Four Practices

The base of Chan Buddhism is also the base of Buddhism, monks’ daily practice and “four practices” that Bodhidharma taught us at the beginning. “Four practices” are not esoteric Buddhist ethics, but informal basic principles to learn Buddhism. The contents of four practices are familiar to believers because people have been doing so in thousands of years.Chan Buddhism will not be Chan Buddhism and Buddhism is not Buddhism if breaking away from “four practices”. Therefore Bodhidharma preached the supreme dharma-gate of Chan Buddhism that the mind is Buddha, which is on the basic principles of “four practices”. “Four practices” emphasize the importance of “practices” in learning Buddhism. “Practices” are here, Budddhism is here and Chan Buddhism is here. Chan Buddhism is not canhuatou and then reaching enlightenment and even attaining Buddhahood. There is no cheap like so. Therefore if we like Chan Buddhism gongan and hope it could benefit our life, we will not only stay on appreciation, but also need know about the basic contents of Buddhism. Only if you know well about the basic contents of Buddhism, you will be be able to know the truth why Chan Buddhism is Chan Buddhism, know methods of canhuatou as well as know how gongan is going on. (From Chan of Words by Shi Yongxin)