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Chan – A Way of Tangible Religious Practices
Hong Lin
Department of Computer Science and Engineering Technology
University of Houston-Downtown
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Introduction to Chan
• Chan (or Ch’an in Chinese)
• Zen (in Japanese)• Dhyāna (in Sanskrit)• Wikipedia Definition:
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism, referred to in Chinese as Chan. Chan is itself derived from the Sanskrit Dhyāna, which means "meditation"
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Wikipedia Definition (Cont’d)
Zen emphasizes dharma practice and experiential wisdom—particularly as realized in the form of meditation known as zazen—in the attainment of awakening. As such, it de-emphasizes both theoretical knowledge and the study of religious texts in favor of direct, experiential realization.
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Origin• Flower Sermon, in which Śākyamuni Buddha (Siddhartha
Gautama) transmitted direct prajñā (wisdom) to the disciple Mahākāśyapa. In the original Sino-Japanese, this story is called nengemishō (拈花微笑 , literally "pick up flower, subtle smile").
• Gautama Buddha gathered his disciples one day for a dharma talk. When they gathered together, the Buddha was completely silent and some speculated that perhaps the Buddha was tired or ill. The Buddha silently held up and twirled a flower and twinkled his eyes; several of his disciples tried to interpret what this meant, though none of them were correct. One of the Buddha's disciples, Mahākāśyapa, silently gazed at the flower and broke into a broad smile. The Buddha then acknowledged Mahākāśyapa's insight by saying the following:
• I possess the true Dharma eye, the marvelous mind of Nirvana, the true form of the formless, the subtle Dharma Gate that does not rest on words or letters but is a special transmission outside of the scriptures. This I entrust to Mahākāśyapa.
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Lineage and Spread-out
• Indian prince turned monk Bodhidharma (early 5th century): the 28th patriarch in India and the 1st patriarch in China
• "special transmission outside scriptures" which "did not stand upon words".
• From China, Zen spread south to Vietnam, and east to Korea and Japan.
• In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Zen also began to establish a notable presence in North America and Europe.
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Chan Methodology
• The Flower Sermon was wordless, encapsulating ineffable tathātā: it comprised the purity of direct communication between Śākyamuni and Mahākāśyapa, who smiled. The smile signified Mahākāśyapa's direct cognition.
• Zen emphasizes experiential prajñā in the attainment of enlightenment. As such, it de-emphasizes theoretical knowledge in favor of direct realization through meditation and dharma practice.
• through Zen there developed a way which concentrated on direct experience rather than on rational creeds or revealed scriptures.
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Jesus’ Teaching
• Johns 1:1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
• Mathew 11:25: … Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. …”
• Mathew 18:3: And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. …”
• Johns 4:24: God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth.
• Johns 4:14: but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I gave him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
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The Middle Way of Religions --- Anti-idolatry
• Zen asserts, as do other schools in Mahāyāna Buddhism, that all sentient beings have Buddha-nature (Skt. Buddhadhātu, Tathāgatagarbha), the universal nature of transcendent wisdom (Skt. prajñā), and emphasizes that Buddha-nature is nothing other than the essential nature of the mind itself.
• The aim of Zen practice is to discover this Buddha-nature within each person, through meditation and practice of the Buddha's teachings. The ultimate goal of this is to become a Completely Enlightened Buddha.
• The cognition of this complete enlightenment is without the desire to become a Buddha, as said by Chan patriarchs.
• Therefore, Buddha is not an idol.
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Meditation
• Sitting meditation: core aspect of Zen practice, during which practitioners usually assume a position such as the lotus position.
• To regulate the mind, awareness is directed towards counting or watching the breath or put in the energy center below the navel.
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Essence of Meditation
• Bodhidharma Chan: Meditation with no objects, anchors, or content, is the primary form of practice. The meditator strives to be aware of the stream of thoughts, allowing them to arise and pass away without interference.
• The awakening is carried not in meditation, but in every moment of life. Therefore, sitting meditation is simply a form of practice, not the essence.
Buddhism and Christianity on practice
• Meditation and Prayer– Bodhidharma: “The Dharma way of watching
minds embraces all Dharma ways.” (“On Breaking Forms”, Tang Dynasty)
– Pure Land School (净土宗 ): Amitābha Buddha– Original Oath School (本愿门 ): Meditation – no
salvation– Christianity: built on faith– Prayer the only communication to God
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The Way• Pure land is in the “heart”: “Ascending to the pure land is
real, while not leaving the present world.”
• John 17:15: “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”
• John 14:20: “… you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”
• John 17:21: “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us …”
• Luke 17:20, 21: “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is.’ Or ‘There it is.’ Because the kingdom of God is within you.”
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Meditation and Religious Truth
• Winston L. King (Theologist at Vanderbilt University)“Meditation is a scientific way to reach religious truth.”
• 3 Books:–Buddhism and Christianity–In the Hope of Nibbana–A Thousand Lives Away
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Effects of Chan --- Proactive Therapy
• Chinese saying: Illness comes from heart (mind).
• Cause of illness: obsess (desires) in mind, which causes greed, anger, and dumbness, which further cause physical anomaly.
• Desires in mind is caused by separating self from its environment.
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Words in Bible• Genesis 2:25: The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt
no shame.• Mathew 16: 2-3: He (Jesus) replied, “When evening comes, you
say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. …”
• Mark 8:34: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. …”
• Luke 6:37: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. …”
• Luke 12: 22, 25, 26: Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. … Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? …”
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Science on Chan
• James 2:17: … faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
• Can faith be measured by its physical manifestations?
• Since Chan is a practice of self control in an every-thought level, and its effect is clearly felt, is there a way to measure the effects by scientific means?
• Summarized measurement can help regulate Chan practice.
• The starting point is measuring meditation.
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Chan Medicine
• Health indicators: heart pulse rate, blood pressure, regularity in breath, electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, …
• Statistical Model: – Comparisons in temporal progress– Comparisons among groups
• Micro Model:– Five Element Theory– Channels (Jing-luo) Theory
Five Element Model
• Categorization of Zang, Fu, Flavours and Senses according to the Five Elements
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Elements Wood Fire Earth Metal Water
Flavors sour bitter sweet pungent salty
Zang liver heart spleen lung kidney
Fu Gall, bladder s. intestine stomach l. intestine urinary
Senses eye tongue mouth nose ear
Tissue tendon vessel muscle hair/skin bone
http://www.tcmbasics.com/basics_5elements.htm
Lessons at: http://www.herbTVonline.com
Modeling Functionalities of Organs
http://ardisbiz.com/maintaining-your-health-with-tiens-health-products/http://www.5elementvet.com/Alternative_Veterinary_Medicine/5_element_Theory.html
Five Element Testing• An example: testing done by Terrapin Therapy
http://terrapintherapy.com/5-Element_Testing.html
Five Element Psychology• Emotion-Organ relationship
http://www.drstandley.com/readingRoom_4.shtml
Five Element Astrology• Categorization of Objects, Nature and Phenomena according to
the Five Elements
• A science of harmony between life (perceptions) and the environment
• Chan’s goal: No separation between one’s self and the surroundings (物我一如 )
Elements Wood Fire Earth Metal Water
Directions east south center west north
Changes germinate grow transform reap store
Color green red yellow white black
Channel (Jing-luo) Model• Jing Luo (Channels and
Collaterals I Meridians and Sub-Meridians)
• classification based on the main location of the Channel and its terminal point
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Yin Channels (Organ)
Yang Channels (Organ)
Lung (LU) Large Intestine (LI)
Spleen (SP) Stomach (ST)
Heart (HT) Small Intestine (SI)
Kidneys (KI) Bladder (BL)
Pericardium (PC)
San Jiao (SJ)
Liver (LV) Gall Bladder (GB)
Hand Meridians Foot Meridians
Lung (LU) Stomach (ST)
Large Intestine (LI)
Spleen (SP)
Heart (HT) Bladder (BL)
Small Intestine (SI)
Kidneys (KI)
Pericardium (PC)
Gall Bladder (GB)
San Jiao (SJ) Liver (LV)
http://www.sacredlotus.com/acupuncture/channel_theory.cfm
Energy Pathways• Basis of Acupuncture
Abbreviations
Pathway
3 Yin Meridians of the Hand
(LU, HT, PC)
Chest to Hand
3 Yang Meridians of the Hand
(LI, Sl, SJ)
Hand to Face
3 Yang Meridians of the Foot
(ST, BL, GB)
Face to Foot
3 Yin Meridians of the Foot
(SP, KI, LV)
Foot to Chest
A Time-Space System
• Circulation of Energy Through the Primary Meridians
Lungs 3 AM to 5 AM
Large Intestine 5 AM to 7 AM
Stomach 7 AM to 9 AM
Spleen 9 AM to 11 AM
Heart 11 AM to 1 PM
Small Intestine 1 PM to 3 PM
Bladder 3 PM to 5 PM
Kidney 5 PM to 7 PM
Pericardium 7 PM to 9 PM
San Jiao 9 PM to 11 PM
Gall Bladder 11 PM to 1 AM
Liver 1 AM to 3 AM
Chan Psychology• Behavioral Model: Analyzing mental health indicators – Lust, Anger, Fear,
Self-control, …
• eg. using Five Element Model)
• Suzuki Teitaro Daisetz (铃木大拙 ), E. Fromm, Zen and Psychoanalysis.
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Progression Model• Four-Level Chan (catvari-dhyanani) Theory
• Methods for entering four dhyanas
Zhi Kai (智凯 , AC 523-597), Essentials of Concentration and Reception (止观 ) Meditation.
Four Dhyanas 1) First Dhyana: Bliss Born of Separation 2) Second Dhyana: Bliss Born of Samadhi (proper concentration and proper reception)3) Third Dhyana: Wonderful Happiness of Being Apart from Bliss 4) Fourth Dhyana: Clear Purity of Casting Away Thought http://www.bhaisajyaguru.com/buddhist-ayurveda-encylopedia/four_dhyanas_sz-chan_sz-jing-chu_catvari-dhyanani_jhana.htm
Bodily Manifestations• In the First Dhyana (The Ground of Bliss Born of Separation), one's
pulse stops, but this doesn't mean one is dead. This brings a particular happiness which is unknown to those in the world.
• The Second Dhyana is called the Ground of Bliss Born of Samadhi. . . . In the Second Dhyana, one's breath stops. There is no detectible breathing in and out, but at that time an inner breathing takes over.
• The Third Dhyana is the Ground of the Wonderful Happiness of Being Apart from Bliss. One renounces the dhyana-bliss as food and the happiness of the Dharma that occurs in initial samadhi. One goes beyond that kind of happiness and reaches a sense of wonderful joy. It is something that one has never known before, that is inexpressible in its subtlety, and that is inconceivable.
• The Fourth Dhyana is called the Ground of the Clear Purity of Casting Away Thought. In the Third Dhyana thoughts were stopped--held at bay--but they still had not been renounced altogether. In the heavens of the Fourth Dhyana, not only are thoughts stopped, they are done away with completely. There basically are no more cognitive considerations. This state is extremely pure, subtly wonderful, and particularly blissful.
Possibilities for Testing
• No fear– Patriarch BaiZhang: Coming back from and going forth to death
is like door’s opening– Chinese idiom: No eye winking when Mount Tai falling in front– Mathew 8: 24-26: Without warning, a furious storm came up on
the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”
– Mathew 14: 29-30: Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
Easy Test?
• Roller Coaster
Chan Fitness• Focus on mental-physical correlation
• Shaolin Martial Arts– Origin: Bodhidharma and Shaolin Temple– Training of Mentality:
• Stand like Pine• Sit like Bell• Sleep like Bow
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Chan Arts• Chan Arts
– Chan Poems– Chan Drawings– Chan Music– Tao of Tea
• Scientific Scrutiny of Chan Arts?– Why Nobel prize winners committed suicide?
• Ernest Hemingway• Yasunari Kawabata (川端康成 )
– Superior or Obsessing?
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Writers Should Learn Chan• Master Geng Yun: “Writers Should Learn Chan.”
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Chan in Modern Society
• Features of Modern Society– Instantaneous Information Propagation– Short Span of Attentions– Exposure and Vulnerabilities
• Mesh of Mouni Pearls– Individuals are not isolable from the group– All-inclusive perception of the surroundings is
by separating from thoughts– Dong, Zizhu, Eastern Interpretation of Bible.
A Program for Brain State Analysis Using Electroencephalographic Data
Example EEG peripheral deviceNodes AF3 through AF4 (read counterclockwise)
Methodology
Example of visualization rendered from test data on one node
Beyongsang Oh’s Work
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Spiritual Consciousness Studies 2010
Energy distribution profile of the navel, heart, throat and third eye of female subjects
y = 15.353x + 40.957
R2 = 0.9564
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60
70
80
90
100
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Navel Heart Throat 3rd eye
Curre
nt in
micro
ampe
res
Frontal Sagittal Axis• According to the Physical System theory generalized for Spiritual
System Modelling (P S. Satsangi , 2008)*** the energy points lie beyond the pupils along the sagittal axis from the pupils to the forehead and from the forehead to the apex of the head in the white matter as ganglions or focal points that are resistant to anesthetics like chloroform. This is a distinguishing feature of the focal points as the cell bodies can all be inactivated by chloroform but the neurons (cell bodies in the forehead and nerve centers in the white matter) related to the focal points can never be anesthetized as they are the highest points of consciousness for a particular region and domain they cover. The domain still needs to be determined definitely by neuroimaging technology.
• ***On Systems Modelling of Macrocosm and Microcosm in the Domain of Spiritual Consciousness. Vision Talk at the Inaugural Function of International Seminar on Spiritual Awakening: A Systems Approach to adress the Civilizational Crisis (SPAWSYS 2008), January 12-13, 2008.
Medical Imaging: Towards a science of Consciousness, April 9-14, 2012
• 1) Correlation Measured: Energy distribution profiling, MEAD and level of consciousness in the upper 4 chakras– disciplined prayer schedule and focused
cognitive tasks– consciousness and energy distribution
between diff energy profiles of the human body
– Electrical energy profile inverse of temperature profile
Toward Science of Consciousness 2013, March 3-9, 2013, Dayalbagh University, Agra, India
Pioneering Consciousness through Forehead analysis of CHCL3 resistant focal points along Frontal Sagittal Axis
Symmetry of the face.
Sixty degree angle symmetry
Validation of face-landmark as basis for measurementLandmark of the face
Imaging by Polycontrast Interference Photography (PIP) and/or Heat maps using IR/FIR technology
Meditation vs. Talking
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Meditation vs. Talking (cont’d)
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Meditation vs. Talking (cont’d)
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Concluding Remarks
• Chan is a superior mental training methodology
• Meditation is the primary way of Chan
• Effect of Chan is measurable
• Chan science: various models can be built
• Benefits to life and modern society
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