Chan and Zen Teaching. Introduction to Teaching

The Chinese character "chan" (or "zen" in Japanese) is equivalent to the Sanskrit word "dhyana", which means meditation, one of the six ways of self-improvement. The difference between the Chan school and other schools is that the goal of the former is instant enlightenment, while the task of the latter is the gradual attainment of consecutive levels of holiness before complete enlightenment. The task of the Chan school is to rid the consciousness of any feelings and passions in order to free it from all that is phenomenal, so that its essential nature can return to its original state and function naturally without obstruction.