Zen 1

Zen

Mahāyāna

Buddhism
Lands
India • China • Japan
Vietnam • Korea
Singapore • Taiwan
Tibet • Bhutan • Nepal
Mongolia

Doctrine
Bodhisattva • Śīla
Samādhi • Prajñā
Śunyatā • Trikāya

Mahāyāna Sūtras
Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras
Lotus Sūtra
Nirvāṇa Sūtra
Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra
Avataṃsaka Sūtra
Śūraṅgama Sūtra

Mahāyāna Schools
Mādhyamaka
Yogācāra
Esoteric Buddhism
Pure Land • Zen
Tiantai • Nichiren

History
Silk Road • Nāgārjuna
Asaṅga • Vasubandhu

Portal • Outline
Zen 2

Zen

Buddhism
The Five
Houses
Caodong / Sōtō
Fayan / Hōgen
Guiyang / Igyō
Linji / Rinzai
Yunmen / Unmon

Doctrine and
practices
Buddha-nature
Enlightenment
Sitting meditation
Group meditation
Kōan practice
Samādhi

Principal texts
Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra
Diamond Sūtra
Heart Sūtra
Śūraṅgama Sūtra
Platform Sūtra
Kōan collections

Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism. The Japanese word Zen is derived from the Chinese word Chán, which in
turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which means "meditation" or "meditative state".
Zen emphasizes experiential prajñā in the attainment of enlightenment. As such, it de-emphasizes theoretical
knowledge in favor of direct realization through meditation and dharma practice. The teachings of Zen include
various sources of Mahāyāna thought, including the Prajñāpāramitā literature and the teachings of the Yogācāra and
Tathāgatagarbha schools.
The emergence of Zen as a distinct school of Buddhism was first documented in China in the 7th century CE. From
China, Zen spread south to Vietnam, and east to Korea and Japan. As a matter of tradition, the establishment of Zen
is credited to the Persian [1] or South Indian prince-turned-monk Bodhidharma, who came to China to teach a
"special transmission outside scriptures, not founded on words or letters".
In China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam, the local name of the tradition is always cognate to Sanskrit dhyāna. (Japanese:
Romaji: Zen, Hiragana: ぜん, Kanji: 禅/禪; Chinese: Traditional: 禪, Simplified: 禅, Pinyin: Chán, Wade-Giles:
Ch'an; pronounced [t͡ʂʰǎn]; Cantonese Jyutping: Sim4, Shanghainese (Wu): Zeu [zø], Nanchang Gan: Cen; Korean:
Revised Romanization: Seon, McCune-Reischauer: Sŏn, Hangul: 선, Hanja: 禪; Vietnamese: Quốc ngữ: Thiền, Hán
tự: 禪)
Zen 3

Zen origins (pre-700 CE)

The historical records required for a complete, accurate account of early Chán history no longer exist.[2] Theories
about the influence of other schools in the evolution of Chán are widely variable and rely heavily on speculative
correlation rather than on written records or histories. Some scholars have argued that Chán developed from the
interaction between Mahāyāna Buddhism and Taoism.[3] [4] Some scholars instead argue that Chán has roots in yogic
practices, specifically kammaṭṭhāna, the consideration of objects, and kasiṇa, total fixation of the mind.[5] A number
of other conflicting theories exist.

Tradition and legends

The Flower Sermon

The origins of Zen Buddhism are ascribed to the Flower Sermon, the earliest source for which comes from the 14th
century.[5] It is said that Gautama Buddha gathered his disciples one day for a Dharma talk. When they gathered
together, the Buddha was completely silent and some speculated that perhaps the Buddha was tired or ill. The
Buddha silently held up and twirled a flower and twinkled his eyes; several of his disciples tried to interpret what
this meant, though none of them were correct. One of the Buddha's disciples, Mahākāśyapa, silently gazed at the
flower and broke into a broad smile. The Buddha then acknowledged Mahākāśyapa's insight by saying the
following:[5]
I possess the true Dharma eye, the marvelous mind of Nirvāṇa, the true form of the formless, the subtle
Dharma gate that does not rest on words or letters but is a special transmission outside of the scriptures. This I
entrust to Mahākāśyapa.
Thus, through Zen there developed a way which concentrated on direct experience rather than on rational creeds or
revealed scriptures. Wisdom was passed, not through words, but through a lineage of one-to-one direct transmission
of thought from teacher to student. It is commonly taught that such lineage continued all the way from the Buddha's
time to the present.

Bodhidharma

The establishment of Chán is traditionally credited to the Indian

prince-turned-monk Bodhidharma (formerly dated ca. 500 CE, but now ca. early
5th century[6] ), who is recorded as having come to China to teach a "special
transmission outside scriptures" which "did not stand upon words".
Bodhidharma is associated with several other names, and is also known by the
name Bodhitara. he was given the name Bodhidharma by his teacher known
variously as Panyatara, Prajnatara, or Prajñādhara.[7] He is said to have been the
son of a southern Indian king, though there is some controversy regarding his
origins.
Bodhidharma arrived in China and visited Canton and Luoyang. In Luoyang, he
is reputed to have engaged in nine years of silent meditation, coming to be
known as "the wall-gazing Brahman"[7] This epithet is referring to him as an
Bodhidharma. Woodcut print by
Indian holy man.
Yoshitoshi, 1887.
Bodhidharma settled in the kingdom of Wei where he took among his disciples
Daoyu and Huike (慧可). Shortly before his death, Bodhidharma appointed Huike to succeed him, making Huike the
first Chinese born patriarch and the
Zen 4

second patriarch of Chán in China. Bodhidharma is said to have passed three

items to Huike as a sign of transmission of the Dharma: a robe, a bowl, and a
copy of the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra. The transmission then passed to the second
patriarch (Huike), the third (Sengcan), the fourth patriarch (Daoxin) and the fifth
patriarch (Hongren).
Several scholars have suggested that Bodhidharma as a person never actually
existed, but was a combination of various historical figures over several
centuries.[8]
In the Song of Enlightenment (證道歌 Zhèngdào gē) of Yǒngjiā Xuánjué
(665–713)[9] —one of the chief disciples of Huìnéng, the 6th patriarch of Chán
Buddhism—it is written that Bodhidharma was the 28th patriarch in a line of
descent from Mahākāśyapa, a disciple of Śākyamuni Buddha, and the first
patriarch of Chán Buddhism:
Mahākāśyapa was the first, leading the line of transmission; Twenty-eight Bodhidharma with Huike. Painting
by Sesshū Tōyō, 15th century.
Fathers followed him in the West; The Lamp was then brought over the
sea to this country; And Bodhidharma became the First Father here: His
mantle, as we all know, passed over six Fathers, And by them many minds came to see the Light.[10]
Often attributed to Bodhidharma is the Bloodstream Sermon, which was actually composed quite some time after his
death.
Buddhas don't save buddhas. If you use your mind to look for a buddha, you won't see the Buddha. As long as
you look for a buddha somewhere else, you'll never see that your own mind is the Buddha. Don't use a buddha
to worship a buddha. And don't use the mind to invoke a buddha. Buddhas don't recite sutras. Buddhas don't
keep precepts. And buddhas don't break precepts. Buddhas don't keep or break anything. Buddhas don't do
good or evil. To find a buddha, you have to see your nature.[11]
Another famous legend involving Bodhidharma is his meeting with Emperor Wu of Liang. Emperor Wu took an
interest in Buddhism and spent a great deal of public wealth on funding Buddhist monasteries in China. When he had
heard that a great Buddhist teacher, Bodhidharma, had come to China, he sought an audience with him. When they
met, Emperor Wu asked how much karmic merit he had gained from his noble support of Buddhism. Bodhidharma
replied "None at all." The Emperor asked "Then what is the truth of the teachings?" Bodhidharma replied, "Vast
emptiness, nothing holy." So the emperor asked "Then who are you standing in front of me?" Bodhidharma replied
"I do not know." and walked out.
Another legend involving Bodhidharma is that he visited the Shaolin Temple in the kingdom of Wei, at some point,
and taught them a series of exercises which became the basis for the Shaolin martial arts.[8]
Zen 5

Patriarchs and lineage

Bodhidharma settled in the kingdom of Wei. Shortly before his death,
Bodhidharma appointed a disciplee named Huike to succeed him, making Huike
the first Chinese-born patriarch and the second patriarch of Chán in China.
Bodhidharma is said to have passed three items to Huike as a sign of
transmission of the Dharma: a robe, a bowl, and a copy of the Laṅkāvatāra
Sūtra. The transmission then passed to the second patriarch Huike, the third
Sengcan, the fourth patriarch Daoxin, and the fifth patriarch Hongren.

The sixth and last patriarch, Huineng (惠能; 638–713), was one of the giants of
Chán history, and all surviving schools regard him as their ancestor. However,
the dramatic story of Huineng's life tells that there was a controversy over his
claim to the title of patriarch. After being chosen by Hongren, the fifth patriarch,
Huineng had to flee by night to Nanhua Temple in the south to avoid the wrath of
Hongren's jealous senior disciples. Later, in the middle of the 8th century, monks Sojiji Temple, of the Soto Zen
claiming to be among the successors to Huineng, calling themselves the Southern school, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama,
school, cast themselves in opposition to those claiming to succeed Hongren's Japan

then publicly recognized student Shenxiu (神秀; ?-706). It is commonly held that
it is at this point — that is, the debates between these rival factions — that Chán enters the realm of fully
documented history.

Aside from disagreements over the valid lineage, doctrinally the Southern school is associated with the teaching that
enlightenment is sudden, while the Northern School is associated with the teaching that enlightenment is gradual.
The Southern school eventually became predominant and their Northern school rivals died out. Modern scholarship,
however, has questioned this narrative, since the only surviving records of this account were authored by members of
the Southern school.
The following are the six patriarchs of Chán in China as listed in traditional sources:
1. Bodhidharma (達摩) ca. 440 – ca. 528
2. Huike (慧可) 487–593
3. Sengcan (僧燦) ?–606
4. Daoxin (道信) 580–651
5. Hongren (弘忍) 601–674
6. Huineng (慧能) 638–713

Zen history (post-700 CE)

The Five Houses of Zen

Developing primarily in the Tang dynasty in China, Classic Zen is traditionally divided historically into the Five
Houses (Ch. 五家) of Zen or five "schools". These were not originally regarded as "schools" or "sects", but
historically, they have come to be understood that way. In their early history, the schools were not institutionalized,
they were without dogma, and the teachers who founded them were not idolized.
The Five Houses of Zen are:[2]
• Guiyang school (潙仰宗), named after masters Guishan Lingyou (771–854) and Yangshan Huiji (813–890)
• Linji school (臨濟宗), named after master Linji Yixuan (died 866)
• Caodong school (曹洞宗), named after masters Dongshan Liangjie (807–869) and Caoshan Benji (840–901)
• Yunmen school (雲門宗), named after master Yunmen Wenyan (died 949)
• Fayan school (法眼宗), named after master Fayan Wenyi (885–958)
Zen 6

Most Zen lineages throughout Asia and the rest of the world originally grew from or were heavily influenced by the
original five houses of Zen.

Chán in China
In the centuries following the introduction of Buddhism to China, Chán (禪)
grew to become the largest sect in Chinese Buddhism, and produced the largest
body of literature in Chinese history of any sect or tradition. The teachers
claiming Huineng's posterity began to branch off into numerous different
schools, each with their own special emphasis, but all of which kept the same
basic focus on meditation practice, personal instruction, and personal experience.
The proliferation of the Chán school during this time in the Tang Dynasty is
described in a famous saying:[12]

"Look at the territory of the house of Tang —

The whole of it is the realm of the Chán school." A traditional Chinese Chán Buddhist
master in Taiwan, sitting in
During the late Tang and the Song periods, the tradition continued, as a wide
meditation.
number of eminent teachers, such as Mazu, Shitou, Baizhang, Huangbo, Linji,
and Yunmen developed specialized teaching methods, which would variously
become characteristic of the Five Houses of Chán. The traditional five houses were Caodong, Linji, Guiyang, Fayan,
and Yunmen. This list does not include earlier schools such as the Hongzhou school (洪州宗) of Mazu.
It was scholar D.T. Suzuki's contention that a spiritual awakening was always the goal of Chán's training, but that
part of what distinguished the tradition as it developed through the centuries in China was a way of life radically
different from that of Indian Buddhists. In Indian Buddhism, the tradition of the mendicant prevailed, but Suzuki
explained that in China social circumstances led to the development of a temple and training-center system in which
the abbot and the monks all performed mundane tasks. These included food gardening or farming, carpentry,
architecture, housekeeping, administration (or community direction), and the practice of folk medicine.
Consequently, the enlightenment sought in Chán had to stand up well to the demands and potential frustrations of
everyday life.[13] [14]
Over the course of Song Dynasty (960–1279), the Guiyang, Fayan, and Yunmen schools were gradually absorbed
into the Linji. During the same period, the various developments of Chán teaching methods crystallized into the
gōng'àn (koan) practice which is unique to this school of Buddhism. According to Miura and Sasaki, "[I]t was during
the lifetime of Yüan-wu's successor, Dahui Zonggao (大慧宗杲; 1089–1163) that Koan Zen entered its
determinative stage."[15] Gōng'àn practice was prevalent in the Linji school, to which Yuanwu and Dahui belonged,
but it was also employed on a more limited basis by the Caodong school. The teaching styles and words of the
classical masters were collected in such important texts as the Blue Cliff Record (1125) of Yuanwu, The Gateless
Gate (1228) of Wumen, both of the Linji lineage, and the Book of Equanimity (1223) of Wansong, of the Caodong
lineage. These texts record classic gōng'àn cases, together with verse and prose commentaries, which would be
studied by later generations of students down to the present.
Chán continued to be influential as a religious force in China, and thrived in the post-Song period, with a vast body
of texts being produced up and through the modern period. While traditionally distinct, Chán was taught alongside
Pure Land Buddhism in many Chinese Buddhist monasteries. In time much of the distinction between them was lost,
and many masters taught both Chán and Pure Land.
Chán Buddhism enjoyed something of a revival in the Ming Dynasty with teachers such as Hanshan Deqing
(憨山德清), who wrote and taught extensively on both Chán and Pure Land Buddhism; Miyun Yuanwu (密雲圓悟),
who came to be seen posthumously as the first patriarch of the Ōbaku Zen school; as well as Yunqi Zhuhong
(雲棲株宏) and Ouyi Zhixu (藕溢智旭).
Zen 7

After further centuries of decline, Chán was revived again in the early 20th century by Hsu Yun (虛雲), a
well-known figure of 20th century Chinese Buddhism. Many Chán teachers today trace their lineage back to Hsu
Yun, including Sheng-yen (聖嚴) and Hsuan Hua (宣化), who have propagated Chán in the West where it has grown
steadily through the 20th and 21st century.
Chán was repressed in China during the recent modern era in the early periods of the People's Republic, but has more
recently been re-asserting itself on the mainland, and has a significant following in Taiwan and Hong Kong as well
as among Overseas Chinese. [16]

Zen in Japan
The schools of Zen that currently exist in Japan are the Sōtō (曹洞), Rinzai
(臨済), and Ōbaku (黃檗). Of these, Sōtō is the largest and Ōbaku the smallest.
Rinzai is itself divided into several subschools based on temple affiliation,
including Myoshin-ji, Nanzen-ji, Tenryū-ji, Daitoku-ji, and Tofuku-ji.
In the year 1410 a Zen Buddhist monk from Nanzen-ji, a large temple complex
in the Japanese capital of Kyoto, wrote out a landscape poem and had a painting
done of the scene described by the poem. Then, following the prevailing custom
of his day, he gathered responses to the images by asking prominent fellow
monks and government officials to inscribe it, thereby creating a shigajiku poem
and painting scroll. Such scrolls emerged as a preeminent form of elite Japanese
culture in the last two decades of the fourteenth century, a golden age in the
phenomenon now known as Japanese Zen culture.[17]
Sōtō monk in Arashiyama, Kyoto
Zen was not introduced as a separate school until the 12th century, when Myōan
Eisai traveled to China and returned to establish a Linji lineage, which is known in Japan as Rinzai. Decades later,
Nanpo Shōmyō (南浦紹明) (1235–1308) also studied Linji teachings in China before founding the Japanese Otokan
lineage, the most influential branch of Rinzai. In 1215, Dōgen, a younger contemporary of Eisai's, journeyed to
China himself, where he became a disciple of the Caodong master Tiantong Rujing. After his return, Dōgen
established the Sōtō school, the Japanese branch of Caodong. The Ōbaku lineage was introduced in the 17th century
by Ingen, a Chinese monk. Ingen had been a member of the Linji school, the Chinese equivalent of Rinzai, which
had developed separately from the Japanese branch for hundreds of years. Thus, when Ingen journeyed to Japan
following the fall of the Ming Dynasty to the Manchus, his teachings were seen as a separate school. The Ōbaku
school was named for Mount Ōbaku (Ch. 黄檗山; Huángbò Shān), which had been Ingen's home in China.

Some contemporary Japanese Zen teachers, such as Daiun Harada and Shunryu Suzuki, have criticized Japanese Zen
as being a formalized system of empty rituals in which very few Zen practitioners ever actually attain realization.
They assert that almost all Japanese temples have become family businesses handed down from father to son, and the
Zen priest's function has largely been reduced to officiating at funerals.
The Japanese Zen establishment—including the Sōtō sect, the major branches of Rinzai, and several renowned
teachers— has been criticized for its involvement in Japanese militarism and nationalism during World War II and
the preceding period. A notable work on this subject was Zen at War (1998) by Brian Victoria, an American-born
Sōtō priest. At the same time, however, one must be aware that this involvement was by no means limited to the Zen
school: all orthodox Japanese schools of Buddhism supported the militarist state. What may be most striking, though,
as Victoria has argued, is that many Zen masters known for their post-war internationalism and promotion of "world
peace" were open nationalists in the inter-war years.[18] And some of them, like Haku'un Yasutani, the founder of the
Sanbo Kyodan School, even voiced their anti-semitic and nationalistic opinions after World War II.
This openness has allowed non-Buddhists to practice Japanese-style Zen, especially outside of Asia, and even for the
curious phenomenon of an Christian Zen, as well as one or two lines that call themselves "nonsectarian".
Zen 8

Thiền in Vietnam
Thiền Buddhism (禪宗 Thiền Tông) is the Vietnamese name for the school of Zen Buddhism. Thiền is ultimately
derived from the Chinese Chán Zōng (禪宗), itself a derivative of the Sanskrit Dhyāna.
According to traditional accounts of Vietnam, in 580, an Indian monk named Vinitaruci (Vietnamese:
Tì-ni-đa-lưu-chi) traveled to Vietnam after completing his studies with Sengcan, the third patriarch of Chinese Chán.
This, then, would be the first appearance of Vietnamese Thiền Buddhism. The sect that Vinitaruci and his lone
Vietnamese disciple founded would become known as the oldest branch of Thiền. After a period of obscurity, the
Vinitaruci School became one of the most influential Buddhist groups in Vietnam by the 10th century, particularly
so under the patriarch Vạn-Hạnh (died 1018).
Other early Vietnamese Zen schools included the Vô Ngôn Thông, which was associated with the teaching of Mazu,
and the Thảo Đường, which incorporated nianfo chanting techniques; both were founded by Chinese monks. A new
school was founded by one of Vietnam's religious kings; this was the Trúc Lâm school, which evinced a deep
influence from Confucian and Taoist philosophy. Nevertheless, Trúc Lâm's prestige waned over the following
centuries as Confucianism became dominant in the royal court. In the 17th century, a group of Chinese monks led by
Nguyên Thiều established a vigorous new school, the Lâm Tế, which is the Vietnamese pronunciation of Linji. A
more domesticated offshoot of Lâm Tế, the Liễu Quán school, was founded in the 18th century and has since been
the predominant branch of Vietnamese Thiền.
The most famous practitioner of synchronized Thiền Buddhism in the West is Thích Nhất Hạnh who has authored
dozens of books and founded Dharma center Plum Village in France together with his colleague Chan Khong,
Bhikkhuni and Zen Master.

Seon in Korea
Seon was gradually transmitted into Korea during the late Silla period (7th
through 9th centuries) as Korean monks of predominantly Hwaeom (華嚴) and
Consciousness-only (唯識) background began to travel to China to learn the
newly developing tradition. During his lifetime, Mazu had begun to attract
students from Korea; by tradition, the first Korean to study Seon was named
Peomnang (法朗). Mazu's successors had numerous Korean students, some of
whom returned to Korea and established the nine mountain (九山) schools. This
was the beginning of Chán in Korea which is called Seon.

Seon received its most significant impetus and consolidation from the Goryeo
monk Jinul (知訥) (1158–1210), who established a reform movement and
introduced koan practice to Korea. Jinul established the Songgwangsa (松廣寺)
as a new center of pure practice. It was during the time of Jinul the Jogye Order, Seon monk in Seoul Korea

a primarily Seon sect, became the predominant form of Korean Buddhism, a

status it still holds. which survives down to the present in basically the same status. Toward the end of the Goryeo
and during the Joseon period the Jogye Order would first be combined with the scholarly 教 schools, and then be
relegated to lesser influence in ruling class circles by Confucian influenced polity, even as it retained strength
outside the cities, among the rural populations and ascetic monks in mountain refuges.

Nevertheless, there would be a series of important Seon teachers during the next several centuries, such as Hyegeun
(慧勤), Taego (太古), Gihwa (己和) and Hyujeong (休靜), who continued to develop the basic mold of Korean
meditational Buddhism established by Jinul. Seon continues to be practiced in Korea today at a number of major
monastic centers, as well as being taught at Dongguk University, which has a major of studies in this religion. Taego
Bou (1301–1382) studied in China with Linji teacher and returned to unite the Nine Mountain Schools. In modern
Korea, by far the largest Buddhist denomination is the Jogye Order, which is essentially a Zen sect; the name Jogye
Zen 9

is the Korean equivalent of Caoxi (曹溪), another name for Huineng.

Seon is known for its stress on meditation, monasticism, and asceticism. Many Korean monks have few personal
possessions and sometimes cut off all relations with the outside world. Several are near mendicants traveling from
temple to temple practicing meditation. The hermit-recluse life is prevalent among monks to whom meditation
practice is considered of paramount importance.
Currently, Korean Buddhism is in a state of slow transition. While the reigning theory behind Korean Buddhism was
based on Jinul's "sudden enlightenment, gradual cultivation", the modern Korean Seon master, Seongcheol's revival
of Hui Neng's "sudden enlightenment, sudden cultivation" has had a strong impact on Korean Buddhism. Although
there is resistance to change within the ranks of the Jogye order, with the last three Supreme Patriarchs' stance that is
in accordance with Seongcheol, there has been a gradual change in the atmosphere of Korean Buddhism.
The Kwan Um School of Zen, one of the largest Zen schools in the West, teaches a form of Seon Buddhism. Soeng
Hyang Soen Sa Nim (b. 1948), birth name Barbara Trexler (later Barbara Rhodes), is Guiding Dharma Teacher of
the international Kwan Um School of Zen and a successor of the late Seung Sahn Soen Sa Nim.

Zen in the Western world

Although it is difficult to trace when the West first became aware of Zen as a distinct form of Buddhism, the visit of
Soyen Shaku, a Japanese Zen monk, to Chicago during the World Parliament of Religions in 1893 is often pointed to
as an event that enhanced its profile in the Western world. It was during the late 1950s and the early 1960s that the
number of Westerners, other than the descendants of Asian immigrants, pursuing a serious interest in Zen reached a
significant level.

Zen teachings and practices

Principles and doctrine

Zen asserts, as do other schools in Mahāyāna Buddhism, that all sentient beings have Buddha-nature (Skt.
Buddhadhātu, Tathāgatagarbha), the universal nature of transcendent wisdom (Skt. prajñā), and emphasizes that
Buddha-nature is nothing other than the essential nature of the mind itself. The aim of Zen practice is to discover this
Buddha-nature within each person, through meditation and practice of the Buddha's teachings. The ultimate goal of
this is to become a Completely Enlightened Buddha (Skt. Samyaksaṃbuddha). As a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism,
Zen draws many of its basic driving concepts from that tradition, such as the bodhisattva ideal. Buddhas and
bodhisattvas such as Amitābha, Avalokiteśvara, Mañjuśrī, Samantabhadra, and Kṣitigarbha are also venerated
alongside Gautama Buddha.
The Zen tradition holds that in meditation practice, notions of doctrine and teachings necessitate the creation of
various notions and appearances (Skt. saṃjñā; Ch. 相, xiāng) that obscure the transcendent wisdom of each being's
Buddha-nature. This process of rediscovery goes under various terms such as "introspection", "a backward step",
"turning-about" or "turning the eye inward". The importance of Zen's non-reliance on written words is often
misunderstood as being against the study of Buddhist texts. However, Zen is deeply rooted in the teachings and
doctrines of Mahāyāna Buddhism. What the Zen tradition emphasizes is that enlightenment of the Buddha came not
through intellectual reasoning, but rather through self-realization in Dharma practice and meditation. Therefore, it is
held that it is primarily through Dharma practice and meditation that others may attain enlightenment and become
buddhas as well.
In its beginnings in China, Zen primarily referred to the Mahāyāna sūtras and especially to the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra.
As a result, early masters of the Zen tradition were referred to as "Laṅkāvatāra masters". Accounts recording the
history of this early period are to be found in Records of the Laṅkāvatāra Masters (Ch. 楞伽師資記, Léngqié Shīzī
Jì). Since the theoretical reference for the Zen was primarily the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, the Zen school had strong
associations with this text. As the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra teaches the doctrine of the "One Vehicle" (Skt. Ekayāna), the
Zen 10

early Zen school was sometimes referred to as the "One Vehicle School".[19] In other early texts, the school that
would later become known as Zen is sometimes even referred to as simply the "Laṅkāvatāra school" (Ch. 楞伽宗,
Léngqié Zōng).[20]
During the Tang Dynasty, the Zen school's central text shifted to the Diamond Sūtra (Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā
Sūtra). Thereafter, the essential texts of the Zen school were often considered to be the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra and the
Diamond Sūtra.[21] However, a review of the early historical documents and literature of early Zen masters clearly
reveals that they were all well-versed in numerous Mahāyāna Buddhist sūtras. For example, in the Platform Sūtra of
the Sixth Patriarch, Huineng cites and explains the Diamond Sūtra, the Lotus Sūtra (Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra),
the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra, the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, and the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra.
When Buddhism came to China, there were three divisions of training: the training in virtue and discipline in the
precepts (Skt. śīla), the training in mind through meditation (Skt. dhyāna) to attain deep states of meditation (Skt.
samādhi), and the training in the recorded teachings (Skt. Dharma). It was in this context that Buddhism entered into
Chinese culture. Three types of teachers with expertise in each training practice developed: Vinaya masters
specialized in all the rules of discipline for monks and nuns, Dhyāna masters specialized in the practice of
meditation, and Dharma masters specialized in mastery of the Buddhist texts. Monasteries and practice centers were
created that tended to focus on either the vinaya and training of monks or the teachings focused on one scripture or a
small group of texts. Dhyāna (Ch. Chán) masters tended to practice in solitary hermitages, or to be associated with
Vinaya training monasteries or the Dharma teaching centers. The later naming of the Zen school has its origins in
this view of the threefold division of training.
At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, by the time of the Fifth Patriarch Hongren (601–674), the Zen school had
become well established as a separate school of Buddhism.[22] Subsequently, the Zen tradition produced a rich
corpus of written literature which has become a part of its practice and teaching. Among the earliest and most widely
studied of the specifically Zen texts, dating back to at least the 9th century CE, is the Platform Sūtra of the Sixth
Patriarch, attributed to Huineng. Others include the various collections of kōans and the Shōbōgenzō of Dōgen
Zenji.
As the Zen school grew in China, the monastic discipline also became distinct, focusing on practice through all
aspects of life. Temples began emphasizing labor and humility, expanding the training of Zen to include the
mundane tasks of daily life. D.T. Suzuki wrote that aspects of this life are: a life of humility; a life of labor; a life of
service; a life of prayer and gratitude; and a life of meditation.[23] The Chinese Chán master Baizhang (720–814 CE)
left behind a famous saying which had been the guiding principle of his life, "A day without work is a day without
food".[24]

Zen meditation

Sitting meditation
As the name Zen implies, sitting meditation is a core aspect of Zen practice. In Japanese this is called zazen, and in
Chinese it is called zuòchán (坐禅), both simply meaning "sitting dhyāna". During this sitting meditation,
practitioners usually assume a position such as the lotus position, half-lotus, Burmese, or seiza postures. To regulate
the mind, awareness is directed towards counting or watching the breath or put in the energy center below the navel
(see also anapanasati).[25] Often, a square or round cushion placed on a padded mat is used to sit on; in some other
cases, a chair may be used.
In the Soto school of Zen, meditation with no objects, anchors, or content, is the primary form of practice. The
meditator strives to be aware of the stream of thoughts, allowing them to arise and pass away without interference.
Considerable textual, philosophical, and phenomenological justification of this practice can be found throughout
Dōgen's Shōbōgenzō, as for example in the "Principles of Zazen"[26] and the "Universally Recommended
Instructions for Zazen".[27]
Zen 11

Intensive group practice

Zen traditions include periods of intensive group meditation in a monastery. While the daily routine in the monastery
may require monks to meditate for several hours each day, during this intensive period they devote themselves
almost exclusively to the practice of sitting meditation. The numerous 30–50 minute long meditation periods are
interleaved with short rest breaks, meals, and sometimes, short periods of work should be performed with the same
mindfulness; nightly sleep is kept to a minimum, 7 hours or less. In modern Buddhist practice in Japan, Taiwan, and
the West, these intensive practice sessions are often attended by lay students, and are typically 1, 3, 5, or 7 days in
length. These are held at many Zen centers, especially in commemoration of the Buddha's attainment of Anuttarā
Samyaksaṃbodhi. One distinctive aspect of Zen meditation in groups is the use of a flat wooden slat used to keep
meditators focused and awake.

Koan practice
Zen Buddhists may practice koan inquiry during sitting meditation
(zazen), walking meditation, and throughout all the activities of daily
life. Koan practice is particularly emphasized by the Japanese Rinzai
school, but it also occurs in other schools or branches of Zen
depending on the teaching line.[28]
A koan (literally "public case") is a story or dialogue, generally related
to Zen or other Buddhist history; the most typical form is an anecdote
involving early Chinese Zen masters. These anecdotes involving
famous Zen teachers are a practical demonstration of their wisdom, and
can be used to test a student's progress in Zen practice. Koans often
appear to be paradoxical or linguistically meaningless dialogues or
questions. But to Zen Buddhists the koan is "the place and the time and Chinese character for "nothing", Chinese: wú
[29] (Japanese: mu). It figures in the famous
the event where truth reveals itself" unobstructed by the oppositions
Zhaozhou's dog koan
and differentiations of language. Answering a koan requires a student
to let go of conceptual thinking and of the logical way we order the
world, so that like creativity in art, the appropriate insight and response arises naturally and spontaneously in the
mind.

Koans and their study developed in China within the context of the open questions and answers of teaching sessions
conducted by the Chinese Zen masters. Today, the Zen student's mastery of a given koan is presented to the teacher
in a private interview (referred to in Japanese as dokusan (独参), daisan (代参), or sanzen (参禅)). Zen teachers
advise that the problem posed by a koan is to be taken quite seriously, and to be approached as literally a matter of
life and death. While there is no unique answer to a koan, practitioners are expected to demonstrate their
understanding of the koan and of Zen through their responses. The teacher may approve or disapprove of the answer
and guide the student in the right direction. There are also various commentaries on koans, written by experienced
teachers, that can serve as a guide. These commentaries are also of great value to modern scholarship on the subject.
Zen 12

Chanting and liturgy

A practice in many Zen monasteries and centers is a daily liturgy service. Practitioners chant major sutras such as the
Heart Sutra, chapter 25 of the Lotus Sutra (often called the "Avalokiteshvara Sutra"), the Song of the Jewel Mirror
Awareness, the Great Compassionate Heart Dharani (Daihishin Dharani), and other minor mantras.
The Butsudan is the altar in a monastery where offerings are made to the images of the Buddha or Bodhisattvas. The
same term is also used in Japanese homes for the altar where one prays to and communicates with deceased family
members. As such, reciting liturgy in Zen can be seen as a means to connect with the Bodhisattvas of the past.
Liturgy is often used during funerals, memorials, and other special events as means to invoke the aid of supernatural
powers.
Chanting usually centers on major Bodhisattvas like Avalokiteshvara (see also Guan Yin) and Manjusri. According
to Mahayana Buddhism, Bodhisattvas are celestial beings which have taken extraordinary vows to liberate all beings
from Samsara (the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth), while remaining in Samsara themselves. Since the Zen
practitioner’s aim is to walk the Bodhisattva path, chanting can be used as a means to connect with these beings and
realize this ideal within oneself. By repeatedly chanting the Avalokiteshvara sutra (観世音菩薩普門品 Kanzeon
Bosatsu Fumonbon), for example, one instills the Bodhisattva's ideals into ones mind. The ultimate goal is given in
the end of the sutra, which states, "In the morning, be one with Avalokiteshvara; in the evening, be one with
Avalokiteshvara". Through the realization of the Emptiness of oneself, and the Mahayanist ideal of Buddha-nature in
all things, one understands that there is no difference between the cosmic bodhisattva and oneself. The wisdom and
compassion of the Bodhisattva one is chanting to is seen to equal the inner wisdom and compassion of the
practitioner. Thus, the duality between subject and object, practitioner and Bodhisattva, chanter and sutra is ended.
John Daido Loori justified the use of chanting sutras by referring to Zen master Dōgen.[30] Dōgen is known to have
refuted the statement "Painted rice cakes will not satisfy hunger". This means that sutras, which are just symbols like
painted rice cakes, cannot truly satisfy one's spiritual hunger. Dōgen, however, saw that there is no separation
between metaphor and reality. "There is no difference between paintings, rice cakes, or any thing at all".[31] The
symbol and the symbolized were inherently the same, and thus only the sutras could truly satisfy one's spiritual
needs.
To understand this non-dual relationship experientially, one is told to practice liturgy intimately.[32] In distinguishing
between ceremony and liturgy, Dōgen states, "In ceremony there are forms and there are sounds, there is
understanding and there is believing. In liturgy there is only intimacy." The practitioner is instructed to listen to and
speak liturgy not just with one sense, but with one's "whole body-and-mind". By listening with one's entire being,
one eliminates the space between the self and the liturgy. Thus, Dōgen's instructions are to "listen with the eye and
see with the ear". By focusing all of one's being on one specific practice, duality is transcended. Dōgen says, "Let go
of the eye, and the whole body-and-mind are nothing but the eye; let go of the ear, and the whole universe is nothing
but the ear." Chanting intimately thus allows one to experience a non-dual reality. The liturgy used is a tool to allow
the practitioner to transcend the old conceptions of self and other. In this way, intimate liturgy practice allows one to
realize emptiness (sunyata), which is at the heart of Zen Buddhist teachings.

Other techniques
There are other techniques common in the Zen tradition which seem unconventional and whose purpose is said to be
to shock a student in order to help him or her let go of habitual activities of the mind. Some of these are common
today, while others are found mostly in anecdotes. These include the loud belly shout known as katsu. It is common
in many Zen traditions today for Zen teachers to have a stick with them during formal ceremonies which is a symbol
of authority and which can be also used to strike on the table during a talk. The now defunct Fuke Zen sect was also
well-known for practicing suizen, meditation with the shakuhachi, which some Zen Buddhists today also practice.
Zen 13

Zen and Western culture

In Europe, the Expressionist and Dada movements in art tend to have much in common thematically with the study
of koans and actual Zen. The early French surrealist René Daumal translated D.T. Suzuki as well as Sanskrit
Buddhist texts.
Eugen Herrigel's book Zen in the Art of Archery (1953),[33] describing his training in the Zen-influenced martial art
of Kyūdō, inspired many of the Western world's early Zen practitioners. However, many scholars, such as Yamada
Shoji, are quick to criticize this book.[34]
The British philosopher Alan Watts took a close interest in Zen Buddhism and wrote and lectured extensively on it
during the 1950s. He understood it as a vehicle for a mystical transformation of consciousness, and also as a
historical example of a non-Western, non-Christian way of life that had fostered both the practical and fine arts.
The Dharma Bums, a novel written by Jack Kerouac and published in 1959, gave its readers a look at how a
fascination with Buddhism and Zen was being absorbed into the bohemian lifestyles of a small group of American
youths, primarily on the West Coast. Beside the narrator, the main character in this novel was "Japhy Ryder", a
thinly veiled depiction of Gary Snyder. The story was based on actual events taking place while Snyder prepared, in
California, for the formal Zen studies that he would pursue in Japanese monasteries between 1956 and 1968.[35]
Thomas Merton (1915–1968) the Catholic Trappist monk and priest[36] was internationally recognized as having one
of those rare Western minds that was entirely at home in Asian experience. Like his friend, the late D.T. Suzuki,
Merton believed that there must be a little of Zen in all authentic creative and spiritual experience. The dialogue
between Merton and Suzuki[37] explores the many congruencies of Christian mysticism and Zen.[38] [39]
Robert Kennedy (roshi), a Catholic Jesuit priest, professor, psychotherapist and Zen roshi in the White Plum lineage
has written a number of books about what he labels as the benefits of Zen practice to Christianism. He was ordained
a Catholic priest in Japan in 1965, and studied with Yamada Koun in Japan in the 1970s. He was installed as a Zen
teacher of the White Plum Asanga lineage in 1991 and was given the title Roshi in 1997.
In 1989, the Vatican released a document which states some Catholic appreciations around the use of Zen in
Christian prayer. According to the text none of the methods proposed by non-Christian religions should be rejected
out of hand simply because they are not Christian.
On the contrary, one can take from them what is useful so long as the Christian conception of prayer, its logic
and requirements are never obscured.[40]
Reginald Horace Blyth (1898–1964) was an Englishman who went to Japan in 1940 to further his study of Zen. He
was interned during World War II and started writing in prison. He was tutor to the Crown Prince after the war. His
greatest work is the 5-volume "Zen and Zen Classics", published in the 1960s. In it, he discusses Zen themes from a
philosophical standpoint, often in conjunction with Christian elements in a comparative spirit. His essays include
titles such as "God, Buddha, and Buddhahood" or "Zen, Sin, and Death".
While Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert M. Pirsig, was a 1974 bestseller, it in fact has little to
do with Zen as a religious practice or motorcycle maintenance. Rather it deals with the notion of the metaphysics of
"quality" from the point of view of the main character. Pirsig was attending the Minnesota Zen Center at the time of
writing the book. He has stated that, despite its title, the book "should in no way be associated with that great body of
factual information relating to orthodox Zen Buddhist practice". Though it may not deal with orthodox Zen Buddhist
practice, Pirsig's book in fact deals with many of the more subtle facets of Zen living and Zen mentality without
drawing attention to any religion or religious organization.
A number of contemporary authors have explored the relationship between Zen and a number of other disciplines,
including parenting, teaching, and leadership. Leadership expert Timothy H. Warneka uses a number of Zen stories,
such as "Understanding Harmony" to explain leadership strategies:
Once upon a time in ancient Japan, a young man was studying martial arts under a famous teacher. Every day
the young man would practice in a courtyard along with the other students. One day, as the master watched, he
Zen 14

could see that the other students were consistently interfering with the young man's technique. Sensing the
student's frustration, the master approached the student and tapped him on the shoulder. "What is wrong?"
inquired the teacher. "I cannot execute my technique and I do not understand why," replied the student. "This
is because you do not understand harmony. Please follow me," said the master. Leaving the practice hall, the
master and student walked a short distance into the woods until they came upon a stream. After standing
silently beside the streambed for a few minutes, the master spoke. "Look at the water," he instructed. "It does
not slam into the rocks and stop out of frustration, but instead flows around them and continues down the
stream. Become like the water and you will understand harmony." Soon, the student learned to move and flow
like the stream, and none of the other students could keep him from executing his techniques.[41]

Western Zen lineages

Over the last fifty years mainstream forms of Zen, led by teachers who trained in East Asia and their successors,
have begun to take root in the West.

Derived from Japan

In North America, the Zen lineages derived from the Japanese Soto school are the most numerous. Among these are
the lineages of the San Francisco Zen Center, established by Shunryu Suzuki and the White Plum Asanga, founded
by Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi. Suzuki's San Francisco Zen Center established the first Zen Monastery in America in
1967, called Tassajara in the mountains near Big Sur. Maezumi's successors have created schools including Great
Plains Zen Center, founded by Susan Myoyu Andersen, Zen Mountain Monastery, founded by John Daido Loori,
Great Vow Zen Monastery founded by Chozen Bays, the Zen Peacemaker Order, founded by Bernard Tetsugen
Glassman and the Ordinary Mind school, founded by Charlotte Joko Beck. The Katagiri lineage, founded by Dainin
Katagiri, has a significant presence in the Midwest. Note that both Taizan Maezumi and Dainin Katagiri served as
priests at Zenshuji Soto Mission in the 1960s.
Taisen Deshimaru, a student of Kodo Sawaki, was a Soto Zen priest from Japan who taught in France. The
International Zen Association, which he founded, remains influential. The American Zen Association, headquartered
at the New Orleans Zen Temple, is one of the North American organizations practicing in the Deshimaru tradition.
Soyu Matsuoka served as superintendent and abbot of the Long Beach Zen Buddhist Temple and Zen Center. The
Temple was headquarters to Zen Centers in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Everett, Washington. He
established the Temple at Long Beach in 1971 where he resided until his passing in 1998. Matsuoka created several
dharma heirs, three of whom are still alive and leading Zen Teachers within the lineage. These are: Hogaku ShoZen
McGuire, Zenkai Taiun Michael Elliston Sensei, and Kaiten JohnDennis Govert. Hogaku established Daibutsuji Zen
Temple in Cloudcroft and the Zen Center of Las Cruces, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. So Gozen is now the Abbot of
Daibutsuji and the Zen Center of Las Cruces.[42] So Daiho Hilbert left Daibutsuji to establish the Order of Clear
Mind Zen, a socially engaged sangha in New Mexico.[43] Taiun Elliston Sensei established the Atlanta Soto Zen
Center and is working to establish an order honoring Matsuoka.
The Sanbo Kyodan is a Japan-based reformist Zen group, founded in 1954 by Yasutani Hakuun, which has had a
significant influence on Zen in the West. Sanbo Kyodan Zen is based primarily on the Soto tradition, but also
incorporates Rinzai-style koan practice. Yasutani's approach to Zen first became prominent in the English-speaking
world through Philip Kapleau's book The Three Pillars of Zen (1965), which was one of the first books to introduce
Western audiences to Zen as a practice rather than simply a philosophy. Among the Zen groups in North America,
Hawaii, Europe, and New Zealand which derive from Sanbo Kyodan are those associated with Kapleau, Robert
Aitken, and John Tarrant.
In the UK, Throssel Hole Abbey was founded as a sister monastery to Shasta Abbey in California by Master
Reverend Jiyu Kennett Roshi and has a number of dispersed Priories and centres. Jiyu Kennett, an English woman,
was ordained as a priest and Zen master in Shoji-ji, one of the two main Soto Zen temples in Japan (her book The
Zen 15

Wild White Goose describes her experiences in Japan). The Order is called the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives.
The lineage of Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi Roshi is represented by the White Plum Sangha UK, while Taisen
Deshimaru Roshi's lineage is known in the UK as IZAUK (Intl Zen Assoc. UK). The Zen Centre in London is
connected to the Buddhist Society. The Western Chán Fellowship is an association of lay Chán practitioners based in
the UK. They are registered as a charity in England and Wales, but also have contacts in Europe, principally in
Norway, Poland, Germany, Croatia, Switzerland and the USA.
There are also a number of Rinzai Zen centers in the West. In North America, some of the more prominent include
Rinzai-ji founded by Kyozan Joshu Sasaki Roshi in California, Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-ji established by Eido
Shimano Roshi and Soen Nakagawa Roshi in New York, Chozen-ji founded by Omori Sogen Roshi in Hawaii,
Daiyuzenji founded by Dogen Hosokawa Roshi (a student of Omori Sogen Roshi) in Chicago, Illinois, and Chobo-Ji
founded by Genki Takabayshi Roshi in Seattle, Washington. In Europe there is Egely Monastery established by a
Dharma Heir of Eido Shimano, Denko Mortensen.

Derived from China

The first Chinese master to teach Westerners in North America was

Hsuan Hua, who taught Chán and other traditions of Chinese
Buddhism in San Francisco during the early 1960s. He went on to
found the City Of Ten Thousand Buddhas, a monastery and retreat
center located on a 237 acre (959,000 m²) property near Ukiah,
California. Another Chinese Chán teacher with a Western following is
Sheng-yen, a master trained in both the Caodong and Linji schools. He
first visited the United States in 1978 under the sponsorship of the
Buddhist Association of the United States, and, in 1980, founded the
Covering over 480 acres of land and located in
Chán Meditation Center in Queens, New York.[44]
Talmage, California, the City of Ten Thousand
Buddhas was founded by Hsuan Hua.
Derived from Korea

A prominent Korean Zen teacher in the West was Seung Sahn. Seung Sahn founded the Providence Zen Center in
Providence, Rhode Island; this was to become the headquarters of the Kwan Um School of Zen, a large international
network of affiliated Zen centers.
In the early 20th century, Master Kyong Ho (1849–1912), renergized Korean Seon. At the end of World War II, his
disciple, Master Mann Gong (1871–1946), proclaimed that lineage Dharma should be transmitted worldwide to
encourage peace through enlightenment. Consequently, his Dharma successor, Hye Am [45] (1884–1985) brought
lineage Dharma to the United States. Hye Am's Dharma successor, Myo Vong [46] founded the Western Son
Academy (1976), and his Korean disciple, Pohwa Sunim, founded World Zen Fellowship (1994) which includes
various Zen centers in the United States, such as the Potomac Zen Sangha, the Patriarchal Zen Society and the
Baltimore Zen Center.[47]

Derived from Vietnam

Two notable Vietnamese Zen teachers have been influential in Western countries: Thich Thien-An and Thich Nhat
Hanh. Thich Thien-An came to America in 1966 as a visiting professor at UCLA and taught traditional Thien
meditation. Thich Nhat Hanh was a monk in Vietnam during the Vietnam War, during which he was a peace activist.
In response to these activities, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967 by Martin Luther King, Jr. In
1966, he left Vietnam in exile and now resides at Plum Village, a monastery in France. He has written more than one
hundred books about Buddhism, which have made him one of the very few most prominent Buddhist authors among
the general readership in the West. In his books and talks, Thich Nhat Hanh emphasizes mindfulness (sati) as the
most important practice in daily life.
Zen 16

Pan-lineage organizations
In the United States, two pan-lineage organizations have formed in the last few years. The oldest is the American
Zen Teachers Association which sponsors an annual conference. North American Soto teachers in North America,
led by several of the heirs of Taizan Maezumi and Shunryu Suzuki, have also formed the Soto Zen Buddhist
Association.

See also
• List of Zen teachers
• Timeline of Zen Buddhism in the United States

References
[1] Broughton 1999:138
[2] Cleary, Thomas (2005). Classics of Buddhism and Zen: Volume One. Boston, MA: Shambhala publications. p. 250. ISBN 1570628319.
[3] Maspero, Henri (1981). Taoism and Chinese Religion. University of Massachusetts. p. 46. ISBN 0870233084.
[4] Confucius.2000.com (http:/ / www. confucius2000. com/ buddhism/ chanwen. htm)
[5] Dumoulin, Heinrich (2005). Zen Buddhism: A History. vol. 1: India and China. Bloomington, IN: World Wisdom. pp. 8–9, 68, 166–167,
169–172. ISBN 0941532895.
[6] Buswell, Robert E., ed. Encyclopedia of Buddhism. 1. Macmillan. pp. 57, 130. ISBN 0028657187.
[7] Eitel, Ernest J.; K. Takakuwa (1904). Hand-book of Chinese Buddhism: Being a Sanskrit-Chinese Dictionary with Vocabularies of Buddhist
terms (http:/ / www. google. com/ books?id=g7UWAAAAYAAJ& pg=PP9#v=onepage& q=& f=false) (Second ed.). Tokyo, Japan:
Sanshusha. pp. 33. .
[8] Chaline, Eric (2003). The Book of Zen: The Path to Inner Peace. Barron's Educational Series. pp. 26–27. ISBN 0764155989.
[9] Chang, Chung-Yuan (1967). "Ch'an Buddhism: Logical and Illogical" (http:/ / ccbs. ntu. edu. tw/ FULLTEXT/ JR-PHIL/ ew27057. htm).
Philosophy East and West 17 (1/4): 37–49. doi:10.2307/1397043. ..
[10] Suzuki, D.T. (1935). Manual of Zen Buddhism (http:/ / www. sacred-texts. com/ bud/ mzb/ mzb00. htm). .
[11] Red Pine. "stream Sermon" (http:/ / www. e-sangha. com/ alphone/ dmhml-e. html). . Retrieved 2008-03-26.
[12] Nan Huaijin. Basic Buddhism: Exploring Buddhism and Zen. York Beach: Samuel Weiser. 1997. p. 95.
[13] D.T. Suzuki Studies in Zen, pp. 155-156. New York:Delta. 1955
[14] D.T. Suzuki Zen and Japanese Culture. New York: Bollingen/Princeton University Press, 1970 ISBN 0-691-09849-2
[15] Isshū, Miura; Sasaki, Ruth F. (1993). The Zen Koan. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company. p. 13. ISBN 0156999811.
[16] Heng-Ching Shih. "Women in Zen Buddhism: Chinese Bhiksunis in the Ch'an Tradition" (http:/ / ccbs. ntu. edu. tw/ FULLTEXT/
JR-NX020/ 15_09. htm). Digital Library & Museum of Buddhist Studies. . Retrieved 2008-03-26.
[17] Parker, Joseph D. "Zen Buddhist Landscape Arts of Early Muromachi Japan (1336–1573) (1999) pg 1
[18] Jalon, Allan (2003-01-11). "Meditating On War And Guilt, Zen Says It's Sorry" (http:/ / query. nytimes. com/ gst/ fullpage.
html?res=9905EED91F3EF932A25752C0A9659C8B63). New York Times. .
[19] The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch, translated with notes by Philip B. Yampolsky, 1967, Columbia University Press, ISBN
0-231-08361-0, page 29, note 87
[20] Dumoulin 2005:52
[21] Basic Buddhism: exploring Buddhism and Zen, Nan Huaijin, 1997, Samuel Weiser, page 92.
[22] Ferguson, Andy (2000). Zen's Chinese Heritage. Boston, MA: Wisdom Publications. p. 17. ISBN 0861711637.
[23] Suzuki, D.T. (2004). The Training of the Zen Budhist Monk. Tokyo: Cosimo, inc.. ISBN 1-5960-5041-1.
[24] "Digital Dictionary of Buddhism" (http:/ / buddhism-dict. net/ ddb/ ). . Retrieved 2008-03-26., entry "Baizhang Huaihai"
[25] Sheng, Yen. "Fundamentals of Meditation" (http:/ / www. chan1. org/ ddp/ talks/ zuochan. html). .
[26] Soto Zen Text Project. "Zazengi translation" (http:/ / hcbss. stanford. edu/ research/ projects/ sztp/ translations/ shobogenzo/ translations/
zazengi/ zazengi. translation. html). Stanford University. . Retrieved 2008-03-26.
[27] Soto Zen Text Project. "Fukan Zazengi" (http:/ / www. stanford. edu/ group/ scbs/ sztp3/ translations/ gongyo_seiten/ translations/ part_3/
fukan_zazengi. html). Stanford University. . Retrieved 2008-03-26.
[28] Loori, John Daido (2006). Sitting with Koans: Essential Writings on Zen Koan Introspection. Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0861713699.
[29] Shimano, Eido T. (1991). Points of Departure: Zen Buddhism With a Rinzai View. Livingston Manor, NY: The Zen Studies Society Press.
p. 152. ISBN 0-096294601.
[30] Loori, John Daido (2007). "Symbol and Symbolized" (http:/ / www. mro. org/ zmm/ teachings/ daido/ teisho50. php). Mountain Record: the
Zen Practitioner's Journal XXV (2). .
[31] Yasuda, Joshu; Anzan, Hoshin. "Gabyo: Painted Rice Cakes by Eihei Dogen Zenji" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20080307224649/ http:/
/ www. wwzc. org/ translations/ gabyo. htm). White Wind Zen Community. Archived from the original (http:/ / www. wwzc. org/ translations/
gabyo. htm) on 2008-03-07. . Retrieved 2008-03-26.
Zen 17

[32] Loori, John Daido (1997). "Zen Mountain Monastery Dharma Talk" (http:/ / www. mro. org/ zmm/ teachings/ daido/ teisho08. php).
Mountain Record: the Zen Practitioner's Journal. .
[33] Herrigel, Eugen (1952). Zen in the Art of Archery. Pantheon, NY: Vintage Books. ISBN 0-375-70509-0.
[34] Shoji, Yamada. "The Myth of Zen in the Art of Archery" (http:/ / www. thezensite. com/ ZenEssays/ CriticalZen/
The_Myth_of_Zen_in_the_Art_of_Archery. pdf) (PDF). . Retrieved 2007-01-03.
[35] Heller, Christine. "Jack Kerouac and Gary Snyder: Chasing Zen Clouds" (http:/ / www. thezensite. com/ ZenEssays/ Miscellaneous/
Chasing_Zen_Clouds_Kerouac_Snyder. pdf) (PDF). . Retrieved 2007-01-07.
[36] "A Chronology of Thomas Merton's Life" (http:/ / www. merton. org/ chrono. htm). International Thomas Merton Society. . Retrieved
2008-03-26.
[37] Merton, Thomas (1968). Zen and the Birds of Appetite. New Directions Publishing Corporation. ISBN 081120104X.
[38] Merton, Thomas (1967). The Way of Chuang Tzu. New York: New Directions. ISBN 0811201031.
[39] Merton, Thomas (1967). Mystics and Zen Masters. New York: Farrar, Strauss and Giroux. ISBN 0374520011.
[40] Vatican discernments around the use of Zen and Yoga in christian prayer (http:/ / www. ewtn. com/ library/ curia/ cdfmed. htm)
[41] Warneka, Timothy H. (2006). Leading People the Black Belt Way: Conquering the Five Core Problems Facing Leaders Today. Asogomi
Publishing International. ISBN 0976862700.
[42] http:/ / www. nmprc. state. nm. us/ cgi-bin/ prcdtl. cgi?1372796+ DAIBUTSUJI+ ZEN+ TEMPLE
[43] http:/ / www. nmprc. state. nm. us/ cgi-bin/ prcdtl. cgi?4313136+ ORDER+ OF+ CLEAR+ MIND+ ZEN
[44] Dharma Drum Mountain. Who Is Master Sheng-yen (http:/ / www. chan1. org/ biography. html).
[45] "Hye-Am" (http:/ / www. buddhism. org/ dharma/ Hye-Am/ Prolegomena. html). . Retrieved 2010-10-10.
[46] Myo Vong (2008). Cookies of Zen. EunHaeng NaMu Seoul, South Korea. ISBN 978-89-5660-257-8
[47] "World Zen Fellowship" (http:/ / www. worldzen. org). . Retrieved 2010-10-10.

External links
• Zen Guide (http://www.zenguide.com/)
• The Zen Site (http://www.thezensite.com/)
• Sacred-text.com's collection of Zen texts (http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/zen/index.htm)
• Buddhanet's collection of Zen texts (http://www.buddhanet.net/ftp11.htm)
• Booklets (http://www.blia.org/english/publications/booklet/booklet.htm) from Fo Guang Shan
• Zen Buddhism WWW Virtual Library (http://www.ciolek.com/WWWVL-Zen.html)
• The International Research Institute for Zen Buddhism (http://iriz.hanazono.ac.jp/index.en.html)
• Joint Council for Rinzai and Obaku Zen (http://zen.rinnou.net/)
• Website on Soto Zen (http://global.sotozen-net.or.jp/eng/index.html)
• Shambhala Sun Zen Articles (http://www.shambhalasun.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&
id=32&Itemid=109)
• A Study on the Origin of Chán Buddhism (http://www.literati-tradition.com/sudden_chan1.html)
• Buddhism and Confucianism in Chan Sudden Approach: A Cunning Cultural Paradigm (http://www.
literati-tradition.com/sudden_chan1.html)
• Zen Centers (http://www.dmoz.org/Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/Buddhism/Lineages/Zen/Centers//)
at the Open Directory Project
Article Sources and Contributors 18

Article Sources and Contributors

Zen  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=398616824  Contributors: $yD!, 157.178.1.xxx, 24630, 5 albert square, 65m, A Ramachandran, AAA!, ACupOfCoffee, ADM, ASB,
AThing, Acmuller, Acroterion, Adamberry2, Adven07, Adversarian, Aecis, Ahoerstemeier, Aihre, Aitias, Aksi great, Alansohn, Allenjwsc, Amarvc, Amatulic, Amphitere, Andkaha, Andy M.
Wang, AndyZ, Andycjp, Angelbo, Angelo De La Paz, Angr, AnnaFrance, Another fake account, Antandrus, Anxiousmofo, Aponar Kestrel, Appleby, Aranherunar, ArglebargleIV, Argyll Lassie,
Arun, Asiguere, Asoer, Atmosphear, Atomist, Atomota, Auximines, Azadkhayal, Azukimonaka, B9 hummingbird hovering, BF, Balster neb, Barry108, Bart133, Basic-element, Bathrobe,
Beland, Bendono, Bento00, BernieGlassman, BertMayo, Bertmayo, Betacommand, Billinghurst, Bingalls732, Bizdean, Bjornar, Blainster, Blind Man Walking, Bobo192, Bodinagamin, BongSoo,
Bootstoots, BorgQueen, Bradeos Graphon, Brenont, BrianEd, Brianga, Buddhipriya, Bueller 007, Cacycle, CalicoCatLover, Caltas, Cameronbro, Capricorn42, CardinalDan, Carol mai 94112,
Casper2k3, Caspian blue, Causa sui, Celzrro, CenkX, Chaizzilla, Change on install, CharlotteWebb, Cherlin, Chery, Chip-brain, ChrisfromHouston, CiteCop, Clair de Lune, Closedmouth,
Columbiafan, CommonsDelinker, Connel MacKenzie, Conversion script, Cpl Syx, CptCutLess, Crowsnest, CrypticBacon, Csbodine, Cst17, Cuvtixo, DHN, DNewhall, DabMachine, Daito-zenei,
Daniel Schwab, DarkSerge, David Traver, DavidDouthitt, Dbachmann, Dcapurro, Dcattell, Ddevilbiss, Defyn, Dekimasu, Delirium, DennyColt, DerHexer, Dewan357, Dharma-eye, Dharmageek,
Diannaa, Discospinster, DogFog, Dohaeng, Donald Hwong, DorisH, Dr8, Dread Specter, Dready, Drpaluga, Ds13, Durruti36, Dwwren, Dysprosia, ENeville, Ecw.technoid.dweeb, Editor2020,
Editorius, Eequor, Egoiste79, El C, Elektrik Shoos, Elephantus, Eloquence, Elwikipedista, Emily Jensen, Endroit, Epbr123, Epskionline, Espretu, Eu.stefan, Euchiasmus, Evil Eccentric, Excirial,
Exploding Boy, FQuist, FWBOarticle, Fayenatic london, Fenice, Ferdinand1, FiP, Fieldday-sunday, Firas@user, Floating abu, Flowerparty, Francis8590, FrankWilliams, Freedom skies,
FuelWagon, Furitora, Gaius Cornelius, Galoubet, Galwaygirl, Gary King, GateKeeper, Gbog, Gdr, GeorgeLouis, Gidonb, Gildedtiger, Gilgamesh, Gkrunker, GlassFET, Goethean,
Golgofrinchian, GraemeL, Graham87, Gregbard, Gregory Wonderwheel, Grenavitar, Grunty Thraveswain, Gsandi, Gsus x, Guitarmankev1, Gurkhaboy, Gvil, Gwalla, Hadal, Harryboyles,
HarveyHilbert, Havers, Heah, Henry Flower, HeteroZellous, Hidoshi, Hillgentleman, Hippietrail, Hires an editor, Hkelkar, Hmains, HongQiGong, Hu, Hu12, IBlender, InShaneee, Intranetusa,
Ioeth, Isshoni, Ixfd64, J.delanoy, JFD, JFHJr, JForget, Ja1234, Jackaranga, Jackel246, Jagged 85, JamesBWatson, Janm67, Jauhienij, Javiercorrector, Jaydec, Jeff G., Jeff3000, Jiang, Jiawen,
Jikaku, Jimp, Jinying11, Jketola, Jleon, Joe07734, Joegknapp, Joel Russ, John Vandenberg, Johnkintaro, JohnnyMrNinja, Jondel, Joseph Solis in Australia, Jossi, Jpatokal, Jrtayloriv, Jsnx,
Jusdafax, Justthisone, K1Bond007, Kaisershatner, Kamosuke, Karthik.raman, Katalaveno, Kazvorpal, KeithTyler, Kennethtennyson, Kh7, Khalid Mahmood, Khranus, Kidlittle, Kintetsubuffalo,
KnowledgeAndVision, Knverma, Koavf, Kosebamse, KrazyA1pha, Krillejs, Kripkenstein, Ktsquare, Kukkurovaca, Kusunose, Kvcad, Kwamikagami, Kwertii, LBehounek, Langdell, Lapsha,
Lapsus Linguae, Larry Rosenfeld, Le Anh-Huy, LeaveSleaves, Leolaursen, Levitatingyogi, Lightmouse, Lightspeedchick, Ligulem, Lkinkade, Logologics, Logotu, Looxix, LordAmeth,
Loremaster, Loris, Lostinthesound, Lotje, LoveEncounterFlow, Luis Dantas, Luna Santin, Lupin, MIT Trekkie, Mackan, Made in the asu, Madhero88, Madhyama, Madman885, Makeswell,
Malcolm, Malinaccier, Mamin27, Mandel, Mani1, Manop, Mantipedia, Marixist101, Markblohm, Marteau, Martyvis, Master of the Oríchalcos, MattKingston, Mattrock, Mav, Maximillion
Pegasus, Mayooranathan, Mboverload, MegA, Mekong Bluesman, Menchi, MetaphysicalAwarenessCom, Miaow Miaow, Michaaeel, MichaelMaggs, Mike Rosoft, Mind meal, Misterincredible,
Mitsukai, Mkill, Mladifilozof, Mlatorra, Mmrempen, Mokudo, Monedula, Monkey, Moondances, Mr Adequate, Mr. Know-It-All, MrOllie, Multiplestars, Munge, Mwanner, Mxn, Mynelly, N
Fwiffo, N. Wang, N1RK4UDSK714, Nakon, Nat Krause, Natalie Erin, Nbarth, Nearfar, Neilbeach, Nevit, NewEnglandYankee, Nh.jg4, Nicholashurley, Nickrophelia, Nigelj, Nightshadow28,
Nihonjoe, Nikai, Ninly, NuclearWarfare, Oda Mari, Ohnoitsjamie, OldMonkeyPuzzle, Oleg Alexandrov, Omicronpersei8, OrangeDog, OrbitOne, Osensei, Osip7315, Outlook, P.B. Pilhet,
PalaceGuard008, ParallaxPress, Paul Barlow, Paulehoffman, Pauly04, Per Honor et Gloria, PericlesofAthens, PeteDead, Peter jackson, Pgk, Phi beta, Phil Boswell, Philo2, Phoenix7777, Phuzion,
Plastikspork, Pojanji, Pomte, Porcher, Porius1, Postmodern Beatnik, ProfessorCorso, Proffitt83, Punarbhava, Pweemeeuw, Qbert203, Quadell, Quaeler, Qwerty Binary, R'n'B, RUL3R,
Rajnoosh22, Raven Stahlnecker, Reagle, RedWolf, Reinthal, Rentwa, RexNL, Rheimbuch, Rich Farmbrough, Richardsteel, Riopaso, Ritabrata, Rjwilmsi, Rkr1991, Rodney Boyd, Ronhjones,
Roostafari, RossPatterson, Rossami, Rowsees, Rrburke, Rumpelstiltskin223, Russco, Ryokan108, SJP, Saimdusan, Sam Hocevar, Sam Korn, Sam Spade, Sango123, Sanyasi, Saposcat, Satori
Son, Sc7493, Scepia, Scifiintel, Scott Armstrong, Sean Lute, Secretlondon, Sendaba, Sevilledade, Sewing, Shadowhillway, Shambhalian, Shantavira, Shards, Shii, Sigg3.net, SimonP, Sionus,
Sjg1138, SkerHawx, Skysmith, Smartkishore, Snakeg, Sodaiho, Sonjaaa, Soosed, Sophus Bie, Soumyasch, Spiff, Spoon!, Stainedglasscurtain, Stefankamph, Steven Walling, Stevietheman,
Sunborn, Sunray, Surrealization, Susanna Margaret, Sylvain1972, Symane, Synergy, T3gah, Taurion, Tdudkowski, Technobadger, Teishin, Template namespace initialisation script, Tengu800,
Texture, The Thing That Should Not Be, The kicker, TheFreeloader, TheTerrorized, Thegline, Thigle, Thinman10, Thirdreel, Thisismysn000, Thumperward, Tide rolls, Tikiwont, Tim1357,
Timlane, Timmymack, Timwarneka, Tktru, Tktruong2, Tmciolek, Tomkorp, Tommy2010, Toohool, Topbanana, Tramtram, Triplestop, Troylennerd, Twang, U.b.i.k., Uleglass, Usedbook,
UtherSRG, Vajrabell, Vuvar1, Wandering Star, Wangi, Wavelength, Weyes, Whereizben, Whiskers, WhisperToMe, Whkoh, Wik, Wiki alf, Wiki101master, Wikieditwww, Wikiklrsc, Wikimelee,
Wikky Horse, Will Beback, William Avery, Wisdum, Wknight94, Wnzrf, Woohookitty, Wrathchild, Xango2001, Xlation, Xxshockx, Yau, YellowMonkey, Yogainfo, Yworo, ZX81, Zbrowman,
Zen Mind, Zen.Trixter, ZenOne2, ZenPractioner, ZenerV, Zenman (usurped), Zeno Gantner, Zenquaker, Zenstudent, Zentek, Zenuk, Zenwhat, Zenzee, Zenzenzen, Zigger, Zillionaire2, Zsinj,
Zuzuzpetals, सो ऽहम्, 山田青月, 1208 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

Image:Lotus_Nelumbo_nucifera_Flower_Large_3264px.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Lotus_Nelumbo_nucifera_Flower_Large_3264px.jpg  License: GNU Free
Documentation License  Contributors: Photo by and (c)2007 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man)
File:Mini enso.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Mini_enso.png  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Eequor
Image:BodhidharmaYoshitoshi1887.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:BodhidharmaYoshitoshi1887.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Blockdruck von
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892)
Image:Bodhidharma.and.Huike-Sesshu.Toyo.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Bodhidharma.and.Huike-Sesshu.Toyo.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors:
Sesshū Tōyō
File:Sunriseatsojiji.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Sunriseatsojiji.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0  Contributors: Atlanticpuffin
File:Grandmaster.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Grandmaster.png  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Chung Tai
Image:Japanese buddhist monk by Arashiyama cut.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Japanese_buddhist_monk_by_Arashiyama_cut.jpg  License: Public Domain
 Contributors: Amagase, Berrucomons, Econt, Howcheng, JuTa, Kam Solusar, Marubatsu, Mattes, Morio, Skipjack, Smial, Thermos, Tony Wills, Wst, Xupu, 8 anonymous edits
Image:Monk seon.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Monk_seon.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0  Contributors: User:Drpaluga
Image:Wu (negative).svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Wu_(negative).svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Griffith Rees
Image:CTTBgate.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:CTTBgate.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Original uploader was Kungming2 at en.wikipedia

License
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
http:/ / creativecommons. org/ licenses/ by-sa/ 3. 0/