Getting The Buddha Mind 11

THE CH'AN SEVEN-DAY RETREAT


The seven-day retreat, or "Ch'an seven, " is a practice in which disciples gather for a period of intense meditation under the guidance of a Ch'an master. The attitude of disciples during this period is one of total dedication to the task at hand ─ to shed, at least for a period of time, all the vexations of mind and body, and to bring the mind to a state of supreme clarity.

Since Sakyamuni Buddha, there has been a tradition of setting aside a definite period for deep practice. The aim was to achieve realization within that period. We learn from the Buddhist sutras that there were various periods, ranging from seven days to fourteen, twenty-one, or forty-nine days, always a multiple of seven days. In some cases this period lasted as long as three months. Of course it was only when Buddhism entered China that the term "Ch'an retreat" developed. (The Chinese word ch'an is derived from the Sanskrit dhyana, and the Japanese zen in turn, from ch'an.) In fact, what we call a Ch'an retreat literally means "Ch'an seven." In the Pure Land sect, the practice of reciting the Buddha's name for seven days is called "Buddha seven." Reciting Kuan Yin's name for seven days was "Kuan Yin seven." Some people practice repentance ─ prostration for seven days, and that would be "repentance seven." These are periods when one practices with more dedication and energy than usual, with the goal of achieving significant results.