Exploring Chn

Chuan Zhi invites us to explore Chán’s origins and development through canonical texts, monastic traditions, and spiritual practices that span over five millennia. With the help of insights culled from contemporary scholars and historians, Chuan Zhi further examines how Chán’s development was influenced by social and political forces during the Tang and Song dynasties, and how it was modified further by Koreans and Japanese to accommodate their own indigenous folk religions, social customs, and political agendas. Finally, he describes contemporary approaches to Chán training and challenges sometimes encountered with its practice.