Chan Heart, Chan Art

Introduction

        Chan Heart, Chan Art is a unique volume that pairs one hundred traditional Chan (Zen) stories retold by a modern Chinese master with one hundred paintings that beautifully capture the flavor of traditional Chan art.  Venerable Master Hsing Yun, founder of the Fo Guang Shan (Buddha’s Light Mountain) Buddhist Order, offers an account of the teachings of ancient Chan masters who have awakened to the Buddha’s truth through the cultivation of their minds, and in turn, inspired countless students to pursue Chan study.  To make these lessons more accessible to today’s readers, Master Hsing Yun has written commentaries at the end of each story to elucidate the meaning of difficult gongans (koans) and gathas (verses).  The accompanying portraits, painted by the renowned husband-and-wife team, Gao Ertai and Pu Xiaoyu, visually transmit the profound expressions of Chan.

        This volume includes supplementary material aimed at enriching the experience of the reader and guiding them towards a deeper understanding of Chan.  A biographical section has been appended to the stories to provide a historical context to the lives of the notable Chan masters and students who appear in Chan Heart, Chan Art.  The section of endnotes further explains key Buddhist terms, cultural references, and the layers of meaning alluded to in the original Chinese text.