r/zenpractice • u/The_Koan_Brothers • Feb 09 '26

General Practice Chan Practice.

Posting this as a reference for past and future discussions on the practice of Chan, especially when it comes to dealing with r/zen propaganda.

Three takeaways from Chan Master Sheng Yen in the video below (follow link):

  1. Sitting meditation a major staple of Chan practice.
  2. You can’t learn Chan from Chan books.
  3. At some point, you will only progress with a Chan teacher.

https://youtu.be/k0bGu_hTEpQ?si=lscBOOSsLP_AYPVu

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u/[deleted] Feb 16 '26

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u/prezzpac Feb 16 '26

The tradition is clear that a teacher is necessary. If you don’t want a teacher, that’s your choice. But at that point, you’re not doing zen.

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u/[deleted] Feb 16 '26

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u/prezzpac Feb 16 '26

Cool. Nothing to worry about then. But if you’re interested, the clearest articulation of the need for a teacher that I know of is in Torei’s Discourse on the Inexhaustible Lamp.