Practice begins with detachment from all forms

The first step in practicing Chan is to purify our conscious mind.  Then we could stabilize our heart and enter Chan Ding.   If our conscious mind is not empty, our heart can not settle down.  Therefore the key for all practitioners is to pay attention to whether the mind is pure without any notion. When we detach our attention from all forms, we are more able to empty our mind.  The following notions are the key ones to avoid, "self, human, sentient being and death".  When we detach from form, we will have no greed, no anger, no delusions, no arrogance and no suspicion.  Our spirit will be clear and ready to be synchronized with that of Buddha. The "witness of our heart" is the wisdom. The "witness of our body" is the acts of Six Paramitas.  Together, they will lead us to enlightenment.

Though the journey may seem somewhat complex, Chan helps us to simply it.  Just open up our heart and recognize our true nature. Without this recognition, no matter how we practice, we will not be enlightened.  We will still return to be reincarnated again.  True practice must enter into the realm of "no form" from the realm of "form", then into the realm of "true form", or "final truth".  These are the essence of "true practice and true witness" and also the essence of the practice of Chan.