The Method of No-Method: The Chan Practice of Silent Illumination

Yen, Chan Master Sheng

ISBN 10: 1590305752 / ISBN 13: 9781590305751

Published by Shambhala, Boston, Massachusetts, 2008

About this Item

Clean, tight, unmarked; first two pages have light creasing close to upper edge; otherwise absolute minimal wear; appears unread; Here is a spiritual practice uncomplicated enough for anyone to learn, yet rich enough to be worked with for a lifetime. The traditional Chan (Chinese Zen) method called Silent Illumination begins with nothing more than putting aside all thoughts except the awareness of oneself "just sitting." It's so simple in execution that it has sometimes been called, as the title indicates, the "method of no-method" - yet, simple as it is, the practice is subtle and profound, with the potential for ever subtler refinements as the practitioner moves toward mastery of it. When fully penetrated, this radical form of emptying one's busy mind stream leads to perception of the vast ocean of pure awareness.

Seller Inventory # 009239

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Method of No-Method: The Chan Practice of Silent Illumination
• Publisher: Shambhala, Boston, Massachusetts
• Publication Date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1590305752
• ISBN 13: 9781590305751
• Binding: Soft cover
• Edition: 2nd Edition
• Condition: Near Fine

About this title

Synopsis

Here is a spiritual practice uncomplicated enough for anyone to learn, yet rich enough to be worked with for a lifetime. The traditional Chan (Chinese Zen) practice called Silent Illumination begins with nothing more than putting aside all thoughts except the awareness of oneself “just sitting.” It’s so simple in execution that it has sometimes been called the “method of no-method”—yet simple as it is, the practice is subtle and profound, with the potential for ever subtler refinements as the practitioner moves toward mastery of it. When fully penetrated, this radical form of emptying one’s busy mind-stream leads to perception of the vast ocean of pure awareness.

About the Author

Chan Master Sheng Yen (1930–2009) was a widely respected Taiwanese Chan (Chinese Zen) master who taught extensively in the West during the last thirty-one y ears of his life, with twenty-one centers throughout North America, as well as dozens of others throughout the world. He has co-led retreats with the Dalai Lama, and he is the author of numerous books in Chinese and English, including Song of Mind, The Method of No-Method, and his autobiography, Footprints in the Snow.