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Practice

312 articles in category.

Practice4 min

The Constable Searches for "Me"

There was once a constable escorting a prisoner to the capital. The prisoner was a monk who had broken monastic rules. The journey was long, and every morning upon waking, the dutiful constable would take stock of the few things beside h...

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Practice5 min

The Eight-Year-Old Dragon Girl Attains Buddhahood in This Very Body

The Devadatta Chapter of the Lotus Sutra recounts the story of the eight-year-old Dragon Girl attaining Buddhahood in this very body. Sagara the Dragon King, whose might shakes the four seas, had a youngest princess who was bright, cleve...

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Practice1 min

Rabbit Horns, Ox Horns

I'm not asking about the teaching that this very mind is Buddha. But what is the teaching that is neither mind nor Buddha?

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Practice1 min

The Whole and the Part

There was once a destitute woman who offered her only two coins to the Three Jewels. The abbot himself dedicated the merit on her behalf.

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Practice229 min

Other Masters: Buddhist Views on Women (Master Yongming)

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Practice53 min

Professor Lin Chong'an: A Preliminary Study on the Emendation of the *Saṃyuktāgama* Sūtra Texts

A Preliminary Study on the Emendation of the Saṃyuktāgama Sūtra Texts

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Practice2 min

Anthology of Gongans

A monk asked Chan Master Zhijian of Binshan, "What is the original body?" The master replied, "Nowhere in the world is there a match for it." --

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Practice1 min

Loving Openly

Su Dongpo visited Jinshan Temple to sit in meditation and practice Chan with Chan Master Foyin. Feeling clear and open in body and mind, he asked the master, "Master! What do you think of my sitting posture?"

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Practice2 min

What Is a Gong'an?

Originally, gong'an meant case files handled by public offices — legal matters with no precedent to guide them. In Chan, however, the word refers to individual accounts of ancient Chan masters' awakenings. These are stories of encounters...

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Practice17 min

Professor Lin Chong'an: The Āgama Spirit in the Platform Sūtra

Selected Essays

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Practice3 min

Lu Shen: The Different Facets of "Anicca" (Impermanence)

Exploring the different facets of "Anicca" (impermanence) strikes at the very heart of the Buddha's teachings — the Three Marks of Existence and the Four Noble Truths. The three seemingly distinct understandings people have of impermanen...

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Practice1 min

Only the Drinker Knows If the Water Is Warm or Cold

The Sixth Patriarch, Master Huineng, received the robe and bowl along with the mind seal from the Fifth Patriarch at Huangmei, and immediately set off into the distant hills. But word leaked out, and a Chan practitioner named Huiming set...

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