Da Chan Qi

Studying and practicing Chan is a regular aspect of a monk’s daily life and meditation is the best way to cultivate and practice Chan. Without a doubt, the best way to study and practice Chan is for the monastery’s monks to assemble together to meditate according to the rules taught by previous masters. This is the most diligent and progressive method to meditate and is referred to as “Da Chan Qi”.

Since Shaolin Temple has revived Da Chan Qi, not many outsiders know about this because our canonical rules stipulate that Da Chan Qi requires the monks to remain in a state of austere practice behind closed doors and undisturbed. Therefore, not many people truly understand Da Chan Qi, which is viewed by lay people as a mysterious and important Buddhist practice. The very important matter on my mind after I became Shaolin Temple’s abbot was to restore the meditation hall as soon as possible and revive meditation as part of our monks’ daily life. (From Shaolin Temple in My Heart)