GPC in China--Han Shan Temple, Part II: During our visit to Han Shan Temple in Suzhou several weeks ago, I snapped this photo of a Buddhist nun. Even though I took the pic before I'd learned to use the continuous-servo focus feature on the camera I was using, and it came out a bit blurred, I still liked it because the the nun looked so serene. Of the many schools of Buddhism, only Chan survives as a vibrant practice (the famous Shao Lin Temple monks are Chan). Chan was somewhat counter-cultural in its orientation and did not benefit from state-sponsorship in the early dynasties, and so, to its benefit, it did not suffer but instead flourished when those dynasties fell. Unlike other forms of Buddhist practice which were textually focused, Chan emphasized the importance of teacher-disciple relationships and active, joyful participation in society. Chan traditions tell of Chinese "homegrown" Buddhist teachers, such as Hongren and Huineng, whose combination of humor and insight challenged their students to consider how the Buddha's teaching applied to their existing situations. The Chinese Chan Buddhists trace their lineage all the way to the historical Buddha through Bodhidharma to one of the Buddha's favorite disciples, Mahakasyapa. The story is told of how the Buddha once appeared to preach before a large crowd, but instead of preaching, simply held up flower instead. Mahakasyapa was the first person to smile at this, and the Buddha said that Mahakasyapa had understood his sermon the best. Judging from her beautiful smile, it looks like the nun in the photograph above understood the lesson, too. (Thanks to the East-West Center's Peter Hershock and his excellent book for introducing me to Chan Buddhism).