| Zen Buddhism is certainly the division of Buddhism | | | | the Soto sect, advocates the pursuit of zazen, or |
| that is the hardest to explain. According to Zen, you | | | | cross legged meditation with an empty mind and |
| can't describe it in words, thus have to experience it | | | | silent lips. Soto does not believe in the sudden |
| personally. | | | | enlightenment that is offered by Rinzai. As the |
| Though it has had great success in its Western | | | | Buddhist traditions were losing popularity in China, |
| advances, Zen has roots strong in Southeast Asia, | | | | these forms of Zen grew quickly in Japan. |
| where it arrived in roughly 520 AD from the India, | | | | The medieval military men in Japan grasped Buddhism |
| the motherland of Buddhism. Buddhism developed in | | | | eagerly. It became a warrior creed for many, |
| India as a nonconformist counterpart to the local | | | | because they believed it called for action, intense self |
| dominating religion that is Hinduism. It denied the | | | | discipline and for scorn of death. Here it was mixed |
| authority of the caste system and did not accept | | | | with small aspects of Shintoism and utilized by the |
| the importance and value of the extensive Vedic | | | | Japanese as justification for their belligerent wartime |
| rites and rituals. Eventually, Buddhism was near | | | | activities. |
| extinguished from India, as the Hindu religion adopted | | | | When one practices Zen, the objective is to reach |
| more and more of its philosophical practices and the | | | | Satori, which is described as "a sort of inner |
| line between the two became blurred. Both religions | | | | perception of Reality itself." It is also explained to be |
| have faith in the notion of reincarnation, karma, and | | | | the world of "non-descrimination, non-differentiation, |
| the end goal of Nirvana, or absolute liberation. But | | | | or two-ness becomes one-ness and yet equally seen |
| roughly 1000 years after the birth of the Buddah and | | | | as two." Unfortunately, little is written on how to |
| the start of this religion, Buddhism began to change | | | | reach this cryptically depicted state of enlightenment, |
| and spread throughout the surrounding areas. | | | | but what is surely the right way to start is to |
| India's trade routes served as an incredible vehicle of | | | | restrain one's mind to the point of total control, |
| influence for religion and philosophy. Because of its | | | | perhaps through the employment of Dhyana. This |
| international connections, many important people | | | | technique enables a follower to relax the body and |
| traveled to such great lengths as China and Japan. | | | | banish thought so that one may focus entirely on the |
| One such man was Bodhi-Dharma, who landed in 520 | | | | koan practices. |
| AD in China during the reign of Emperor Wu. | | | | Two examples of koan problems are: "A sound is |
| Bodhi-Dharma went on to be the father of the Zen | | | | made by the clapping of two hands. What is the |
| school of Buddhism in China. He reportedly described | | | | sound of one hand?" and "When the Many are |
| Zen as "a special transmission outside of the | | | | reduced to the One, to what is the One to be |
| scriptures. There is no need for dependence on | | | | reduced?" These types of questions usually involve a |
| words and letters...Seeing into one's nature, which is | | | | choice between two responses, neither of with is |
| identical with all reality, justifies Buddha-life and led to | | | | realistic or even possible, causing the seeker to |
| the attainment of Buddhahood." He passed along his | | | | reflect on the problem of life, according to Zen. |
| teachings to Hui-k'o, and it was under the Third | | | | Students must realize that in life, they must surpass |
| Patriarch that Zen fell under the influence of Taoism, | | | | the two earthly alternatives of assertion and denial, |
| which avows that one should ignore societal | | | | which hide the Truth and are not realistic options. |
| requirements and seek nothing artificial or unnatural, | | | | Zen represents a true blending of cultures and the |
| just those things which are aligned with the | | | | East's power of influence over the west. R.H. Blyth |
| processes of nature. This wasn't the last modification; | | | | has written that "Zen is the most precious |
| Zen continued to transform and change over time. | | | | possession of Asia. With its beginnings in India, |
| Although many people today know this religion as | | | | development in China, and final practical application in |
| Zen, it wasn't until it had reached Japan that it | | | | Japan, it is today the strongest power in the world." |
| acquired its present day nomenclature. In China, it is | | | | This faith has had a lasting relationship with each |
| still referred to as Chan. By the seventh century, Zen | | | | culture it touches, because it has found a way to |
| had reached Japan. It was not until the twelfth | | | | transcend rituals, written records, and the standard |
| century that a monastery in Kyoto was founded and | | | | activities that others require. Even when the believers |
| the religion took off. By this time, the school had | | | | were persecuted in India or China, they were able to |
| been split into two followings in China; they formed | | | | continue practicing because they did not rely on the |
| Japanese counterparts quickly. | | | | written texts, statues or concrete representations |
| The two lasting approaches to Buddhism are Rinzai | | | | that were often demolished by those seeking to do |
| and Soto. Rinzai focuses on sudden enlightenment | | | | away with Buddhism. Blyth's statement is a |
| through irrational teaching puzzles or meditation | | | | testament to the devotion that many have to Zen, |
| problems; there are known as koan. Its counterpart, | | | | which has had a strong impact on the Western world. |