Midterm Paper Chan/Zen is supposed to be founded on an experience beyond words. “A separate tradition outside scripture, not founded on words and letters.” Is it? How do you see earlier Buddhist and/or Daoist ideas giving rise to, influencing, or differing from the Chan emphasis on an “experience beyond words”? Cite specific traditions and philosophical concepts from our readings where possible.
Chan belongs to a branch of Buddhism known as Mahayana, which separated from the traditional Theravada 600 years after the Buddha. Mahayana strived for a more accessible and less restrictive form of Buddhism. However, Mahayana is not the only component of Chan.
Chan Buddhism can be seen as mix of the old Mahayana Buddhism combined with the traditions that were already present when it was introduced to China. Although ideally the philosophies of Chan promote a separate tradition outside of scripture, words and letters were necessary in the founding of Chan. It is clear
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There were different practices within different schools of Mahayana and this allowed for the Chinese to pick and choose which parts of Buddhism they enjoyed and wanted to practice. The Mahayana doctrines are not seen as a set of beliefs but rather, a medicine for specific spiritual ills. The lack of a concrete scripture led to important Chan ideologies like mind-only, which pose beliefs like the mind being the creator of all things and nothing else exists but thoughts.
It was possible to retain original meaning of the Buddhist teachings because everything was written down. The Chinese were curious to know if Buddhism could help them add to their knowledge of elixirs and practices (Intro to Buddhism, 421). Because there were scriptures and sutras written and passed down in early Buddhism, it was easier for transferring through trade routes and easier for translation into