The Chan Lineage's Journey from Spirit Mountain to All Worlds

Bodhidharma’s Chan teachings are the foundational practice of Chinese Chan Buddhism, introduced by the First Patriarch, Bodhidharma. Their core teachings are “wall-gazing meditation” and the “Two Entrances and Four Practices.”

The “Two Entrances” comprise the “Entrance through Principle,” which awakens one to the truth that ordinary people and sages are one and the same and establishes a view of equality, and the “Entrance through Practice,” which puts the Four Practices into action. The “Four Practices” are enduring resentment, adapting to circumstances, seeking nothing, and acting in accordance with the Dharma. They guide practitioners in correcting their thoughts and conduct.

Through observing the mind as if it were “a wall,” one cuts through delusion and directly realizes one’s pure nature. It emphasizes substance over form and laid the foundation for Chan Buddhism’s teaching of “seeing one’s true nature and realizing the mind.”