Chan Buddhism stands within the broad Mahāyāna tradition, yet it distinguishes itself by the way it approaches realization. Rather than emphasizing extensive doctrinal study or elaborate ritual, it turns attention to direct experience of mind-nature or Buddha-nature, understood as already present. This is often expressed as “direct pointing to the mind,” a style that privileges immediate insight over conceptual elaboration. Scriptures are respected but treated as secondary; they are likened to fingers pointing at the moon, useful but not the moon itself. Thus, Chan is frequently described as a “special transmission outside the scriptures,” not dependent on words and letters, even while it remains rooted in the same fundamental teachings as other Buddhist schools.

The path in Chan is marked by a distinctive understanding of awakening. While gradual cultivation is not denied, there is a strong emphasis on sudden enlightenment, the possibility of an abrupt, transformative seeing of one’s true nature. Accumulating merit or progressing step by step is viewed as less central than recognizing what is already present. This orientation leads to teaching methods that deliberately unsettle habitual thinking: paradoxical questions, sudden challenges, shouts, or unconventional behavior are employed to break through conceptual fixation. The aim is to reveal that ordinary mind, when seen clearly, is itself the Way.

In practice, Chan centers on meditation—especially seated meditation (zuòchán or zazen)—yet it often stresses “just sitting,” without complex techniques or visualizations. In some lineages, this takes the form of silent, objectless awareness; in others, it is paired with the investigation of huàtóu or gōng’àn (koans), paradoxical dialogues or stories used to exhaust discursive thought and open intuitive understanding. Formal practice, however, is not isolated from daily life. Work, eating, and simple tasks are treated as fields of practice, so that awakening is integrated with ordinary activities rather than confined to the meditation hall.

Another hallmark of Chan is its approach to transmission and community. Great weight is placed on the living relationship between teacher and student, described as mind-to-mind transmission, and on a lineage that traces this transmission back through generations. This relationship often unfolds in a context that is comparatively austere and experiential, with less reliance on ritual forms than many other Buddhist traditions. Naturalness and spontaneity are valued, and even an iconoclastic attitude may appear when attachment to forms, concepts, or images is seen as an obstacle. Through these features, Chan presents itself as a path that strips practice down to its experiential core, seeking to reveal the emptiness of all phenomena, including Buddhist concepts themselves.