Kànhuà Meditation in Chinese Zen
Asian Traditions of Meditation October 31, 2016 Morten Schlütter
A meditation technique called kànhuà, developed by Chinese Zen master Dàhuì Zōnggǎo (1089–1163), focuses on the keyword or punch line (huàtóu) of puzzling kōan stories. Dàhuì taught that this practice leads to sudden breakthrough enlightenment, contrasting it with seated meditation in the rival Cáodòng tradition, which he considered a dead end. Over subsequent centuries, four innovations emerged: using kànhuà to calm the mind, emphasizing doubt more, integrating Pure Land practice, and occasionally calling the huàtóu aloud. Despite these changes, kànhuà remained faithful to Dàhuì’s original vision.