Kànhuà Meditation in Chinese Zen

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.

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Abstract

This paper discusses the kànhuà technique developed by the Chinese Línjì (Jpn.: Rinzai) master Dàhuì Zōnggǎo (1089-1163) that became a widespread form of meditation in East Asian Zen. Kànhuà meditation focuses on the keyword or “punch line” (Ch.: huàtóu, Jpn.: watō, Kor.: hwadu) of puzzling Chán “encounter dialogues” (or kōan stories) associated with past Chán (Zen) masters. Dàhuì insisted on a sudden breakthrough enlightenment and considered kànhuà meditation an alternative to a dead-end, no-enlightenment, seated meditation that he associated with the rival Cáodòng (Jpn.: Sōtō) tradition of Chán. The paper further explores four innovations in kànhuà meditation during the centuries after Dàhuì: the use of kànhuà meditation to calm the mind; a greater emphasis on doubt; the integration of Pure Land practice into the kànhuà technique; and the notion that the huàtóu could be called out aloud. However, in spite of such changes kànhuà Chán stayed close to Dàhuì’s vision.