not completely achieved in other types of Buddhism, which are forced to prohibit monks from many forms of activity permitted in Ch'an.

    The Mahayana tradition, which had a direct impact on the "theoretical" foundations of Ch'an (it is wrong to think that there is no theory in Ch'an Buddhism: it exists, but it is no longer aimed at explaining the mechanism of 'enlightenment', but at explaining the need for mentoring a guru), considers “ Unrivaled full awakening "As the highest goal of religious activity, since it directly" adjacent to nirvana ". In teaching Chan it is believed that everyone is capable of realizing such a state in themselves, literally “ Here and now " - by using " act of direct intuitive perception of truth».

    Intuitive perception, purely theoretically, of course, can come from God, however, as we already know - God does not push anyone into the psyche " awakening here and now »: For this you need to work hard yourself, consciously changing your moral life guidelines, which were inherited by ancestral inheritance and / or were acquired through life from birth. According to the changes in the human psyche and the purposefulness of the latter, God will support the activities of such a person in those processes that correspond to righteousness, which, indeed, with great success in the movement towards Humanity, can be signified mental peace, apparently similar to the state of "nirvana" in Buddhism. But in Buddhism way knowledge of the truth (only Man can accurately and always distinguish the Truth from delusions and egregorial obsessions) other, not Divine.

    V Ch'an Buddhism it is believed that realizing oneself in a state of “awakening”, after which “true vision” is revealed - one can only “ the human mind, untouched by any thoughts or sensory images ". Further - more: such a state is compared with " a clear mirror or a mirror water surface, when a person cannot distinguish even “I” and “not I” ”, Only in this case the consciousness is able to see the world as it really is - unclouded by subjective thoughts and sensations. In this state, the world is no longer divided into opposites, primarily into good and evil, love and hate, reality and illusion, reality and dream. It is believed that man and the world merge into one whole. At the same time, Ch'an Buddhism recognizes that the path of achievement “ Unsurpassed awakening "(Close to nirvana ) does not represent a uniform leap of consciousness and is most likely after passing through several "enlightenments".

    At first sight non-clouding of consciousness (read - psyche) initiated by the guru, may be is intended for the student to be able to see the world without its egregorial distortion (the psyche perceives the world through the prism of egregor algorithms and its own algorithms) - a very useful thing: why not help a person perceive the world correctly? It seems to be it is not bad to get rid of the psyche from the subjective division of phenomena into opposites (the consequences of the worldview of Eastern dualism), into good and evil, love and hate, and so on. However, why such “wisdom” if the crowd-“elite” world in which people live is based on the worldview of opposites: as soon as people leave the state of “nirvana”, they find themselves in this real world, continuing to build their relationships according to the relationship of opposites(as they think). This means that the merger in "nirvana" does not happen with the world of people - but with a world of religious illusion. But God created the human world not to run away from it into an artificial one. psychological"Paradise".

    Only death, or the ability to be in a state of lifelong "nirvana", can completely break the social disorder and the religious ideal. During the period of apprenticeship, getting used to ignoring real life problems (avoiding the vision of division into opposites, good and evil, and others, which the psyche of cowardly people, fleeing from "unpleasant" phenomena for her, does not resist) - withdrawal of the student's psyche from natural intuitive "irritants" associated with conscience, as well as from the "Language of Life", the phenomena of which allow an attentive person to judge his real righteousness (approaching the objective criteria of Good-Evil), which is necessary to change social unrighteousness after a person begins to change his own morality. But in Buddhism, the latter is completely blocked.

    Preparation for "nirvana" boils down to the fact that at the first stages the consciousness, which is accustomed to the external concentration of attention (this is more a function of consciousness), will be able to transfer this skill to the inner contemplation of the essence of things. As a result of this (the ability of internal concentration), the consciousness must be convinced of the "emptiness" of the whole world and thereby empty itself.

    Since in Buddhism the term "consciousness" in most cases means the entire psyche (both consciousness and unconscious levels) - we are talking about preparation for "nirvana", which consists in a special method of "cleaning" the psyche of students from the vast majority of its previous inconsistencies standard "Mirror water surface" ... This means that, since the methods for preparing students are approximately the same (in any case, their range is limited), then at the output we have subjects with a similar psyche, such as « mirror»Standard: if you look in the mirror " water surface ”, Then you will see your own reflection. This is how Buddhist teachers stamp their own kind from century to century. And the symbolism “ mirror water surface”Means that teachers and students live in a world that is not influenced by any social“ elements ”. However, in the real world, social “elements” will exist at least until the whole society acquires the Human type of psyche, since social “elements” are a sign of the movement of a crowd-“elite” society towards Justice, people's reactions to the Good and Evil phenomena of Life ... And if any society manages to limit the psyche of its citizens according to the Buddhist principle (psychotechnics), then there will definitely be external force, which will sweep away the hopeless regime.

    Chan Buddhism teaches:

    Even in the life of an ordinary person there are moments that are very reminiscent of some enlightened states of consciousness, which the ancient Ch'an masters gave such names: “Man disappeared, circumstances remained”; “Circumstances disappeared, a man remained”; " There is no person, no circumstance».

    A person becomes truly free only when he does not even realize that there are such concepts as "freedom" and "lack of freedom" .

    The latter is the dream of all crowd- “elite” regional dictators and ancient globalizers: to create a uniform society, insensitive to Good and Evil, stratified according to the labor principle, in which every class (especially slaves) would be satisfied with its position: in Buddhist terms, people felt would be "free" since they did not even realize that such concepts as "freedom" and "unfreedom" exist in general.

    In principle, from this point on, we can say that we gradually begin to consider creatures preparation and implementation of psychotechnics of Buddhism, while relying on the conceptual base of Ch'an Buddhism. Let's start with the question of what can prevent people from gaining a sense of “freedom” in the Buddhist way?

    - The general answer to it is as follows: some "animal" instincts and reflexes, mental stereotypes (obtained in life as a result of the work of intuition, including thanks to information received from God; reason; life observations, not processed by the intellect, but deposited in the psyche as "understanding by itself") , egregorial attachments of various kinds of origin (congenital and acquired under the influence of culture), one's own limited understanding; intuitive information from God (especially in early childhood and adolescence).

    All of the above, by and large, is personal the psychological and biofield “foundation” of what is called in Ch'an Buddhism “ own self "Or a bunch of" person + circumstances ».

    Buddhist practices are aimed at cleansing the psyche of their followers-disciples of all that from " own self ”, Which prevents the followers from gaining“ freedom ”in Buddhist way. The methods of Buddhist psychotechnics are based on the principle of zeroing the significance of the psyche algorithms " to the mirror surface ", Which was organized by Life due to « natural"(Without the purposeful intervention of the teacher) the formation of mental stereotypes, egregorial bindings, the product of one's own understanding and the product formed as" by itself understanding»After receiving intuitive information from Above. Buddhist practices begin with the fact that everything that we have highlighted in the previous phrase bold - which does not fit into the spiritual culture of Buddhism- is gradually removed from the psyche (in the sense that the algorithm of this ceases to control the thoughts and actions of people), being replaced by the algorithm of the spirituality of Buddhism by the method “ fight fire with fire". Therefore, in Chan Buddhism, the following principle is read out: “ A person clinging to his "I" lives as if with a permanent thorn in the body, and Chan Buddhism is another thorn, with the help of which the first ».

    Hello dear readers!

    We continue to acquaint you with various currents of Buddhist teachings. And today we will talk about Chan Buddhism.

    In general, about the direction

    Since the 6th century, Buddhism in its homeland, India, gradually fell into decay. Realizing this, the 28th Buddhist Patriarch Bodhidharma decided to make an attempt to revive the renewed teaching in a different country.

    China was chosen as such a place. The new school began to be called "chan", from the Chinese word "channa" (equivalent to the Sanskrit "dhyana"), which can be translated as:

    • "meditation",
    • "concentration",
    • "Detachment"
    • "deliverance",
    • "contemplation".

    The Chan branch of Buddhism was different from its orthodox version. Today you will learn the basic rules of Ch'an Buddhism.

    Having spread to neighboring countries, this Buddhist movement received the names "thien", "sleep" and " », respectively, in Vietnam (in the 6th century), in Korea (in the 9th century) and in Japan (in the 12th century).

    When Japanese Zen became widely known in the last century, this name eventually began to be used in all these countries, specifying the location, for example, "Chinese Zen", etc.

    Early period

    Traditionally, the founder of Chan Buddhism is Bodhidharma, the son of the Indian Raja. His Sanskrit name, meaning "Perfect knowledge of the law," in China sounds like Putidamo or simply Damo, and in Japan he is called Daruma.

    He arrived in China in about 525. First, the first Ch'an patriarch preached while traveling, and then settled in, which was founded 30 years before this event.

    Explaining the foundations of the new teaching to the monks, he at first remained incomprehensible, since what Damo said turned upside down the established notions of novices about their faith. He offered them

    • refuse to read sutras and ceremonies in temples;
    • begin to actively engage in physical labor (which was prohibited in Vinay);
    • accept a new technique of meditation and realize its effectiveness.

    Such seditious, in the minds of the monks, speeches reminded them of apostasy and caused them great doubts.


    Bodhidharma statue

    Then the White Buddha, as Damo was also called, went into a cave, which was located several hundred meters above the monastery, on the top of a mountain with five peaks. He sat facing the wall and spent 9 years in this position, meditating.

    There is an interesting one associated with this lengthy meditation.history... Only once in all the time did Bodhidharma fall asleep briefly.Frustrated by this, he tore out his eyelashes and threw it on the ground. Soon tea bushes grew in this place.

    His image spontaneously formed on a large boulder on the wall. This stone is a shrine for all Chan Buddhists, it was moved to venerate and protect, under the arches of the monastery.

    Bodhidharma was highly respected by the Chinese monastic community. In total, he spent about 40 years in this northern part of China. Damo had students who continued his work. One of them, Huike, became the second Ch'an patriarch appointed by the White Buddha.

    He gave him the Lankavatarasutra as the main Ch'an doctrine.

    Fundamentals of teaching

    Besides her, Damo developed two paths and four methods of achieving awakening.

    According to the first path, it was necessary to apply the practice of contemplating the wall in order to realize the true nature of all living things, the principle of reality. In this case, consciousness, in his words, should be "motionless, like a wall."


    Damo Cave, Shaolin, China

    The second way was practical. To master, they needed 4 methods:

    • to understand the cause-and-effect structure of this world, not to react sharply to all the troubles in life, not to be offended by those who cause them, realizing that all these are manifestations of karma; to understand that the cause itself does not lead to the effect, this requires certain conditions;
    • adapt to the conditions: choose the best way of acting in a given situation, not be too happy about successes, not be sad about failures, calmly accept karma;
    • extinguish all passions in oneself, including a passionate desire for something (even for enlightenment), strive to act unselfishly;
    • understand and acknowledge.

    Each of them was more perfect than the previous one, so it was necessary to use them consistently.

    In principle, the goal of traditional and Ch'an Buddhism is the same: to see the Buddha nature in oneself. Only the ways of achieving this goal and the corresponding capabilities differ.

    Ch'an Buddhism says that it is possible to find a Buddha in oneself provided there is an unclouded and calm mind, having experienced a sudden enlightenment at any moment of this life, and not in an indefinite distant future, as is assumed in orthodox Buddhism.


    These currents also relate to the basic Buddhist concept of "emptiness" in different ways. According to traditional standards, a Buddhist in a state of rest realizes emptiness by observing the world around him, realizing that all phenomena appeared from emptiness and have its qualities.

    Ch'an Buddhism proposes to be in emptiness itself, transforming one's consciousness into a state of “non-thinking”. But the mind is not inhibited or relaxed. This state does not require passive behavior in everyday life.

    If in order to achieve enlightenment and go to nirvana in orthodox Buddhism it is necessary to calm down all feelings and emotions, then in Ch'an for this purpose it is necessary to calm down the mind.

    In the traditional way, a person is deprived of the ability to physically act, since emotions come after actions, and this interferes with being in nirvana.

    Chan enlightenment is remarkable in that in the state of mental nirvana, emotions are automatically stabilized.

    An adept of the traditional direction of Buddhism, while meditating, strives to get rid of another rebirth on this mortal land.


    A Ch'an novice during meditation has an absolutely calm mind and feelings, so he does not feel attachment to anything.

    His freedom and openness to perception, physical strength provide the highest capacity. He is observant and has excellent thinking abilities, while he does not analyze anything.

    In classical Buddhism, book knowledge is accumulated, waiting for the amount of this wisdom to lead to its qualitative change and the onset of Enlightenment.

    The basic principles and essence of Ch'an Buddhism can be summarized as follows:

    • understand the teaching with the heart;
    • not attach much importance to what is written and said;
    • refer to your consciousness;
    • explore the inner world and find the Buddha within.

    Ch'an Buddhism has had a tremendous impact on the culture and lifestyle of its followers.

    • Martial arts,
    • painting,
    • calligraphy,
    • tea ceremony,
    • versification,
    • music,
    • park art

    carry its features and concepts.


    Monastic Code

    The rules of conduct for monks have also changed. The main difference from the traditional Buddhist approach is the obligation of active physical labor. A monk who refused to work could be removed from the community for this.

    The novices participated in special trance training sessions several times a day. To do this, it was necessary, kneeling motionless, with an absolutely flat back, to focus on a certain focus on the wall.

    Then it was suggested to disperse attention all over the wall, after which the mind and senses decreased their activity, and the meditator sank into a state of non-existence. Thus, the training of concentration of consciousness and cognition of oneself took place.

    Another type of trance was motor trance. During the movement, it was required to perceive the now external world with all the senses, without interrupting this perception for a second. This trained the development of a lightning-fast reaction to any external stimulus, be it subtle, sudden or unusual.


    The monks followed a special diet, or rather, they were constantly in a half-starved state. In addition to trance training, they used

    • acupuncture,
    • acupressure,
    • general massage,
    • local massage,
    • creative pursuits,
    • philosophical studies.

    These trainings significantly expanded their psychophysical capabilities.

    Conclusion

    All the best, friends! We hope this article was helpful to you. We will be grateful if you support the site by recommending it to your friends on social networks)

    Subscribe to our blog to receive new interesting articles in your mail!

    See you soon!

    Buddhism is the oldest religion in the world. It arose in the 6th century BC. NS. in India.

    The founder of Buddhism was a real historical figure - Sithartha Gautama, who belonged to the Kshatriya varna. Siddhartha was the son of the ruler of the Sakya people in northeastern India (now Nepal). From birth, he was destined for the fate of the ruler. True, the final choice remained with him. Once Queen Mahamaya, the wife of King Shuddhodama, had a prophetic dream that she would give birth to a son and he would either become a ruler or a sad-hu (saint who renounced the earthly world) The boy grew up in luxury, but he was never allowed outside the palace Siddhartha married the beautiful princess Yashodhara who gave him a son. He was soon to inherit the throne. However, the king's hopes were not destined to come true. Siddhartha decided to find out about life outside the walls of the palace and ordered the driver to accompany him. For the first time he saw the old man and asked the driver why he was so thin and hunched over. This is the lot of all people, without exception, this is the natural and inevitable result of life, - was the answer. Then Siddhartha exclaimed: "What is the point and what is the use of youth if everything ends so sadly."

    In formulating his teaching, Buddha relied on the Brahminist theory, already familiar to all Indians. He used in his teaching the principles of rebirth, the idea of ​​retribution, the righteous path.

    According to Buddhism, life in all its manifestations is an expression of various combinations or "streams" - non-material particles, dharmas. The combination of dharmas determines the existence of everything that exists in the world. After the disintegration of the corresponding combination, death occurs, but the dharmas do not disappear without a trace, but form a new combination. This combination is carried out in accordance with the laws of karma-reward, depending on the behavior in the previous life. The endless chain of rebirths can end. This is what a person should strive for. Cessation of rebirths that cause suffering, achieving a state of peace, bliss, merging with Buddha - this is the main goal of human efforts. Thus, in Buddhism, emphasis is placed on the fact that already during life a person can achieve a state of peace, dispassion, and enlightenment. According to the teachings of Buddhism, all people have equal opportunities to embark on the path of enlightenment. It is in Buddhism that one of the characteristics that characterizes all world religions is laid - the appeal to preaching to all people, regardless of their ethnicity and class. One of the most important principles of Buddhist doctrine is the orientation towards an individual spiritual life. According to Buddhism, a person could break out of samsara and create his own righteous path.

    The Buddha formed 4 main points of his doctrine:

      The essence of life is suffering.

      The cause of suffering is desire and attachment.

      To get rid of suffering, you need to root out desires and attachments.

      To do this, you need to lead a virtuous life, according to the laws of correct behavior and moral knowledge, leading to enlightenment, and through it to nirvana.

    The essence of the doctrine boils down to a call to each person to take the path of seeking inner freedom, complete liberation from all the shackles that human life carries within itself.

    Liberation is achieved in nirvana. Nirvana is an internal state of a person in which all the lower desires of the body are absent, since the soul has left the body, and all the higher desires of the soul are initially satisfied. The meaning of nirvana is that it puts a person on the other side of necessity. And in this sense, nirvana is equal to freedom. However, for the first time, only the negative side of freedom is revealed to a person. This freedom is understood only as a denial of complete dependence, "freedom from ...". Genuine freedom not only denies, but also affirms the existence of a person as a person, his intrinsic dignity, and inexhaustible creative abilities. But the personality in the 6th century BC. NS. has not yet formed in Ancient India, therefore, complete freedom is interpreted by the Buddha as the fullness of negation: nirvana lies not only on the other side of necessity, but also on the other side of all existence. Nirvana frees a person not only from necessity, but also from his own Self.

    According to Buddhist teachings, people are not alone on their path to enlightenment, they are helped by the Buddha, as well as bodhistattvas - beings who have left to take the last step to achieve nirvana, but who do not consciously do it in order to help people find peace.

    However, the main thing on this path must be done by the person himself. Enlightenment and nirvana are achieved through our own efforts. For this, a person must travel along the eightfold road. The main milestones of this path:

      Correct views, that is, views based on "noble truths"

      Determination is correct, that is, readiness for a heroic deed in the name of truth

      Correct speech, that is, friendly, sincere, truthful.

      Correct behavior, that is, non-use of evil.

      Correct way of life, that is, peaceful, honest, clean.

      Correct effort, i.e. self-control and self-education.

      Correct attention, that is, active vigilance of consciousness.

      Correct concentration, that is, correct methods of contemplation and meditation.

    Mastering these principles was seen by the Buddha as a series of ascending steps. At the top of the staircase leading to nirvana, one finds the highest enlightenment, the state of sambodhi.

    In early Buddhism, the search for enlightenment and the attainment of nirvana meant giving up all worldly attachments and going to a monastery. However, Buddhism was opposed to extreme asceticism.

    In addition to efforts for personal enlightenment, monks were obliged to engage in missionary activities, to promote the teachings of their teacher. This teaching met with great interest, but not everyone was able to take the path of detachment from everything worldly. Therefore, the problem of lay Buddhists arose. This problem was resolved on the basis of the development of the doctrine of two ways of salvation: Hinayana and Mahayana.

    Mahayana is the wide path of salvation. In the Mahayana, the possibility of attaining nirvana was also allowed for a layman observing vows of spiritual development, under the guidance of a compassionate bodhisattva.

    The goal of Mahana is to achieve the state of a bodhisattva, to give up personal salvation in order to help other sentient beings and lead them to liberation. In the Mahayana, the active principle is not the will of the individual, but the help of the bodhisattvas.

    In the Mahayana, there were 2 paths of development, along with the same as in the Hinayana, there was also the second one for ordinary laity, less reliable, but simpler. In contrast to monks, laymen were given a simpler code of conduct. It boiled down to observing in a simplified form ahimsa (not harming living beings unnecessarily) and five commandments:

      Refrain from killing

      Refrain from stealing

      Abstain from adultery

      Refrain from lying

      Refrain from stimulating and intoxicating drinks and substances.

    After that, the layman had to find a bodhisattva and convince him to become his mentors on the path to attaining nirvana. This was the main difficulty. The Bodhisattva is more than man and more than God. He is omnipotent and he has no desires, you need to generate in him a desire to help you. Also, in the Mahayana, the cult practice was greatly developed.

    Bodhisattvas are endowed with tremendous supernatural power, act as protectors and saviors, they are able to respond to love and prayer. Therefore, prayers in Mahayana are most widespread.

    Chan Buddhism emerged as an esoteric sect in China in the 6th century. The name Ch'an originated from the Sanskrit dhyana (concentration). The ancient Buddhist direction - the Dhyana school - called on its followers to more often renounce the outside world, immerse themselves in themselves. The purpose of dhyana was to achieve trance in the process of meditation.

    The Dhyana sutras have been translated into Chinese by Tao-anem. Later they were widely known in Chinese Buddhist monasteries.

    Legend tells that Ch'an Buddhism originated in China after it migrated there from India at the beginning of the 6th century. the famous patriarch of Indian Buddhism Bodhidharma. When asked by the famous patron of Buddhism, Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty, who accepted him, how his merits (construction of monasteries and temples, copying sutras, granting benefits and donations to Buddhists) would be assessed, Bodhidharma allegedly replied that all these deeds are worthless, everything the essence of dust and vanity. After that, the patriarch left the disillusioned Wu-di, retired with a group of followers and laid the foundation for a new sect - Ch'an.

    According to Ch'an Buddhism, the understanding of the "four noble truths" and the practice of the Buddhist eightfold path, the correct perception of the world leads to concentration; contemplation consists in ecstatic immersion in one's thoughts (din, or Sanskrit samadhi). This stage, its correct application, avoids the cycle of endless rebirths (i.e. samsara).

    Ch'an Buddhism placed at the center of its attention a person who was free from duties and attachments, ready to abandon worldly concerns and devote himself entirely to the ability and art of living, but living only for himself (in this, the Indian tradition in Ch'an Buddhism decisively triumphed over the Chinese). It was not easy to learn the truths of Ch'an Buddhism and accept its principles; this required a special long-term preparation. Preparation and initiation usually began with paradoxes. The first of them was a decisive denial of knowledge, especially bookish, canonical. One of the main Ch'an doctrines was that intellectual analysis based on written dogmas does not penetrate into the essence of the phenomenon and does not contribute to success in comprehending the Truth. Why strain the mind and even more load it with bookish wisdom, when you can give full scope to intuition and self-expression and completely reject canons and authorities ?! This is how the textbook of the famous master of Ch'an Buddhism I-xuan (IX century), which has become a textbook, should be understood: “Kill everyone who stands in your way! If you meet Buddha - kill Buddha, if you meet the patriarch - kill the patriarch! " In other words, nothing is sacred in the face of the great concentration of the individual and his sudden illumination and enlightenment, his comprehension of the Truth.

    How to comprehend the Truth? Ch'an Buddhism solved this eternal question of thinkers in a surprisingly simple and paradoxical way. Truth is illumination. It descends on you suddenly, as an intuitive impulse, as an inner enlightenment, as something that cannot be expressed in words and images. To comprehend and accept this insight, you need to prepare. However, even a prepared person is not guaranteed that he will comprehend the Truth. He must patiently wait in the wings. Yesterday, just a minute ago, he was pondering painfully and tormented, trying to comprehend the incomprehensible, but suddenly something came to him - and he immediately understood everything, comprehended the Truth.

    In the practice of Ch'an - and Zen Buddhism, various methods of artificially stimulating sudden insight were usually used - harsh shouts, jolts, even blows that unexpectedly fell on a person who was immersed in a trance and thoughtful, withdrawn into himself. It was believed that at this moment a person should react especially sharply to external irritation and that at this very moment he can receive an intuitive impetus, illumination, enlightenment can descend on him.

    As a means of stimulating thought, searching, and hard work of the brain, Ch'an Buddhism widely used the practice of riddles (gong'an, Japanese koan). It is impossible to comprehend the meaning of the koan through logical analysis. Here's an example: "A blow with two hands is a clap, but what is a clap with one palm?" Meanwhile, the absurdity and absurdity of such koans for the Ch'an Buddhists were only apparent, purely external. Behind this external, one had to look for a deep inner meaning, find the most successful, often paradoxical answer, to which beginners sometimes took many years, during which the mastery of the student was honed. Preparing for initiation into a master, he had to be able to quickly reveal complex logical intricacies.

    Another important and paradoxical method of searching for Truth and preparing the initiate for illumination, for an intuitive impulse, were wenda dialogues (Japanese mondo) between the master and his disciple. In the process of this dialogue, when both sides exchanged with each other only brief remarks, often outwardly almost devoid of meaning, the meaning was not so much the words themselves, but the general context, even the inner subtext of the dialogue. The master and the student at first, as it were, tuned in with the help of random mutual signals to a common wave, and then, setting the tone and code of the conversation to each other, they began a dialogue. Its purpose is to evoke certain associations, resonance in the mind of the disciple tuned to the wave of the master, which, in turn, served to prepare the student for the perception of an intuitive impulse, illumination.

    The ancient Chinese Ch'an masters used the early Mahayana sutras, which was reflected in their teaching.

    An important text in Chan Buddhism was a collection of sutras Prajnaparamita("Sutras of Perfect Wisdom"). The key elements of Prajnaparamita, such as negativism, paradox, the experience of mystical comprehension and knowledge of things in their suchness, had a great influence on Chan Buddhism. The Prajnaparamita-hridaya-sutra in particular and the other Prajnaparamita sutras are currently being actively studied in Zen monasteries.

    Also an important text was Lankavatara Sutra which Bodhidharma conveyed to Huike with the words: “As far as I know, there are no other sutras in China; use it as a guide, and you will truly save the whole world, ”and the Diamond Sutra, which the Fifth Patriarch of Hongzhen recommended to Huineng. The refusal of a number of Zen masters from using any sutras occurred much later. Many teachers of Chinese Buddhism expressed Ch'an truths through poetry. For example, the monk Hong-chih wrote the poem "Silent Illumination" in the 13th century.

    Periods

    The history of Ch'an Buddhism has two substantially different periods. First period- from the emergence of the Chan Buddhist Teachings in the Shaolin Monastery under the "First Teacher of Chan" Bodhidharma, to the Fifth Patriarch. This period is characterized by the highest achievement of Chan as a psychotechnical system, manifested in the field of martial arts, the struggle against the first attempts to encroach on the integrity of the Teaching through the introduction of "Gradual Enlightenment", the fundamental absence of any philosophical developments, and is a direct and complete adherence to the spirit and letter of Chan. Buddhism.

    In the second period- from the Sixth Patriarch to the present day, many "Ch'an", philosophical writings have appeared, using philosophical positions and theories of other schools. This was a departure from the principles of Ch'an Buddhism, Ch'an writings, significant in volume and detailed, cannot be. This is no longer Chan, but another doctrine, speculating on the basic concepts of the Teaching. The notorious "Sutra of the Platform", attributed to the then official, then, the Sixth Patriarch of Ch'an Buddhism, being essentially apostate, marked the beginning of the formal and superficial replacement of the Teaching by several schismatic, essentially demagogic, branches. The apostasy consisted in a departure from the Ch'an Buddhist theses "A special transmission outside the Teaching" and "Not to rely on words and scriptures" and going into profane public mentoring.

    At present, Chan Buddhism exists under different names, and in all its accompanying diversity, through the millennia the very idea of ​​Dhyana-Chan-Zen of the "White Buddha" of Bodhidharma-Damo-Daruma is transmitted, often in different applied aspects there are visible grains of evidence of true achievement. In the world, there is an increase in interest in Ch'an Buddhism, but more and more not as a religious-ethical system, with the corresponding moral regulating mechanisms and relations, but narrowly selectively, as a psychotechnical system. In these conditions, for the success and, most importantly, the safety of meditation classes, it seems that the preventive and restorative role of physical labor and other practical exercises is especially important, it is important to pay attention to the issues of proper nutrition, maybe on the basis of Buddhist recommendations, as well as observance , healthy lifestyle.

    Read more: