But how might we define non-attachment? According to Ch'an, non-attachment means that when you face circumstances and deal with other people, there is no "I" in relation to whatever may appear in front of you. Things are as they are, vivid and clear. You can respond appropriately and give whatever is needed. Clear awareness of things as they are, in this state of selflessness, is what Ch'an calls wisdom. Giving whatever others may need with no thought of the self is what Ch'an calls compassion. Wisdom and compassion describe the awareness and function of the enlightened mind. In Ch'an, these two cannot be separated, and both depend on putting down the attachment to self.

As the Ch'an school evolved, two forms of practice developed, which correspond roughly to Bodhidharma's two entries, the one through principle and the other through practice. The method of silent illumination is the specialty of the Caodong tradition, while the Linji tradition advocates the method of gong an and huatou. Both approaches can lead to enlightenment, the realization of no-self.

The term Silent Illumination, or Mozhao, is associated with the Song dynasty master Hongzhi Zhenjue (1091-1157), although the practice itself can be traced back at least as far as Bodhidharma and his concept of entry through principle. Five generations later, the great master Yongjia (665-713) wrote about "clarity and quiescence" in his Song of Enlightenment. Quiescence refers to the practice of silencing the mind, and clarity refers to contemplation, illuminating the mind with the light of awareness.