Purport
of idioms (such as “It is superego alone which really merits a comprehensive
screening in the course of meditation”, “To sift through superego is simply for
tracing the whereabouts of Buddha-nature”, “To gain Buddhahood by way of
suddenly acquired enlightenment is definitely feasible”) that have become
catchwords with the Order of Buddhist Chan is in essence an exhortation
impelling us to delve into all kinds of occurrences of everyday life for
discerning and ascertaining the truth revealed by Siddhartha Gautama who had
neither pored over any sutra nor paid homage to any bodhisattva in his life,
because neither sutra nor bodhisattva ever existed in his lifetime. He brought
the truth to light by delving into all kinds of everyday occurrences. I would
like to point out here that the Order of Buddhist Chan has learned its entire
system of tenets directly from Siddhartha Gautama, whereas all the other orders
of Buddhism in China have learned their respective systems of religious tenets
just via a transmission achieved by disciples of Siddhartha Gautama. In saying
this, I intend merely to pinpoint the very aspect, in which the Order of
Buddhist Chan can be definitely differentiated from all its peers in China, and
I do not at all imply here that the Order of Buddhist Chan is in any way
superior to any other Buddhist order in China. All Buddhist orders in China are
on a par and completely on an equal footing. So long as a Buddhist order in
China would conform to the basic doctrines of Buddhism, it is bound to flourish
by gaining more penetrating insight into the truth taught by Siddhartha
Gautama. (From My
Heart My Buddha)