Q & A – Chan

Questions and Answers

In this section, visitors can ask Max Kälin Dharma-related questions. Questions can be submitted using the email info@chan.ch. If the questions are deemed to be Dharma-related and relevant, Max Kälin will answer the questions within approximately 2 weeks. The questions, as well as the answers, will be published below.

Can you describe the method of Silent Illumination in more detail?

Silent Illumination (Mozhao) is also called Method without Method. Does this sound strange? This paradox may need an explanation, so we start with what is part of a “method”. I describe it in ten steps to emphasize what can be taught, or at least what can be categorized systematically.

1. Sitting types:

a. Without a cushion

b. With a cushion

c. On a chair (if your legs do not cooperate)

2. Posture, over-all: Knees and buttocks form a stable triangle

a. Full lotus, half lotus, or Burmese posture

b. Any other way

c. What is important:

i. Knees and buttocks form a stable triangle

ii. On a chair: Feet rest solidly on floor, buttocks rest solidly on chair

3. Posture, detail:

a. Keep spine erect

b. Chin is tugged in

c. Neck is touching the collar of the garment (if you have no collar, imagine one)

d. Breath in, hold your breath, drop shoulders

i. Shoulders should now be positioned right

ii. Neither too much to the front nor too much to the back

e. Continue breathing

f. Left hand on right hand, thumbs touching, nail to nail

g. Two options to form a support for the hands, if needed

i. Form a pouch with a towel tied around the hips

ii. use a small cushion

h. Eye lids lowered by about two thirds

i. Tongue touching the palate

4. Continue breathing

a. Concentrate on the belly (lower dantian)

i. Breathing in, breathing out

ii. If distracted, notice that you are distracted

iii. Return to breathing

iv. If this does not work: Start counting the outbreaths from one to ten

v. Once stable, drop the counting.

This is preliminary: You sit in a good and stable posture, you breathe. Take a few minutes for minor adjustments, relax the body without sacrificing the posture, and relax in an as-good-as-possible-posture. Now the training starts. Usually in no time there is itching, pain, restlessness of the body, being cold, being hot. Irritating thoughts come from nowhere and leading astray. The most important thing is to become aware of these disturbances. As soon as you become aware – whatever it is – ignore it, drop it. If this does not work focus on your breath in the lower abdomen (belly breathing). If this does not work endure. If this does not work either, get up and start over. Be patient with yourself, this unruly come-and-go may take years. Start slow: Start with sessions of ten minutes, once a day, and then twice a day. Best is to practice always at the same time, like early mornings and in the evenings, not too late. Or any time that is possible for you to find the time. Increase steady to thirty minutes, one hour, and beyond. But increase slowly because the legs need training.

5. Continue breathing and “drop the breathing”

a. You still breeze, but the focus is on whole body which does the breathing

b. You, the observer is there with the breath “everywhere”

6. Drop that whole body breathing “everywhere”

7. Continue, whatever comes, let it go

8. The body may disappear

9. Space may disappear

10. Time may disappear

If all is gone – do not worry, you still exist.

This is the method. I learned it from Shifu Sheng Yen who emphasized a systematic approach to safeguard form getting lost in our phantasies, a system with which you can work, which to be precise is hard work. In Chan it is associated with the Caodong-Tradition, and in particular with Master Hongzhi Zhengjue (1091-1157). Its roots may go back to the time of Buddha Shakyamuni and is taught in the Hinayana Traditions as Samatha, meaning tranquility of the mind.

Now to the no-method part. You still exist, perhaps in a feeling or sensing of “within nothing”. You are in silence, you have become silence. But you are able to experience. The Hinayana traditions call this possibility Vipassana, meaning to see things the way they are. There is no method here because we are beyond the realm of words, concepts, logic, reason. Nothing to grasp, it may get very strange. The guidance of an experienced teacher might become crucial. Some ancient Chan Masters left their guidance in the form of poems, like “The Mind King (Hsin Wang Ming)” by Master Fu (497-569), “Calming the Mind (Hsi Hsin Ming)” by Shih Wang Ming (6c AD), and a poem particularly highly regarded in Chan, “Faith in Mind (Hsin Hsin Ming)” by Sengcan (died 606). There are more, and they all are attempts to put in words what cannot be expressed in words, but put in a form that may help navigating the ocean of nothing.

Dharma and Martial Arts, what is the Relationship?

Buddhadharma is seeking peace and silence, to be precise to be in silence is to be at peace. The Chan Tradition is said to have originated in the 5^th century CE at a Shaolin Monastery with Bodhidharma as the first abbot. It is said that he introduced physical training in order to prepare his monks for the harsh training he had in mind. It is said that these were the roots of what today is known as Shaolin Kungfu. So much for the myth. Fact is there are monks emphasizing study and monks emphasizing fight. Importantly, both train the mind. This may have come about because Chan is pragmatic and there were times of war and times of peace. To be able to fight enables to help in situations where most are helpless.

This aspect I value myself. Sometimes it just happens, aggression dominates and gentle ways do not work. Martial art skills help to take things the way they come, help to stay calm but let “the situation know” that the intolerable will not be tolerated. In my experience this limits the damage the most. I never had the opportunity to visit Shaolin Monasteries, but I was in the army and I trained hard styles like Western Boxing and Karate for more than twenty years. In mid-life I started to accumulate injuries and turned to soft styles, in particular to Wing Chun Kuen. To master a hard style takes a decade, to master a soft style two decades. Martial Art takes patience and trains concentration and endurance, so does Dharma training. The two march together.

What kind of preparation are indicated before practicing Silent Illumination?

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Is it possible to apply the meditation method of Silent Illumination while not sitting?

How do we know we applied Silent Illumination successfully? Any guidelines?