The Word-Head

In Chan, the huatou or “word-head” is the moment just before a thought takes shape. You hold a short question at that point and look into it, not to think up an answer but to stay with the not-knowing it opens. Master Xu Yun’s best-known question is “Who is reciting the Buddha’s name?”, but “Who is breathing?” or “Who is sitting here?” work the same way.

The working

1. Sit upright and still, with your eyes lowered or closed. Breathe naturally for a minute.
2. Choose your question. If you don’t recite a Buddha’s name, try Who is breathing?
3. Ask it once, slowly and silently, putting the weight on the word who.
4. Then stay with the question rather than its words. You know it’s “you”, but is it the mouth, the mind, something else? Notice the gentle sense of not knowing. Xu Yun called this doubt the crutch the practice leans on.
5. Don’t reason it out. If you catch yourself building an answer, drop it and return to the bare who.
6. When the doubt fades and the mind drifts, ask the question again, lightly, and stay with it once more.

Closing

Set the question down without needing to resolve it, and take a few ordinary breaths before you open your eyes. The doubt should feel curious, never strained. If it turns tense, soften it and rest.