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