Chan (Zen)

Chan (Zen) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism emphasizing direct experience and intuition over written texts. It encourages meditation, mindful awareness, and "just sitting" to realize one’s true nature and attain enlightenment. Rooted in Chinese traditions, it stresses living fully in the present moment, letting go of attachments and conceptual thinking. The practice often involves meditation (zazen), koans (paradoxical questions), and spontaneous insight, aiming to cultivate clarity, compassion, and inner peace. Ultimately, Chan (Zen) guides practitioners to see beyond distinctions and find liberation through direct, experiential realization of reality.