In Ch'an and Zen monasteries, practice is very much immersed in daily life. Work and service are important aspects of practice. Of course, there are times devoted completely to meditation practice. At those times there may be a few hundred monks and nuns practicing together formally. In Ch'an retreats, there are usually no regularly scheduled personal interviews with the master. It is only on those occasions when a practitioner feels something has happened that he or she may request a personal interview with the master. At other times, a master teaches to the entire gathering at the same time. There are people who have stayed in a Ch'an monastery for several years and have not had a single occasion to meet and speak personally with the master. Possibly this is one of the reasons why Ch'an masters do not have to maintain a dignified manner. During Zen retreats, by contrast, masters usually interview their disciples on a daily basis.

When Zen masters introduced Ch'an teachings and methods to Japan, they taught the forms that were popular in China at that time. These forms were passed along from generation to generation with few changes. Even today, Japanese Zen monasteries have fairly strict rules about outer appearances and uniformity of behavior. Again, this may be a characteristic of Japanese culture.

Through the centuries, Chinese Ch'an monasteries have not placed much emphasis on appearances and specific forms of practice. For example, Chinese monasteries do not issue sets of uniforms and robes to Sangha members. Monks and nuns wear their own clothes. Of course they have ceremonial robes for special occasions, but for the most part, there are no strict rules governing clothing. Emphasis is placed on following precepts and adhering to the daily schedule.