Chan is the Chinese term for what became known in Japan as Zen. It is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyana, which means meditation.
Chan is a profound yet ultimately simple practice that encourages the practitioner to directly encounter his or her "original nature". It emphasises an alert stillness, an "Illuminating Silence", which encourages clarity and openness, which in turn leads to the development of wisdom and deep compassion.
A number of specific practices are used, chosen according to the individual's abilities and propensities.
Chan is not concerned with dogma, belief systems, hierarchies or achievements.
As Master Bodhidharma put it, Chan is:
A special transmission outside the scriptures
No reliance on words or letters
Direct pointing to the heart of humanity
Seeing into ones own nature.
For more on Chan, see
"Welcome to Chinese
Zen" by John Crook (Chuan-deng Jing-di)