Definition
Zen is Japanese Buddhism, associated with the Mahayana school. It originated in China and was known as Ch’an. Meditation is an essential element of Zen Buddhism, it argues enlightenment does not depend on conventional knowledge.
Zen Buddhism is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism originated in China and moved to Japan through Korea. This form of Buddhism is known as Ch’an in China, where it became influenced by Taoism, and Chinese people added their practical approach to Buddhism as well. These elements became integral part of Ch’an.
The first Zen teaching is accredited to Buddha. In front of a big assembly of people, Buddha was expected to give a lecture; he did not say even a word. Instead, he offered a flower to Mahākāśyapa, who understood the esoteric meaning of this gesture and accepted the flower with a smile [1]. Boddhidharma is considered the first patriarch of Ch’an Buddhism. He was the third son of a king from South India. He came to Southern China sometime after 500...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Suzuki DT (1927) Essays in Zen Buddhism, 1st series. Luzac, London
Addiss S, Lombardo S, Roitman J (eds) (2008) Zen source book: traditional documents from China, Korea, and Japan. Hackett, Indianapolis
Schlütter M (2008) How Zen became Zen: the dispute over enlightenment and formation of Chan Buddhism in Song–Dynasty China. Kuroda Institute, University of Hawaii, Honolulu
Mitchell DW (2002) Buddhism: introducing the Buddhist experience. Oxford University Press, New York
Baroni HJ (2000) Obaku Zen: the emergence of the third sect of Zen in Tokugawa Japan. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu
Borup J (2008) Japanese Rinzai Zen Buddhism: Myōshinji, a living religion. Brill, Leiden
Williams DR, Moriya T (eds) (2010) Issei Buddhism in the Americas. University of Illinois Press, Urbana
Fields R (1992) How the swans came to the lake: a narrative history of Buddhism in America, 3rd edn. Shambhala, Boston
Chadwick D (1999) Crooked cucumber: the life and Zen teachings of Shunryu Suzuki. Broadway Books, New York
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this entry
Cite this entry
Verma, C. (2017). Zen. In: Sarao, K.T.S., Long, J.D. (eds) Buddhism and Jainism. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-0852-2_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-0852-2_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-024-0851-5
Online ISBN: 978-94-024-0852-2
eBook Packages: Religion and PhilosophyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Humanities