Ch'an practitioners do not deny the existence of bodhisattvas. They believe strongly in bodhisattvas, Buddhas and patriarchs, but they do not pray to them as people would pray to a deity or to God. They recognize that patriarchs and bodhisattvas are beings at different levels of practice. They revere bodhisattvas and seek to emulate them, but they do not typically ask for their help. In a humble, sober manner, Ch'an followers practice on their own, or under the guidance of a master.

If Ch'an practitioners ask the Buddha or bodhisattvas for anything, it is the Dharma. They seek the Dharma through the help of the Sangha, and through the study of the sutras and sastras. They do not ask for power, spiritual experiences, or enlightenment. Likewise, if they burn incense and prostrate to images of the Buddha and bodhisattvas, it is not worship. Rather, they are expressing their gratitude, because without Buddhas, bodhisattvas and the Sangha, there would be no Buddhadharma in the world. For Ch'an practitioners, Buddhas and bodhisattvas are role models, not idols to be worshipped, or guardian angels that protect their lives. For them, bodhisattvas are not crutches.

I, as well as other Ch'an masters, teach people to recite Amitabha Buddha's name or Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara's name, but not for religious purposes. Some Buddhists recite Amitabha's name in order to be reborn in the Pure Land. They recite Avalokitesvara's name so that their wishes and needs will be fulfilled. These are religious practices. I ask you to recite their names solely as a method of meditation. The recitation focuses your mind. In reciting a Buddha's or bodhisattva's name, either aloud or silently, your body, speech and thoughts are focused on a great, enlightened being. It is a good method to discipline and purify the mind. Through this method, you can even experience samadhi and cultivate wisdom.