The Schedule is Tight During the Da Chan Qi

If the monks want to achieve realization and this state of being it is not easy and requires a lot of hard work. During the Da Chan Qi, the monks are typically banned from leaving the Meditation Hall, but allowed to take a break for the duration of burning a few incense in the event that they have a minor illness. Those with major illnesses will only be allowed to leave the Meditation Hall after the group leaders in-charge have caucused. As such, the monks have to cast aside matters of life and death during the Chan Qi. They have to apply for permission to “Take Time off from Life and Death” with the Abbot in advance.

During the Chan Qi, the monks wake up at 4:30 am and rest at 11:45 pm, and take a break from 3pm to 5pm. The rest of the time, they have to sit in meditation for the duration of burning twelve incenses and walk for the same duration, which results in an estimated distance of thirty kilometers per day. This is according to the rules of the Meditation Hall, which are quite strict. The monks go through a few tens of days without any exchange with each other and without talking. The schedule is tight and one must not let one’s mind drift. (From Shaolin Temple in My Heart)