An online community sharing the study and practice of Chan Buddhism
The Hua-Tou
By
Fa Gong, OHY
For the beginner new to Chan's tactics, attacking a hua tou may seem too abstruse, too hard, and too alien to know how to approach it. As easy as it might be to sit and count our breaths, be mindful of our thoughts, or concentrate on a mantra for a half-hour, investigating the baffling question, "Who am I?", can be so daunting that we quickly and happily toss it aside, discounting it as nonsense. ...
By
Chuan Zhi
Zen’s hua-tou practice recently seems to be enjoying a renaissance among the small contingent of Zen Buddhists speckling the globe. In part, this may be due to the growing awareness that this was Hsu Yun’s personal favorite Zen practice that he spent much of his life advocating. One of the best contemporary descriptions of hua-tou practice has recently come from Stuart Lachs who offers ...
By
Chuan Zhi
Everyone who comes to Zen develops his or her own unique relationship with it. That relationship is affected by a myriad of factors, from one’s native culture, to the culture of the Zen sect one embraces, be it Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. It’s also affected by the practices and philosophies propounded by individual teachers. When I present thoughts on Zen, it‘s from my own personal ...
By
Maharshi Chan
The corporate world is an often difficult, if not sometimes brutal, place to be but it offers one of the best environments to practice the hua-tou method of Chan. When greed, battles of the ego, and desires for prestige are rampant, it’s a perfect opportunity to reflect inward and ask “Who is experiencing these things?” If we are trying to make ourselves look good by making others look bad, ...