Chan Forest Trail

A mountain path of ten li leads to the upper monastery, a place for dedicated practice. This area is not open to visitors at present.

The upper monastery: quiet study and practice in the mountains

An upper monastery usually stands high in the mountains or deep in the woods, away from busy daily life. It is the spiritual centre of the wider temple community. Senior practitioners, retired abbots and monks undertaking retreats or close study live here. With fewer visitors to receive, they can gather in the six senses and give their attention to developing wisdom.

Its work includes studying the scriptures, practising meditation in retreat and preparing teachers to share the Dharma. It does not receive casual sightseeing visitors, so that its silence can be preserved. Here, monks work on seeing clearly: coming to a thorough understanding of life and the world.

The lower monastery: meeting people at the foot of the mountain

A lower monastery is usually near the foot of a mountain, a main road, a town or a village. It is the upper monastery's point of contact with society, welcoming people of all ages and introducing newcomers to Buddhist practice.

Food, supplies and finances: In the past, temples often owned farmland. Rent from that land, its management and daily donations from visitors helped support the whole community. By looking after money and food, the lower monastery could send supplies uphill and allow those in retreat to practise without worry.

Ceremonies and introductory teaching: Services for the deceased, prayers for blessings and basic talks about cause and effect usually took place in the lower monastery.

Moving between the two: learning through everyday experience

It is easy to imagine that life in the quiet upper monastery is comfortable, while work in the busy lower one is a burden. In fact, the lower monastery can be the best place to test a practitioner's steadiness.

Training the mind through work: A young novice or newly ordained monk would often begin with practical duties: serving meals, receiving guests, farming or keeping accounts. Can you deal with visitors of every temperament and background without becoming angry? Can you remain calm? This is direct, everyday training.

Learning and returning to teach: Once a monk had gained experience and become more settled, he might be sent to the upper monastery to study closely with senior teachers. Practice led to understanding. Later, those who had completed their studies would come down to teach and help others. Understanding then guided practice.