What is Chan Buddhism?

Buddhism was born in Nepal about 2500 years ago.
It spread to India some 400 years later, and 1500 years ago, it appeared in China.
Chan Buddhism is said to have originated at Shaolin Temple,
and its spiritual founder was an Indian prince named Bodhidharma,
or as he was known to the Chinese, Da Mo.
It is characterized by a rejection of much of the protocol associated with other sects of Buddhism
and is oriented around the practice of meditation.
In Chan, the Temple is everywhere, and one can pray anywhere, meditate in any position,
and it emphasizes the idea of personal awakening and understanding.
Chan is the spiritual parent of Japanese Zen Buddhism.What does "Amituofo" or "Amitabha" mean?Amituofo means a multitude of things,
depending on how it is used.
It can be a greeting, a salutation, a blessing, or it can mean "please" or "I'm sorry."
Literally, it is the name of a Buddha, the "Amita" Buddha
("fo" being the Chinese word for Buddha).
It is pronounced "Ah-mee-twoh-foh".
"Amituofo" is the Chinese translation of the Sanskrit "Amitabha".Why do we say "Amituofo" 3 times at the beginning and end of every class?The first is to pay respect to Buddha, "Fo".The second is for dharma, "Fa" the way or the philosophy.The third is for sangha "Seng", the master,
which could mean devotion to another monk,
or it could even be respect for one's self.