Chan Buddhism, known in Japan as Zen and in Korea as Son, emphasizes the unity of wisdom and practice; the reality of "sudden awakening"; the importance of meditation; the use of "shock tactics"; the centrality of the teacher-student relationship; and the celebration of enlightenment narratives, or koans. Chan Master Sheng Yen, who became a monk at age 13, is a lineage descendant in the two surviving schools of Chan Buddhism, the Linji (Zen: Rinzai) and the Caodong (Zen: Soto). In Chan Comes West, he writes about his personal experiences and clarifies his view on the important issue of lineage transmission, the process by which living Buddhist traditions are transmitted from teacher to student. Five of Yen's Western Dharma heirs contribute cogent articles on how they each came to the practice and their experiences on the Path. Also here is a lineage chart of the two lines of transmission Yen has received.
