Chan Buddhism understands mind and body not as two separate substances but as interdependent aspects of a single, non-dual reality. Drawing on the Mahāyāna vision of emptiness and dependent arising, both “mind” and “body” are seen as processes without fixed, independent essence. They can be distinguished conceptually for the sake of communication, yet in lived experience they are not ultimately divided. This perspective undercuts any rigid dualism and invites a more fluid sense of self, in which mental and physical phenomena arise together within one field of awareness.

Within this tradition, “mind” is often highlighted as the locus of awakening, especially in teachings that speak of seeing one’s own nature or recognizing the originally pure mind. Yet this mind is not imagined as a ghost hidden inside the body; it is the luminous, dynamic awareness in which body, world, and self appear. When deluded, this awareness seems fragmented into inner and outer, mental and physical. When clarified, it is recognized as empty, unobstructed, and inseparable from the very forms it illuminates, including the body itself.

Practice makes this unity tangible. Chan training relies deeply on the body: seated meditation, posture, breathing, walking, and manual labor are not mere supports for an inner state but direct expressions of the path. Physical comportment and mental clarity are mutually conditioning; posture influences awareness, and cultivated awareness naturally shapes bodily action. Traditional sayings such as “When hungry, eat; when tired, sleep” point to a state in which mind, body, and circumstances move in uncontrived accord, free of self-conscious manipulation.

Awakening, in this light, is not confined to an interior experience but is embodied and enacted. The classic encounter dialogues—shouts, blows, a raised finger, or the simple act of drinking tea—demonstrate realization appearing through concrete bodily gestures. Ethical conduct and harmonious behavior are understood as the natural outflow of a clarified mind that pervades the whole person. Thus, mind and body are conventionally distinguishable yet ultimately non-dual: a single, living process in which emptiness, awareness, and physical form are inseparable.