Chan

Abstract

The term “Chan” contracts channa, the Chinese transliteration of Sanskrit dhyāna or meditation/contemplation. Chan denotes a school of Chinese Buddhism that, generally speaking, values meditative insight over scholastic knowledge. Chan denies to be based on scriptural exegesis (as is the case with all the other schools of Buddhism) and therefore sees itself as a unique – and superior – tradition within Buddhism in general. Its key concepts are those of transmission and immediacy. This entry will present Chan in terms of its intradenominational characterization, its hagiography, its religious practice, and its relevance as an object of scholarly analysis.