| An interesting fact about Buddhism is its history. | | | | China is supposedly Bodhidharma who came to China |
| Buddhism first developed in India through the | | | | from India. To Bodhidharma is attributed the saying, |
| teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha about 2500 years | | | | "This very mind is the Buddha." This one sentence |
| ago. His teaching is carried on in the Theravada | | | | has had a profound influence on my growth and |
| tradition of Buddhism or the Teaching of the Elders. | | | | maturity as a human being. |
| So the Theravada tradition is the Shakyamuni | | | | So this is another interesting fact about Buddhism - |
| Buddha's original teaching. It is called the Path of the | | | | just one in fact of the many skillful means (upayas) |
| Elders. It is also called Hinayana Buddhism or the | | | | that you will find in this tradition |
| lesser vehicle. This is in comparison with Mahayana | | | | Zen Buddhism flourished in China in the first millenium |
| Buddhism - the Greater Vehicle. | | | | after Christ and during part of the second. It |
| An interesting fact about Buddhism is that it is a living | | | | influenced and was influenced by the peculiar Chinese |
| seed and the Buddhist teaching has grown over the | | | | genius - by the philosophy of Confucius and of |
| centuries under the influence of other enlightened | | | | Taoism. And from China Zen Buddhism spread to |
| masters. Shakyamuni Buddha - the original Siddharth | | | | Japan. |
| Gautama - is only one of the many enlightened | | | | And it is in Japan that we can now find Zen Buddhism |
| masters who form part of the Buddhist tradition. The | | | | practiced. The word Zen in fact is corruption of the |
| Buddhist teaching grew under the influence of these | | | | Chinese word "Chan" which in turn is a corruption of |
| other masters in North India, Tibet, China and Japan. | | | | the Sanskrit word "Dhyana" There are many schools |
| In all these places Mahayana Buddhism took root. So | | | | of Zen Buddhism in Japan and in fact Mahayana |
| an interesting fact about Buddhism is the variety of | | | | Buddhism is also practiced over there. |
| methods that developed over time. | | | | Zen is unique in the sense that it has no doctrine or |
| Alan Watt's says that Buddhism is Hinduism stripped | | | | philosophy or teachings that can be learned from |
| for export. The Buddhist teaching spread as I said | | | | books. It stresses only experiential understanding. Zen |
| earlier to Tibet, China, Japan and other East Asian | | | | is thought of as being the fastest way to |
| countries. In each country it adapted itself to its | | | | enlightenment. Slower than it is the Mahayana |
| culture and traditions. The teaching and tradition (of | | | | teaching and slowest of all is the Theravada tradition. |
| Buddhism) gave birth to many enlightened masters | | | | In the Zen monasteries in Japan today we many |
| and they in turn enriched the teaching. The peculiar | | | | skillful means to aid the student in his quest. |
| genius of these masters and of the people of these | | | | Prominent amongst these methods are Zazen |
| countries colored the way Buddhism took shape in | | | | meditation and the Koan. |
| each of these countries. In Tibet, Mahayana | | | | One interesting fact about Buddhism as regards |
| Buddhism took root and influenced by many masters | | | | Zazen is the attitude that the monk is expected to |
| permeated the lives of the common people. In | | | | bring to it. Normally we do all tasks - including |
| addition there were many monasteries and the | | | | meditation - because we expect a certain result. We |
| tradition of the Dalai Lama as the spiritual and | | | | meditate because we want happiness peace, |
| temporal head of the country also took shape there. | | | | enlightenment and the like. This however is just |
| The current Dalai Lama lives in exile in India after the | | | | grasping or craving in another form. Monks doing |
| Chinese invasion of Tibet in the 1950s. He is a highly | | | | Zazen are for this reason instructed to do their sitting |
| respected figure and has won the Nobel peace prize. | | | | meditation practice for the sake of doing the |
| So an interesting fact about Buddhism is the way it | | | | practice. And not because they want to gain |
| changed to adapt itself to local customs in various | | | | something from their practice - whether |
| countries. | | | | enlightenment or anything else. |
| In China, in addition to the Mahayana tradition, Zen | | | | It is just this attitude that monks are expected to |
| Buddhism took root. The founder of Zen Buddhism in | | | | bring to Zazen meditation. |