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ZEN . [This article treats the development of the Zen sect in Japan. The historical antecedents of this school, the practices and institutions of Chinese Chan Buddhism, are discussed in Chan.]

The Zen Buddhist sect in Japan consists of three main schools and several additional smaller movements. The largest denomination is the St school, founded by Dgen Kigen (12001253), which has two head temples, Eiheiji in Fukui prefecture and Sjiji in Kanagawa prefecture, and claims nearly fifteen thousand temples, over thirty monasteries and (six) nunneries, and more than eight million adherents, making it one of the largest of the traditional Japanese Buddhist schools. The second largest Zen denomination is the Rinzai school, founded by Myan Eisai (11411215), which is divided into fifteen streams associated with different head temples and claims about six thousand temples, forty monasteries and (one) nunnery, and two million adherents. The largest of the streams is Myshinji temple in Kyoto, which claims about half of the total Rinzai temples and monasteries and over one-third of the adherents. The third Zen school is the baku school, founded by Yinyuan Longqi (Jpn., Ingen Ryki, 15921673), which has a head temple of Manpukuji in the town of Uji outside Kyoto and claims nearly five hundred temples, two monasteries, and under half a million adherents. In addition, there are several modern movements or "brotherhoods" (kydan ) based on Zen meditation or other training techniques that all together claim about one hundred temples and 200,000 adherents.

The Zen sect was first established in the early medieval period as a controversial form of "New Kamakura Buddhism," along with the fledgling Pure Land and Nichiren cults. Zen was proscribed in the 1190s for a few years, and for several decades thereafter it was vigorously opposed by the dominant Tendai sect at Enryakuji temple located on Mount Hiei to the northeast of Kyoto. During the 1240s and 1250s, major Rinzai and St Zen temples were built in Kyoto, Kamakura, and Echizen province, and by the beginning of the fourteenth century, Zen had become the leading religious institution in Japan with an ever-expanding network of temples and a wide-ranging, nearly all-pervasive influence on many different levels of society and culture.

During the late medieval and early modern eras, Zen underwent various periods of apparent decline and renewal, especially when it stood in competition with diverse forms of Japanese religiosity in other Buddhist, as well as Shint and Confucian, movements during the Tokugawa era (16001868). In the modern period, Zen has spread to become a worldwide phenomenon greatly admired for its unique features of spiritual practice, including strict monastic discipline and contemplation of pedagogical riddles, or kans, that have a resonance with contemporary spiritual and intellectual trends in psychotherapy, phenomenology, and environmentalism. At the same time, the Zen sect has received criticism both from within and outside of Japan for contributing to social ills ranging from nationalism and nativism to discrimination against women and outcastes.

The origins of Zen in Japan stem from the Nara and early Heian eras, when sitting meditation and some representative early Chan texts were introduced by monks who had traveled to China, including Saich (767822), and were practiced or studied for several centuries under the auspices of the Tendai sect as one of several styles of training available to novices. Zen began to be established as a separate, autonomous sect by the end of the twelfth century (corresponding to the beginning of the Kamakura era) when several prominent Tendai monks made pilgrimages to the mainland in search of authentic Buddhism after a hiatus in exchange with China that lasted nearly two hundred years. These monks, including Eisai and Dgen, returned with the newly fashioned Song dynasty (9601279) approach to Chan. The style of Song Chan that was brought to Japan included an emphasis on monastic institutional structure and rules of conduct, as well as voluminous texts containing biographies of eminent monks and records of their sayings and dialogues, in addition to extensive poetic and prose commentaries on kan cases.

The earliest Zen schools were created either by Japanese monks who went to China and returned to establish important temples and lineages or by Chinese monks who came to Japan and played a crucial role in the rapid development of Zen. Monks in the first category, in addition to Eisai and Dgen, include: Enni Ben'en (12021280), who studied at Mount Jing, the leading temple of the Chinese Chan Five Mountains (Chin., Wushan ; Jpn., Gozan ) system and became abbot of Tfukuji temple in Kyoto; Shinchi Kakushin (12071298), who introduced to Japan the most prominent kan collection, the Wumen guan (Jpn., Mumonkan ); and Nampo Jmin (also known as Dai Kokushi, 12351308), who received transmission from the Chinese master Xutang (11851269) and created the lineage that founded Daitokuji temple in Kyoto.

Notable among Chinese monks who came to Japan are: Lanxi Daolong (Jpn., Rankei Dry, 12131278), who was the founding abbot of Kenchji temple in Kamakura in 1253 with the support of regent Hj Tokiyori (12261263); Wuan Puning (Jpn., Gottan Run'ei, 11971276), who came at the request of Tokiyori but spent only four years in Japan trying to introduce authentic Chinese-style Zen, serving for a time as abbot of Kenninji temple, which Eisai had founded in Kyoto in 1202 as the first major Zen monastery in Japan; Daxiu Chengnian (Jpn., Daiky Shnen, 12141289), who founded Jchiji temple in Kamakura; and Wuxu Zuyuan (Jpn., Mugaku Sogen, 12261286), who was the founding abbot of Engakuji temple in Kamakura with the support of regent Hj Tokimune (12511284).

Even before Eisai spent four years studying Chan during his second trip to China, which lasted from 1187 to 1191, a monk named Kakua (b. 1142) reached the Chinese mainland in 1171 and, on his return, had an audience with Emperor Takakura (11611181). In response to a question about the meaning of Zen, Kakua responded by simply playing his flute, while the emperor and his retainers looked on in puzzlement. This anecdote is contained in the valuable historical record of Buddhism in Japan, the Genk shakusho, produced by the Zen monk, Kokan Shiren (12781345).

Around the time of Kakua's and Eisai's travels, an anomalous monk not mentioned in Kokan's record, Dainichi Nnin (d. 1196?), started the first organized Zen movement, known as the Daruma school. Nnin was not considered legitimate because he never traveled to China, but instead sent two of his disciples to receive transmission from Zhuan Deguang (11211203) of the Dahui Zonggao lineage. His movement was prohibited by imperial decree in 1194, and its temples were destroyed, although some followers persisted at Hajakuji, a Tendai temple in remote Echizen province (currently Fukui prefecture) until 1241 when they all joined Dgen's upstart St school. Nnin sought to create a pure Zen school free of Tendai esoteric ritualism, but by abandoning requirements to follow the precepts or practice meditation, his approach was accused of antinomian tendencies by both Eisai and Dgen, as well as by Tendai leaders.

Eisai, who is probably best known for introducing tea to Japan, received transmission in the Huanglong (Jpn., ry) lineage of the Linji (Jpn., Rinzai) school of Chan and, like Nnin, tried to create a pure Zen approach in Japan. However, to distinguish his role from Nnin's and gain acceptance from the mainstream Buddhist institution, in the Kzen gokokuron that was composed in 1198 Eisai repudiated the Daruma school's antinomianism and argued for the consistency of Zen meditation with established Tendai practices. Eisai also emphasized the importance of following the Chinese Chan way of administering the mixed precepts (that is, the 250 Hnayna and forty-eight Mahyna precepts), after several centuries in Japan during which only the bodhisattva vows were followed. In the two main temples Eisai established with the support of Hj Masako (11571225)Kenninji and Jufukuji in Kamakurathere was an eclectic training known as Enmitsuzenkai that combined Tendai perfect practice (engy) and esotericism (mitsu or mikky) with Zen-style sitting meditation (zazen ) and disciplinary rules (jukai).

The next major development in the spread of Rinzai Zen involved Enni Ben'en, who like Eisai and Dgen started out studying Tendai Buddhism in Japan and traveled to China from 1235 to 1241 to gain transmission from the Five Mountains temple system. On his return, Enni was awarded the abbacy of Tfukuji temple, constructed along the lines of a grand Song Chan compound. For the first time in the three-quarters of a century since Kakua, a major temple was built exclusively for Zen training with the support of Buddhist and imperial authorities. However, in the end, Tfukuji also provided facilities for the observance of Shingon and Tendai rituals, in accord with the wishes of its patron, Fujiwara Michiie (11921252). Since it was located near Kenninji, Enni often made daily visits and tried to restore the authentic Zen practice that had declined somewhat following the death of Eisai. Tfukuji was also situated near Dgen's first temple, Kshji, in southeast Kyoto. In the following years, Shinchi, who traveled to China from 1249 to 1254, was frequently summoned to lecture on kans and related Zen topics before the imperial court, which further legitimated the Rinzai school.

Based on the intense interest of Hj Tokiyori in promulgating Zen by building Song-style temples and lending other forms of patronage and support, Zen became firmly ensconced in Kamakura, which was the temporary capital for several decades in the thirteenth century. For Tokiyori, Zen was the ideal ideology for the emerging samurai class because of its focus on self-control and creative self-expression in a highly disciplined communal environment. Lanxi and the other monks who arrived from China tended to emphasize the importance of monastic discipline governing every aspect of the daily behavior of monks. Because of their Chinese provenance, the Kamakura temples became the most prominent ones in the Japanese version of the Five Mountains system, outranking Kyoto temples, with the exception of Nanzenji.

Whereas numerous prominent Japanese and Chinese monks were involved in the establishment of the Rinzai school, the development of the St school was primarily based on the efforts of Dgen, who traveled to China from 1223 to 1227 with one of Eisai's disciples, Myzen (11841225). After an itinerant phase during which he traveled around several of the Five Mountains Chan temples in search of an authentic teacher, in the summer retreat of 1225 Dgen gained enlightenment under the tutelage of Caodong (Jpn., St) school master Ju-ching through the experience of "casting off body-mind" (shinjin datsuraku ). On returning to Japan, Dgen stayed for a few years at Kenninji before opening Kshji, which was the first Zen temple in Japan to have a Chan style monks' hall for zazen training, where Dgen began delivering sermons and indoctrinating disciples in Chinese discipline. He preached a message of the universality of enlightenment for all those who practice "just sitting" (shikan taza), including women and laypersons.

At the peak of his career in the summer of 1243, Dgen departed from his temple in Kyoto with a small, dedicated band of disciples and moved to Echizen province, where he established Eiheiji temple. The reasons for the move are obscure, but it seems to be connected with several factors that occurred in the couple of years previous. These include the rapid ascendancy to the Tfukuji abbacy of Enni after his return from China, which may have intimidated Dgen since the massive Rinzai temple dwarfed Kshji, and the conversion of former Daruma school monks at Hajakuji to Dgen's movement, which may have given him an incentive to take up residence in Echizen. Dgen's patron Hatano Yoshishige also owned land in the Echizen region, which was the vicinity of the sacred mountain Mount Hakusan, long a center of yamabushi activity affiliated with a branch of the Tendai sect centered at Onjji (also known as Miidera) temple, east of Kyoto and near Lake Biwa.

During a transitional year, until he settled in the summer of 1244 in his new temple, Dgen was extremely creative in producing over a third of the fascicles included in his major text, the Shbgenz, which consists of informal sermons delivered in the vernacular (kana ) in the abbot's quarters. At Eiheiji, Dgen turned to another style of literature that was included in the Eihei kroku, which consists of formal sermons delivered in the dharma hall in Sino-Japanese (kanbun ), as prescribed by Chinese Chan monastic rules texts. During the Echizen/Eiheiji period, Dgen stressed that enlightenment is available only for male monastics, but he also developed methods for evangelizing and administering precepts to the lay community. According to some reports, Dgen visited Hj Tokiyori in Kamakura for half a year in 1247 to 1248, but he turned down an invitation to head a temple there due to misgivings about the mixing of Zen and the new samurai lifestyle. This would have occurred just a few years before Kenchji was constructed and became a leading Rinzai center under Lanxi.

Much of the difference in the styles of theory and practice that has evolved between the Rinzai and St schools, such as the Rinzai emphasis on kan training and the St emphasis on just-sitting meditation without a focus on kan cases, reflects historical developments subsequent to the formative period of Zen in Japan. The differences tend to stem especially from the Tokugawa and early Meiji eras, periods when all forms of Buddhism had to define themselves in distinctive ways in a competitive religious environment strictly supervised by civil authorities. Discrepancies in style should not be imposed retrospectively, which might obscure the fact that the two schools are linked by fundamental similarities in approach.

On the level of doctrine, both schools stress the importance of post-enlightenment cultivation, as found in Dgen's teaching of shush itt (oneness of practice and realization) and the doctrine proclaimed by Dait Kokushi (Shh Mych, 12821337) of shtaichy (sustained nurturing of the seed of truth). Genuine practice must not end at the time of realization, but should continue after the initial experience of enlightenment and be integrated with each aspect of daily life. This practice can take the form of meditation, performing daily chores on the monastic compound, collecting alms from the lay community (takuhatsu ), participating in the way (d or michi ) of the arts, communing with nature during a mountain retreat (yamazato ), or residing in a secluded hermitage on or off the temple grounds.

For both schools, all aspects of monastery life are governed by the codes of discipline and ethics, as covered in detail in an extensive body of texts dealing with monastic regulations (shingi ). These codes were originally imported from China, most notably the 1103 text, Chanyuan qinggui (Jpn., Zen'en shingi ), which was derivative of early Buddhist Vinaya rules and supposedly based on a much shorter source text attributed to the Tang dynasty master Baizhang (749814), known for his injunction, "a day without work is a day without food." The Chanyuan qinggui was adapted in Japanese texts and required for all monks by numerous thirteenth-century Rinzai and St leaders, including Eisai in 1195, Dgen with several texts beginning in 1237, Lanxi in 1278, and Enni in 1280. The seminal source of Chan rules was also referenced in shingi texts by St master Keizan Jkin (12641325) in 1325, Rinzai master Mus Sseki (12751351) in 1339, and the baku shingi in 1672.

Whether or not it was literally followed, the spirit of "no work, no food" pervades the shingi collections, which include rules on the observance of precepts and ethical conduct, as well as on daily activities and annual ceremonies. These works depict a communal life of meditation, frugality, manual labor, and active debate between master and disciple, with regularly scheduled public assemblies and impromptu lectures and instruction. They also describe the functions of abbot, officers, stewards, rank-and-file monks, and novices, in addition to the management of kitchens, the dharma hall, and the larger monastery estate. The shingi rules provide requirements for the dharma transmission and awarding of seals (inka ), as well as commissioning portraits of masters (chins ) and selecting successors to the abbot. Topics such as quarreling and discipline, wandering, and the role of women are given careful consideration. Furthermore, the relation between a school's head temple (honji ) and branch temples (matsuji ) is delineated in both the shingi records and the laws of the civil society.

Zen monasteries in Japan follow the style of the "seven-hall compound" (shichi-d garan ) originally developed in China. The schema below bears anthropomorphic symbolism in that each of the seven buildings is associated with a part of the Buddha's body, so that entering the temple grounds is considered the equivalent of communing directly with the Buddha. The halls include on the main axis: the mountain gate or entrance associated with the groin, the Buddha hall for displaying icons and hosting banquets associated with the heart, and the dharma hall for sermons before the assembly associated with the head. The right leg is associated with the bathhouse and the right arm with the kitchen, whereas the left leg is associated with the latrine and the left arm with the monks' hall.

Four additional mainstays of the structure of Zen temples are: the abbot's quarters, known as the "ten-foot square hut" (hj), following a passage in the Vimalakrti Stra in which an informed layman holds forth in a humble abode with the ability to outsmart bodhisattvas; the hall to commemorate the local earth deity (djishin ) associated with protection of the temple grounds; a bell tower that houses a large Buddhist bronze bell rung at the New Year and other festivals, as well as purification ceremonies; and a reading room for the study of stras and related Buddhist and literary works. The abbot's quarters is usually located above the dharma hall, with the earth deity hall and bell tower to the right, and reading room to the left.

Life in Zen monasteries is centered on zazen meditation, which is conducted at least four times daily, as well as for longer, more intensive weeklong sessions known as sesshin, especially on special occasions such as Rohatsu (December 8 celebration of the anniversary of the Buddha's enlightenment). During these special occasions, meditation may be prolonged for up to twenty hours a day, leaving time only for minimal sleeping and eating. In addition to the traditional seated posture, there is a form of meditation known as kinhin, which is a walking exercise developed in Japanese Zen.

Another main ingredient of Zen practice is the use of kans as both a literary device and a tool for contemplative training. Diverse styles of commentary were developed during the medieval period (discussed below), involving the use of prose, poetic, and sometimes diagrammatic remarks on the inner meaning of case narratives found in a handful of collections preserved from China, such as the Wumen guan, Biyan lu (Jpn., Hekiganroku ), and Zongrong lu (Jpn., Shyroku ). A new kan exercise developed in Japan is the brief face-to-face interview of the disciple by the master. This is known in the Rinzai school as dokusan (literally "individual study"), which is similar to the St school practice of nyshitsu (literally "entering the room [of the abbot]"). Both terms refer to private instruction in which the teacher evaluates and motivates the aspiring student to attain a higher level of understanding.

Furthermore, nearly all Japanese Zen monasteries and temples have performed a myriad of functions related to the spirits of the dead, including funerary rites that bestow a posthumous ordination name (kaimy ) to ensure that the deceased attains nirva (nehan ) in the afterlife. Zen temples are also involved in memorial services, as well as the annual Obon or Ghost Festival, held either on July 15 or August 15 (the ceremony was originally held at the time of the full moon of the seventh month of the Chinese calendar). It is believed that during this period the spirits of deceased ancestors visit the living, and Buddhist rituals play an important purification function. Despite an apparent emphasis on uniformity and ritualism, several of the most prominent masters of the medieval period were known for a rugged individuality and eccentricity in their commitment to a life of poverty and reclusion, as well as the creative expression of self-awareness.

Beginning with the rise of the new political leadership of the Ashikaga government in 1338, which consolidated its power through alliances with Zen clergy and consciously emulated the Song way of propagating the religion, Zen became a dominant force affecting both the aristocratic elite in the urban centers and the rural population. Zen contributed to the fine, literary, applied, performing, and martial arts, ranging from calligraphy, poetry, gardening, tea ceremony, theater, and sword fighting, among numerous other forms, and also assimilated and domesticated many aspects of popular religion and folklore, including autochthonic gods, demons, and exorcistic rites. Furthermore, Zen began its involvement in constructing the bushid code of honor and loyalty to the warlord by integrating and adapting traditional art of war strategies to monastic training. N theater, which is often based on plays dealing with ghosts of defeated samurai wrestling with demons in the afterlife, and which is written and performed with an uncannily studied contemplative simplicity, represents a realm of the arts where many of these cultural elements have converged.

The developments that took place in establishing Zen in the thirteenth century ensured that the Rinzai school would grow mainly in the Kyoto and Kamakura areas with the support of the shogunate, whereas the St school would spread in the northwestern region, as well as other outlying territories, based on proselytizing to an agrarian population. The two schools were separated by other factors in addition to geography and patterns of patronage and participation, yet there were underlying points of connection both institutionally and in terms of styles of religious practice disseminated through a network of temples known as the Rinka mon-asteries.

The Rinzai school formed the main hierarchical institutional structure known as the Five Mountains system, which was patterned after the Chinese Chan monastery system At its peak it claimed a network of over three hundred temples centered at Nanzenji in Kyoto under the protection of the military regime (bakufu ). The third Ashikaga shogun, Yoshimitsu (13581408), established in 1386 a definitive ranking of five temples each in Kyoto (Tenryji, Shkokuji, Kenninji, Tfukuji, Majuji) and Kamakura (Kenchji, Engakuji, Jufukuji, Jchiji, Jmyji). A head administrative monk (sroku ) was appointed superintendent or the supreme official ruling over the system.

The hallmark of the Five Mountains system was the creation of multiple artistic forms referred to collectively as Gozan bunka, with special emphasis on literature, especially kanbun poetry, known as the tradition of Gozan bungaku. Gozan poetry, which usually consists of four-line verses containing seven characters (kanji ) in each line, deals with Buddhist doctrines and practice, as well as themes that are more general and are used to articulate indirectly an understanding of Zen awareness. One of the main topoi is the contemplation of nature as perceived in secluded landscapes or mountain retreats, as in the following verse by one of the luminaries of the movement, Mus Sseki (12751351):

Autumn's colors dropping from branches in masses of falling leaves, Cold clouds bringing rain into the crannies of the mountains: Everyone was born with the same sort of eyesWhy do mine keep seeing things as Zen kans ? (Pollack, 1985, p. 37).

Mus, founder of Tenryji temple in Kyoto, was immensely successful and popular with all factions as an abbot who gained the attention of Emperor Hanazono and political leaders, monks in training, and the general populace. His book Much mond (Dialogues in a dream) explains Zen in everyday language in response to questions raised by the warrior Ashikaga Tadayoshi. He was said to have left ten thousand followers at the time of his death. However, Mus was also criticized by rivals such as Daitokuji master Dait for not rising above a doctrinal understanding of Zenthat is, for failing to embody a genuinely creative Zen approach that was evident in some of the leading Rinka temple masters.

In addition to the Five Mountains temples of the Rinzai school, which were considered the leading rank in the Zen network, another series of temples that included representatives from both the Rinzai and St schools was known as Rinka or Sanrin temples; both designations refer to "forests" (rin ) of Zen monks. The term, which implies the legions of monasteries in the countryside or hinterlands that were outside, and probably resentful of, the domain of the shogun, is perhaps applied most accurately to Eiheiji and other St temples. But the term is at least in part a misnomer because this group also included prominent Rinzai temples in Kyoto that enjoyed imperial patronage, especially Daitokuji of the Dai-Dait line and Myshinji temple. Myshinji was impressively developed by Dait's disciple, Kanzan Egen (12771360), and eventually it broke off to become an independent head temple that surpassed Daitokuji in the size and scope of its network.

Whereas the Five Mountains temples were known for their poetry, one of the main features of the Rinka temples was the formation of a curriculum of kan studies that took on many different dimensions. Dait is particularly notable for writing two commentaries on the Biyan lu collection of 100 kan cases by using the style of capping phrases (jakugo ), originally developed by Chinese Chan commentators as ironic remarks that illuminate each line of the case narrative. In St Zen, there were various styles of commentary known as shmono, which included formal/public and informal/private styles. One of the main examples of shmono literature was the subgenre of kirigami (literally "strips of paper") commentaries, in which a master would write down quickly an esoteric comment, usually accompanied by a drawing or illustration, that was handed to a disciple as a training tool or an emblem of attaining transmission. Given the transitory quality and secretive nature of this style, the kirigami were left uncollected and were lost until recent scholarship rediscovered and interpreted numerous examples.

A prominent example of medieval Zen art is the famed rock garden at Ryanji temple in Kyoto, which was perhaps designed by the painter Sami (14721525). A classic of the kare-sansui (dry mountains-rivers) style that contains only rocks and sand constructed in patterns but no living form except moss, the Ryanji garden is surrounded by earthen walls in three directions and faced with the corridor of the hj (abbot's quarters) building. In the rectangular space measuring thirty meters from east to west and ten meters from north to south, fifteen rocks of various sizes are arranged on white sand in five groups, each comprising five, two, three, two, and three rocks. The most popular explanation of this garden is that the rocks represent a mother tiger and her cubs, swimming in the river of the white sand toward a fearful dragon. The asymmetric composition achieves a certain balance and harmony that creates energy and rhythm in the midst of subtlety and simplicity.

Another important development of the Rinka period was the way creative Rinzai masters sought to recapture the iconoclasm and eccentricity of early Chinese Chan figures, as epitomized by Ikky (13941481), who was said to have destroyed his transmission seal for being an empty symbol devoid of significance and to have refused to award such a symbol to any of his disciples. Ikky became an acolyte at the age of five and excelled at Chinese poetry and calligraphy as well as painting. Throughout his life he railed against the corruption of priests and the meaningless formalities of Zen monastic life, yet he succeeded to the abbacy of Daitokuji and also won widespread acceptance by the common folk for his inventiveness and independence.

One of Ikky's noted calligraphies contains the saying, "Entering the realm of Buddha is easy, entering the realm of the demon [ma ] is difficult." On one level, this expression, along with Ikky's lifestyle, which included the celebration of visits to brothels and the "red thread" of passion, could be interpreted as endorsing the kind of antinomianism that was consistently rejected by Zen monastic leaders. However, another implication of the saying is that, for Ikky, asserting the priority of purity while occupying a state of transcendence is a relatively simple task that is not necessarily as demanding as maintaining a genuinely authentic state of mind while being tempted and tested in the midst of impurity. An underlying theme is that Buddha and demon are not distinct, but symbolize interior forces of wisdom and delusion that are inextricably and dialectically linked as complementary opposites embraced by a deeper level of nondual awareness.

Within the St school, the fourth generation patriarch Keizan maintained Dgen's twin emphasis on continuing a commitment to rigorous meditation and adhering to monastic regulations, but he also assimilated many elements of Tendai esotericism, as well as folklore religiosity in his approach to Zen. Before joining St, Keizan had been a follower of the remnants of the Daruma school. Through Keizan's efforts, St Zen spread primarily northward from Echizen to the Noto peninsula, where Sjiji temple was established. Long a rival with Eiheiji for the designation of the school's head templeEiheiji enjoyed the prestige of the founder's legacy, but Keizan's temple could claim more than nine times as many branch sitesSjiji was moved at the end of the nineteenth century. It was relocated in a neighborhood outside Yokohama in the Kanto region, which had become over the centuries a major center of St school activity.

A key to the success of this lineage was Keizan's evangelical disciple Gasan Jseki (12751365), who was abbot of Sjiji for forty years. Along with his followers, such as Tsgen Jakurei (13221391), Gasan helped the rapid spread of St Zen in the countryside areas by taking over many abandoned Tendai and Shingon temples and assimilating folklore divinities, which were called upon to protect the welfare of the sacred sites. While greatly concerned with construction projects for bridges, dams, and irrigation canals to help win popular support, Gasan was also a scholastic monk who promulgated the dialectical doctrine of the "five ranks" (go-i) rooted in Chinese texts.

One of the legacies of the popularization campaign is that some of the most prominent St temples are associated with shamanistic and esoteric practices. They are best known to their congregations of lay followers for espousing a syncretic approach to attaining worldly benefits (genze riyaku ), such as prosperity, fertility, or safety during travels, rather than for traditional Zen practices of meditation and monastic discipline. A prime example is Saijji temple near the town of Odawara, which was founded by Ryan Emy (13371411), who was said to have transformed into a winged tengu (the mountain goblin of Japanese lore) to enhance his powers for protection of the temple grounds.

Another such example is Mygonji temple in the town of Toyokawa in Aichi prefecture, anomalously affiliated with Eiheiji rather than Sjiji, which is also called Toyakawa Inari because the main icons on the compound are not images of Buddha but rather the fox deity (Inari), originally a Shint fertility symbol that became a force spiritually protecting the Buddhist teachings. Followers who flood these prayer temples (kit jiin ) for New Year's Day or other annual festivals may not even be aware that rituals and chants are being performed by monks trained at head temples or monasteries, where the primary training is in meditation with the aim of overcoming worldly attachments.

One of the features of medieval St Zen was the role played by female monastics at several nunneries who sought to keep alive the integrity of the tradition of clerical discipline espoused by Dgen, and who also developed unique rituals for healing and purification. It is unclear, however, whether and to what extent Dgen himself endorsed the equality of women, as there are several seemingly contradictory passages in his writings on this topic.

Zen Buddhism during the Tokugawa era was affected by several trends that influenced all Buddhist schools, including the rise of Confucianism and the return to prominence of Shint under the banner of National Learning (kokugaku ) thought. Both ideologies were taught at academies that helped support the rule of the shogunate. The danka (loosely "parish") system in which all families were assigned to a Buddhist temple strengthened the numbers of Buddhist affiliates but tended to weaken the spirituality and integrity of Zen monastic life. It has long been said that Zen apparently entered a prolonged period of decline (daraku ), but the early modern period was actually characterized by many important luminary figures and elements of revitalization.

One of the new developments was the formation of a third movement, the baku school, which was based on the teachings of Chan masters of the Ming dynasty (13681644). The reintroduction of Chinese religion and culture was an anomalous event, since the Tokugawa regime restricted all foreign travel, but Yinyuan and his followers were able to enter Japan after receiving an invitation from Sfukuji in Kyushu and exert great influence. This school emphasizes the preservation of the stras, as well as the combination of zazen meditation with Pure Land, other-power (tariki ) practices for the veneration of Amida (Skt., Amitbha) Buddha, and the recitation of the nembutsu chant, which is generally thought to stand in contrast with the Zen self-power (jiriki ) approach.

The Rinzai school of this period featured several prominent monks, including Takuan Sh (15731645), whose writings synthesize Zen principles of mental cultivation and swordsmanship. This is a form of training in which a warrior must be able to respond to a rival or threat spontaneously and with an unclouded and imperturbable mind that can be attained through meditation. According to Takuan, controlling the battleground and the sense of winning and losing is a matter of mastering the impulses of the mind and casting off fetters and delusions. While Takuan found the Zen mind in the highly specialized world of the warrior, another key monk of the day, Bankei Ytaku (16221693), stressed the role of the mind manifested in ordinary activity, such as walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, which are all exemplary of the imperishable "unborn" Zen state of awareness.

The most important monk of the Tokugawa era was Hakuin Ekaku (16861768), who single-handedly reformed Rinzai school practice in a way that has persisted for over three centuries. Hakuin was known for both his appropriation of the strict training style of the Chinese masters of the Tang and Song periods and his appeal to the common folk, who found him a charismatic spiritual leader. Hakuin perfected a new system of kan study by cataloging and rating the challenging quality of several hundred cases available in the primary collections, as well as creating one of the most famous riddles, "We know the sound of two hands clapping, what is the sound of one hand?" Hakuin gave form to a training method that integrates the techniques of practice sessions (sesshin ) and master-disciple pedagogy (dokusan ), along with public sermons (teish) and capping phrase (jakugo ) commentary provided by the master.

Hakuin also emphasized the role of intense mystical experience in developing Zen awareness. The experience begins with the Great Doubt, in which all perceptions are called into question and stripped away of conventional attitudes. The Great Doubt may seem to lead to a nihilistic state of perpetual anxiety, and this condition is identified by Hakuin as the Zen Sickness, which can affect enlightened and unenlightened alike. However, the goal of the spiritual path is to move beyond debilitating anxiety and attain a more advanced level of insight through experiences that are sudden and dramatic. Hakuin had several instances of subitaneous awakening; for example, it is recorded in his biography, "One night, he sat up in complete absorption until dawn. Suddenly, he heard the bell from a far off temple. As soon as this distant sound entered his ears, it penetrated to the core and made all perceptions of the external world fall away. It was like the ringing of a magnificent bell resounding in his ears."

The St school underwent a significant revival of scholastic studies, producing many new editions and interpretations of the seminal works by and about Dgen's life and thought. Manzan Dhaku (16361714) was the originator of this movement and was responsible for acquiring a new rule of transmission and succession for the post of temple superior from the shogun government. Tenkei Denson (16481735) developed a novel, if idiosyncratic, view of Dgen's Shbgenz by favoring the controversial 60-fascicle edition, and Menzan Zuih (16831769) was the premier cataloger and revisionist of the writings and biographies of Dgen. The St school also published a comprehensive 95-fascicle edition of the Shbgenz in 1690, which was reissued in the early nineteenth century, although the authenticity of this version has been questioned by modern scholars.

The Tokugawa era also saw several highly creative Zen spirits, including the lay practitioner and humanist thinker Suzuki Shsan (15791655), who practiced an unorthodox style of meditation that owed to both samurai culture and Buddhist chanting rituals; the great haiku poet Bash (16441694), who followed a Zen lifestyle as a lay disciple that influenced the inspiration and manner of his verse; and Rykan (17581831), a St monk affectionately called the Great Fool (Daigu) for the childlike innocence expressed in deceptively simple poems that celebrated the Zen values of poverty and nonattachment. Like other early modern Zen leaders who paid obeisance to Chan and early medieval Zen heroes and icons, Rykan expressed his gratitude for Dgen in some of his poetry.

Zen Buddhism in the Meiji era (18681912) was greatly affected by the response of Japanese society to modernization and westernization that resulted in the emerging of a nationalistic, pro-Shint stance and the suppression or modification of traditional Buddhist institutions in several campaigns. These included the persecution of haibustu kishaku, which led to the destruction of Buddhist iconography, the new regulations of shinbutsu bunri, or the separation of Buddhist temples from Shint shrines that had long been amalgamated; and the legislation of nikujiki saitai, forcing marriages and meat-eating upon Buddhist clergy and nearly ending centuries of celibacy and pacifism.

One reaction to the disturbing trends was embodied by tori Sess (18141904), a St monk who worked for the Ministry of Doctrine to modernize Buddhism and eliminate the dissonance between traditional monasticism and secularized, industrialized society. tori was also active in creating linkages between monks and laypersons, and in 1891, the St sect produced an abbreviated version of Dgen's Shbgenz as a source of guidance for lay practitioners. This very short text, the Shushgi, does not even mention the need for zazen but instead emphasizes a life of gratitude and penitence. Several lay or kydan organizations became established as autonomous movements.

By the end of the nineteenth century, Zen had begun to emerge out of the cocoon of the Asia/Pacific cultural context to become a religious phenomenon that was spreading worldwide. Several factors influenced this development. One factor was that immigrant communities in Hawaii, the American West Coast, and Brazil were serviced by missionaries and international outreach components of Zen temple institutions, especially for funerals and memorials.

Another factor was that non-Japanese were introduced to and became fascinated with the philosophy and practice of Zen. A key turning point was the 1893 World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, an interreligious congress that was attended by the widely traveled Shaku Sen (18591919), a disciple of the eminent Rinzai monk, Imakita Ksen (18161892), who was abbot of Engakuji temple in Kamakura. The parliament was also attended by the young D. T. Suzuki (18701966), who served as Sen's interpreter. Suzuki went on to stay for long periods in the United States and have a lengthy career as the main exponent of Zen Buddhism in the West. He published dozens of books in English on various dimensions of Zen in relation to Japanese culture as seen from comparative theoretical perspectives. He also greatly influenced the famous 1956 essay by Alan Watts (19151973) on different styles of the appropriation of Zen practice in the West, "Beat Zen, Square Zen, and Zen." Famous American Beat poets were indebted to Suzuki, whose role was inherited by Masao Abe (b. 1915), who specialized in interfaith dialogue involving various Western religious traditions.

In the postWorld War II period, historical accounts of Chan and Zen were significantly improved through the scholarship of Yanagida Seizan (b. 1922), a professor of Kyoto University, who was associated with scholars at Komazawa University in Tokyo, which specialized in St studies. Yanagida established an institute for international studies of Zen, as well as mentoring a number of influential Western scholars.

In addition to the efforts of Suzuki, Yanagida, and Abe, among others the spread of international interest in Zen was enhanced by the comparative philosophy of the Kyoto school led by Nishida Kitar (18701945) and his main follower, Nishitani Keiji (19001990). Their works explicating the notion of "absolute nothingness" (zettai mu ) as the key to understanding the Zen experience of enlightenment have been analyzed in relation to leading Western philosophers from ancient to modern times. The significance of Zen thought is now frequently examined in conjunction with the main trends of Western thought.

At the same time, since the 1970s a social criticism of Zen's role in relation to political and cultural affairs has been taken up by commentators in Japan and the West. Ichikawa Hakugen (19021986) was a Rinzai monk writing during the Vietnam War era. Ichikawa reflected on the role of Japan as an aggressor against China in World War II and argued that leaders of Zen, including Kyoto school thinkers who treated the theme of national polity in their works during the 1930s, when they were under considerable political pressure, needed to accept responsibility for contributing to prewar nationalism and imperialism. A movement that began within the St school in 1985 known as Critical Buddhism (Hihan Bukky ) has demanded that Zen temples reform the practice of distributing posthumous ordination names because it discriminates against the outcaste (burakumin ) community. In a related development, St nuns have criticized the misogynist aspect of Zen rules and customs as part of a broader gender criticism of Japanese Buddhism.

A wave of books published in the West beginning in the 1990s, including Brian Victoria's Zen at War (1997), James W. Heisig and John C. Maraldo's Rude Awakenings (1995), Jamie Hubbard and Paul L. Swanson's Pruning the Bodhi Tree (1997), Christopher Ives's Zen Awakening and Society (1992), and Bernard Faure's Chan Insights and Oversights (1993), has called attention to apparent limitations in the Zen view of transcendence. In striving to rise above the pettiness of worldly strife and conflict, Zen may overlookand therefore implicitly sanctionproblematic issues in everyday society. Some elements of this critique were anticipated in the famous novel Temple of the Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji, 1956) by Yukio Mishima (19251970), which is based on the true story of an acolyte who burned down the most elegant temple in Kyoto. In that sense, the charge of antinomianism leveled at the fledgling Zen movements at the end of the twelfth century has resurfaced in a contemporary context.

Buddhism, articles on Buddhism in Japan, Buddhism in the West; Bushid; Dgen; Eisai; Gozan Zen; Ikky Sjun; Mus Sseki; Suzuki, D. T.

To cite some representative examples of the voluminous literature on Zen in Japanese, important reference works include Zengaku daijiten (Tokyo, 1978); baku bunka jinmei jiten, edited by tsuki Mikio, Kat Shshun, and Hayashi Yukimitsu (Kyoto, 1988); and Zengo jiten, compiled by Koga Hidehiko (Kyoto, 1991). Also, Kza Zen, edited by Nishitani Keiji (Tokyo, 1974) is an important collection of essays, and two historical studies by Tekenuki Gensh are Nihon shushshi (Tokyo, 1989) and Nihon Zenshshi no kenky (Tokyo, 1993). Collections of original sources include Nihon no Zen goroku, 20 vols. (Tokyo, 1977), and two collections edited by Yanagida Seizan, Zengaku ssho, 13 vols. (Kyoto, 19731980), and Zen no goroku, 17 vols. (Tokyo, 19691981).

Information on Zen demographics is included in T. Griffith Foulk, "The Zen Institution in Modern Japan," and in Kenneth Kraft, ed., Zen Tradition and Transition: A Sourcebook by Contemporary Zen Masters and Scholars (New York, 1988), pp. 157177. Standard historical studies in English include Heinrich Dumoulin, Zen Buddhism: A History, Vol. 2: Japan, translated by James W. Heisig and Paul Knitter (New York, 1989), and Daigan Matsunaga and Alicia Matsunaga, Foundation of Japanese Buddhism, Vol. 2: The Mass Movement (Los Angeles, 1978). Cultural criticism of Zen is explored in Bernard Faure, The Rhetoric of Immediacy: A Cultural Critique of Chan/Zen Buddhism (Princeton, 1991).

Illustrated materials on the early history of the Rinzai school are contained in a partially bilingual catalogue prepared for an exhibit at the Tokyo National Museum of Art on Kamakura Zen no genry (The Art of Zen Buddhism ; Tokyo, 2003). An analysis of the interactions among early Zen movements is discussed in Bernard Faure, "The Daruma-sh, Dgen, and St Zen," Monumenta Nipponica 42, no. 1 (1987): 2555. Works on Dgen include Hee-Jin Kim, Dgen KigenMystical Realist (Tucson, Ariz., 1975); Carl Bielefeldt, Dgen's Manuals of Zen Meditation (Berkeley, 1988); and Steven Heine, Dgen and the Kan Tradition: A Tale of Two Shbgenz Texts (Albany, N.Y., 1994). A selection of Dgen's writings in translation is found in Kazuaki Tanahashi, ed., Moon in a Dewdrop: Writings of Zen Master Dgen, translated by Robert Aitken et al. (San Francisco, 1985).

Institutional practices are discussed in Martin Collcutt, Five Mountains: The Rinzai Zen Monastic Institution in Medieval Japan (Cambridge, Mass., 1981). Intellectual practices of Zen are discussed in T. P. Kasulis, Zen Action/Zen Person (Honolulu, 1980); Miura Issh and Ruth Fuller Sasaki, Zen Dust: The History of Kan Study in Rinzai (Lin-chi) Zen (New York, 1966); Robert Aitken, trans. and ed., The Gateless Barrier: The Wu-men kuan (Mumonkan) (New York, 1991); and Ishikawa Rikizan, "Transmission of Kirigami (Secret Initiation Documents): A St Practice in Medieval Japan," in The Kan: Texts and Contexts in Zen Buddhism, edited by Steven Heine and Dale S. Wright (New York, 2000), pp. 233243. Syncretic practices are discussed in a book dedicated to the 500th anniversary of Saijji, a St temple, Daiyzan: Saijji kais roppyakunen hzan (Kanagawa-ken, Japan, 1994), and Karen Smyers, The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship (Honolulu, 1998).

The poem by Mus is cited from David Pollack, Zen Poems of the Five Mountains (New York, 1985). Much mond is translated by Thomas Cleary in Dream Conversations (New York, 1994). Other works on this period of Rinzai Zen include Joseph Parker, Zen Buddhist Landscape Arts of Early Muromachi Japan (13361573) (Albany, N.Y., 1999); Kenneth Kraft, Eloquent Zen: Dait and Early Japanese Zen (Honolulu, 1993); and Sonja Arntzen, Ikky and the Crazy Cloud Anthology: A Zen Poet of Medieval Japan (Tokyo, 1987). For an examination of the St school, see William M. Bodiford, St Zen in Medieval Japan (Honolulu, 1993).

An analysis of the development of the baku school is in Helen Baroni, baku Zen: The Emergence of the Third Sect of Zen in Tokugawa Japan (Honolulu, 1998). Zen's relation to samurai culture is discussed in Takuan Sh, The Unfettered Mind: Writings of the Zen Master to the Sword Master, translated by William Scott Wilson (New York, 1988), and Winston L. King, Zen and The Way of the Sword: Arming the Samurai Psyche (New York, 1993). Translations of Hakuin's writings are contained in Philip B. Yampolsky, Zen Master Hakuin: Selected Writings (New York, 1971), and Norman Waddell, Essential Teachings of Zen Master Hakuin (New York, 1994). William M. Bodiford's article treats changes in the transmission process in the St school, "Dharma Transmission in St Zen: Manzan Dhaku's Reform Movement," Monumenta Nipponica 46, no. 4 (1991): 423451. A translation of Rykan is found in Great Fool: Zen Master Rykan: Poems, Letters, and Other Writings, translated by Ryichi Abe and Peter Haskel (Honolulu, 1999).

On changes in Meiji era Zen, see Richard Jaffe, Neither Monk Nor Layman: Clerical Marriage in Modern Japanese Buddhism (Princeton, 2001), and Steven Heine, "Abbreviation or Aberration? The Role of the Shushgi in Modern St Zen Buddhism," in Buddhism and the Modern World: Adaptations of an Ancient Tradition (New York, 2003). The advent of Zen in the West is discussed in Rick Fields, How the Swans Came to the Lake: A Narrative History of Buddhism in America, rev. ed. (New York, 1986). The outlook of modern Zen in a comparative religious context is expressed in Masao Abe, Buddhism and Interfaith Dialogue: Part One of a Two-Volume Sequel to Zen and Western Thought (Honolulu, 1995). For Kyoto school philosophy, see James W. Heisig, Philosophers of Nothingness: An Essay on the Kyoto School (Honolulu, 2002), and Michiko Yusa, Zen and Philosophy: An Intellectual Biography of Nishida Kitar (Honolulu, 2002).

On social criticism, see Ichikawa Hakugen, Bukkysha no sens-sekinin (Tokyo, 1970), and a special (tokush ) issue of the journal Bukky 14, no. 5 (1994). Some of the recent works on a social criticism of Zen in English include Brian A. Victoria, Zen at War (New York, 1997); James W. Heisig and John C. Maraldo, eds., Rude Awakenings: Zen, the Kyoto School, and the Question of Nationalism (Honolulu, 1995); Jamie Hubbard and Paul L. Swanson, eds., Pruning the Bodhi Tree: The Storm over Critical Buddhism (Honolulu, 1997); Christopher Ives, Zen Awakening and Society (Honolulu, 1992); and Bernard Faure, Chan Insights and Oversights: An Epistemological Critique of the Chan Tradition (Princeton, 1993). Also, a translation of Mishima's novel Kinkakuji (Tokyo, 1956) is by Ivan Morris, The Temple of the Golden Pavilion (New York, 1959; reprint, 1994).

Steven Heine (2005)

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The Hyatt is pleased to offer a special guest room rate of $269 per night for single or double occupancy.

Lodging costs are paid separately to the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach and are not included in your conference registration. Our special group lodging rate will only be available until October 15, 2018. After that date, rooms can be booked at the current hotel rates based on availability. Please be sure to review the room cancellation penalties at the time of booking.

The Hyatt Regency is currently sold out, however rooms may become available as cancellations occur. Please check below for Nearby Hotels.

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Hyatt Huntington Beach 21500 Pacific Coast Highway Huntington Beach California, USA, 92648 714.698.1234

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Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa 21500 Pacific Coast Highway Huntington Beach, California, USA, 92648

Map and Detailed Directions

The Hyatt Regency is conveniently located on Pacific Coast Highway a short distance from 3 major airports:

Parking

Parking is available in the hotel parking lot across from the hotel Conference Center:

Meals

The Hyatt Regency features several full-service restaurants, lounges, and bars, and an on-site grocery store that will be available for meals and snacks during the conference. Huntington Beach also features over a dozen brand new restaurants within a short five-minute walk from the hotel.

On-site dining options Nearby dining options in the new Pacific City complex

Nearby Hotels

We also recommend the following hotels that are located within walking distance (less than one mile) of the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach: The Waterfront Beach Resort (next door to conference center) 21100 Pacific Coast Highway Huntington Beach, CA 92648 waterfrontresort.com 714.845.8000

Pasa Hotel & Spa (less than one block from conference center) 21080 Pacific Coast Highway Huntington Beach, CA 92648 Please call 844.814.2483 for reservations.

Kimpton Shorebreak Hotel (0.9 miles from conference center) 500 Pacific Coast Highway Huntington Beach, CA 92648 shorebreakhotel.com 714.861.4470

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Eckhart Tolle Living a Life of Presence - Sounds True

We offer a variety of traditional yoga classes including

Hatha, Vinyasa, Anuttara Raja, Hatha to Anuttara Raja,

Hatha to Yoga Nidra, and Restorative

Please check out our full schedule and pricing

by clicking on the menu items above.

While you are here, please don't forget to peruse our Ahh-mazing Boutique where we offer unique Yoga clothing, Yoga mats,

Solar Recover products, incense, sage, jewelry and other

Ahh-mazing items.

Our Shala is located in the Ahh-mazing Yoga Shala is located in the beautiful

Lakeside Town Shops on the corner of Stirling Road and University Drive.

This lakeside outdoor mall includes a Target store and a wide range of

other shops, eateries & services.

We occupy the space next to Geronimo's Grill on the Stirling Road side of the shopping center.

We have plenty of free parking.

Ahh-mazing Yoga Shala manifested as a result of meditating daily on the sacred sound of Ahh as inspired by author, Dr. Wayne Dyer. The yoga lineage of the founders is based on the teachings of the Yoga Sutras of Maharishi Pantanjali, the physical practices as described by Yogiraj Krishnamacharya andYogiraj Bishnu Goshe and the spiritual path to Self-Realization as promulgated by Lahiri Mahasaya Baba, Sri Swami Yukteswar Giri and Sri Swamiji Paramahansa Yogananda.

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Ahh-mazing Yoga

Answering the question, What is Yoga? is challenging and is the subject of extensive academic and philosophical study. As the largest nonprofit supporting yoga, we offer this brief introduction to Yoga, along with perspectives from leading scholars and yogis, to help answer this question.

Yoga was developed up to 5,000 years ago in India as a comprehensive system for wellbeing on all levels: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. While Yoga is often equated with Hatha Yoga, the well-known system of postures and breathing techniques, Hatha Yoga is only a part of the overall discipline of Yoga. Today, many millions of people use various aspects of Yoga to help raise their quality of life in such diverse areas as fitness, stress relief, wellness, vitality, mental clarity, healing, peace of mind and spiritual growth.

Yoga is a system, not of beliefs, but of techniques and guidance for enriched living. Among Yogas many source texts, the two best known are the Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita. Both explain the nature ofand obstacles tohigher awareness and fulfillment, as well as a variety of methods for attaining those goals.

As in any field, some aspects of Yoga are too subtle to be learned from books or lectures; they must be acquired through experience. Hence Yogas time-honored emphasis on the student-teacher relationship, in which the teacher helps the student develop a practice that brings deeper understanding through personal experience.

Since the individual experience of Yoga is quite personal and may differ for each practitioner, there are a wide variety of approaches to its practice. Yoga has in recent times branched out in many new directions, some of which are quite different from its traditional emphases. All approaches to Yoga, however, are intended to promote some aspect(s) of wellbeing.

As a result, todays practitioners have more options than ever as they seek to gain the most from the vibrant, ever-expanding field of Yoga.

Through this resource center, we will share a variety of perspectives to answer the question, What is Yoga?

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What is Yoga?

Yoga is quickly becoming one of the most popular, if not the most popular, workout regime among those who are looking to gain flexibility, strength and even lose weight. It can be done from the privacy of your home or in a classroom. Yoga is great for reducing stress and allowing for greater relaxation. Once you get into Yoga though, you learn that it is so much more than just a way to workout and keep in shape. It is a philosophy, a passion and a way of life for many of those involved in Yoga. While you may be getting into yoga for the exercise, you may soon find yourself wrapped in the philosophy and spirituality that Yoga brings a long with it.

Yoga today has become increasingly popular, not so much for the spiritual benefits as for the physical advantages. You can take a yoga class at your local gym, a yoga studio or from the privacy of your own home through a personal instructor or yoga dvd. From popular musicians embracing Yoga to magazines filled with yoga ads, you simply cannot get away from Yoga and the influence it has had physically and mentally for a lot of people.

Yoga can do a lot for the human body, although it won't cure every ailment. Yoga can be worked into virtually any lifestyle or schedule. Yoga has been proven to increase health and body awareness allowing yoga participants to better control their bodies. From flexibility increases to better body alignment, Yoga can help with a variety of ailments.

There are many more physical and mental benefits, but these are the major ones. Those who suffer from certain conditions can also benefit from yoga. Women who are pregnant or who are planning on becoming pregnant can benefit greatly from yoga.

In order to get started, you need to first find a place to practice. You have a few decisions to make first: 1). Do you want to practice in Private or Public and 2). What is your yoga budget. Both of these questions will determine where you should practice yoga.

There are a few basic things you will need for yoga and depending on where you practice, you may not need all of these things. This will seem foreign to you at first, but after awhile, you will start to gain a preference for certain mats, clothing and gear just like you do for other daily activities.

Picking a yoga mat can be very simple, you just have to narrow down your choices. If you are not over 6 feet, then a standard 68" mat will work find. They range in thickness, so if you have joint problems or feel that you need extra cushioning, pick up a thick yoga mat. Starting out, you don't need anything super fancy or expensive. The gym of class you workout in may provide mats for you, but it is recommended that you pick up your own for sanitary reasons.

Yoga towels are important to have because you will get sweaty and perspire while doing yoga. Your towel can be used to wipe the sweat from your body as well as the sweat on your mat. If your mat gets wet, it can be very slippery so keeping a towel handy is a good idea. wiping your mat down after yoga is also important for sanitary purposes.

Yoga Props are fantastic for beginners and are highly recommended. Props can help a beginning yoga student who is not flexible enough yet or to ensure that you have proper body alignment. Some styles of yoga also require the use of props so if you are starting out, it doesn't hurt to ask. The following is a list of common yoga props that you may see or need:

These guidelines are mostly for those who are taking a yoga class, at home practice does not require as much etiquette because you will be doing all of your yoga solo.

For the most part, each class will be structured this way, but may vary depending on the type/style of yoga you have chosen. Keep in mind that your first few sessions may cause your body to become sore or stiff. This is normal and will subside if you continue your classes. If you feel your flexibility is not where it should be, you may consider stretching at home to loosen up before class.

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What is Yoga | Everything About Yoga

Yoga International invites you to be powerful and present as you grow your yoga practice with in-depth videos and articles. You can quickly download and view our inspirational and educational yoga videos online. We make it easy to explore yoga on your computer, phone, tablet or TV. As a member, youll have access to classes with skilled instructors and the latest approaches to practice. We also provide interesting, scientifically sound resources on an array of topics, such as yoga therapy, yoga lifestyles, and instruction. Our community is where you belong whether you are seeking an athletic challenge, steady progress, or restorative techniques. With Yoga International as your online yoga partner, you will be able to view practice techniques and quick tutorials geared to a variety of levels. Read an inspiring article or move through an energizing, half-hour Vinyasa class. Practice according to your schedule, and strengthen your physical, spiritual and mental self with Yoga International.

What could be better than joining a community that educates and motivates? When you sign up for a free, 30-day trial membership, youll gain access to engaging classes in your preferred length and style, led by your choice of instructor. Connect with gentle, flowing, dynamic, or challenging classes. Also take advantage of a full library of online yoga articles, covering topics such as alignment and anatomy. Youll have the opportunity to participate in fun yoga sessions wherever you are or attend live events that delve into the depth of the discipline. Enhance your understanding of yoga through digital conferences organized by leaders in the yoga community. We would love if you started or refreshed a yoga lifestyle with us. Revitalize your mind, body, and practice by exploring our membership resources or enrolling in a trial membership now!

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Retirement Calculator One simple question

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For a working person, the golden years of retirement can be both easy and difficult to imagine. We may fantasize about international adventures or beachside escapes, but rarely do we lay the groundwork for realizing our retirement dreams financially. There are, after all, more immediate concerns: job, kids, mortgage payments, car paymentsthe list goes on. Amid this daily grind, its easy to put retirement savings on the back burner, especially when its 15, 20 or 30 years off. Indeed, surveys have repeatedly shown that the average American retirement savings is too low and that significant numbers of Americans in their 30s, 40s and even 50s have no retirement savings at all.

Needless to say, the save-nothing approach is not recommended. At its best, retirement is a time when the stresses of years one through sixty-five (or so) fade, leaving room for relaxation, delectation and grandchildren. If money is scarce, however, financial anxiety could crowd these pleasures out. Want to know how to retire comfortably? Start saving.

On the other hand, just as its unwise to save nothing at all, its unrealistic to try and save every penny that isnt already dedicated to paying bills or buying groceries. For most retirees, there are other sources of retirement income besides savings, Social Security being chief among them. The common assumption is that some savings, in addition to Social Security and a less expensive lifestyle (no more kids in the house, no more commuting costs) will all add up to financial security in our sunset years. To put it another way: its common to assume that if we save in good faith, things will work themselves out. For some, that may turn out to be true, but such success stories are more a result of good luck than a sound retirement strategy.

That phrase sound retirement strategy is where many of us lose interest. It is loaded with negative connotations: expensive investment advisors, large stacks of documents and complex spreadsheets, to name a few. But a sound retirement savings plan doesnt have to be complicated. It can be boiled down to one simple question: How much do I need to save to retire? By putting away a percentage of your income every month from now until you retire, you can do away with the financial anxieties far too many seniors find themselves facing. A retirement calculator can help.

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To figure out exactly what it will take to retire in comfort, its important to consider what kind of lifestyle you expect to lead in retirement. Do you hope to travel? To Paris, or someplace a little cheaper? How often do you want to eat out? Go to the movies? The beach? Do you want to move closer to the beach? The grandchildren? These questions may seem trivial now, but they can help give you an idea about the income youll need in the future. If youre set on seeing the Eiffel tower, the Pyramids at Giza and the Taj Mahal, youre going to need a sizeable nest egg to draw upon. On the other hand, if you expect to live a rather low-key lifestyle, with far fewer expenses than you currently have, you wont need to save quite as much.

The important thing is to be realistic. Dont shortchange your future self by assuming you can live off of canned tuna and scrambled eggs. While some costs will likely go down in retirement, others may go up. Specifically healthcare costs are likely to rise in retirement. So its best to have a cushion for unpredictable costs like that. Plus, retirement is your reward for decades of hard work: treat yourself accordingly.

Whether you plan to live lavishly or frugally, youll need to have a certain amount of money saved by the time you retire. Think of this figure as a mountain summit, reachable by several different paths. If youve done everything right so far, that summit is still in plain view; youve followed the most direct and least difficult path, and all you need to do is continue on in the same direction. If, however, your savings arent where they should be, its as if youve wandered in the wrong directionyoull need to recalibrate and start climbing in order to reach the summit.

To determine your current financial coordinates, you need to answer three questions:

How much have I saved thus far?

How many years until I retire?

Whats my annual income (and how much of that do I want to replace)?

The answers to those questions will determine how much work you have to do to reach that mountaintop. If youve saved plenty and youre still young, greatyoure well on your way. If youve saved nothing and your sixties are just around the corner, not so much. Lets check out some examples using our retirement calculator to see how this works in reality.

Lets begin with a best case scenario: youre 25, and youve only been working a few years before you decide to get smart about your retirement. You live in a mid-sized city, lets say Tulsa (Oklahoma!) where you earn $45,000 per year. You currently have $5,000 in your savings account, and by saving $100 per month you manage to put another $5,000 in your 401(k). Your employer has promised to match 100% of your contributions to the retirement savings account, up to 5% of your total income.

After thinking it over, you decide that you would be comfortable living a lifestyle similar to your current one in retirement. Assuming a rate of return on your investments around 4%, you would have to save about $176 per month from now until you turn 67 to retire comfortably. Not bad! If you continue on your current path, however, you'll be over $260,000 short of your retirement goal when the time comes.

Getting an early start on retirement savings can make a big difference in the long run. By saving an extra $76 per month, this 25 year-old can close the $265,261 shortfall projected by SmartAssets retirement calculator.

Lets try another one. Youve just turned 40, and it suddenly dawns on you that youve not been focusing on your eventual retirement. Fortunately, youve been able to put away some solid savings over the years: youve got $25,000 in the bank and another $12,000 stored in a traditional IRA. You now live in Pittsburgh, where you earn $75,000 per year.

Now that youre older and wiser, youre a little bit more optimistic about your investments, and so you assume a 5% annual return. You also plan on living fairly modestly once you retire, and think your budget will be a bit trimmer than it is today. Under this scenario, youd only have to save about 7.5% of your income, or about $469 per month, from now until your 67th birthday - less than you are already saving!

This Pittsburgh resident is right on track for a happy retirement. SmartAssets retirement calculator projects shell have a savings surplus if she stays on her current course.

Youre 54 and youve saved sporadically over the course of your career. All told, youve got $50,000 in savings, most of it in your bank account, and because of your laissez faire attitude toward your investments, you dont expect to ever earn more than 4%. As a talent agent in Los Angeles, youre self-employed and have never bothered to set up a retirement account. You make $100,000 and your spouse makes $70,000 for a total of $170,000 a year, and youve already agreed that you will both keep working until you hit 70.

When you do retire, however, youre going to live lavishlysmoked salmon for breakfast, choice cuts of steak for dinner. Bad news: to pull all of that off, youll need to save $2,907 every month from now until you retire. That's about 20% of your monthly income. Compare that to the 5% per month you've been saving up until now. If you stay on that course, you'll have a savings shortfall of $660,000 when you retire - yikes!

Uh-oh. This Los Angeles couple put off the important retirement decisions for too long. SmartAsset's retirement calculator projects a retirement shortfall of $660,118 if they don't ramp up the savings ASAP.

In the above scenarios, our hypothetical subjects kept their savings in one of a variety of retirement savings options, in either a savings account, a 401(k) or a traditional IRA. There are many ways you can invest the money you set aside for retirement, depending on your goals. The rate of return your money earns depends on the risk you are willing to take on, the success of your particular investment strategy and, to a certain extent, luck. For example, an economic downturn can hurt your investments, at least in the short run. So too can changes in the inflation rate, and other economic events.

All of which is to say: the unexpected can happen, and often does. The best you can do is to develop a solid plan based on the information you have now. Don't let retirement savings statistics get you down. A retirement calculator can help you see how you are doing so far and what you need to change to make your retirement goals. By setting goals and meeting them, you give yourself the opportunity for a rich and rewarding retirement.

See more here:
Best Retirement Calculator (2018) - See How Much You'll ...

Zig Ziglar, one of the worlds most famous salesmen, who inspired millions with his message of positivity and personal achievement. He was known around the world as a performance trainer for major corporations, motivational speaker, and author of best-selling books such as See You at the Top and Secrets of Closing the Sale. May his quotes inspire you to be the best that you can be and live the life of your dreams.

The greatest source of happiness is the ability to be grateful at all times. Zig Ziglar

Your attitude, not your aptitude, determines your altitude.Zig Ziglar

You will get all you want in lifeif you help enough other people get what they want.Zig Ziglar

You dont have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.Zig Ziglar

If you are not willing to learn no one can help you. If you are determined to learn no one can stop you. Zig Ziglar

People often say that motivation doesnt last. Well, neither does bathing, thats why we recommend it daily.Zig Ziglar

Success comes when opportunity meets preparation.Zig Ziglar

Never blame anyone in your life. Good people give you happiness. Bad people give you experience. Worst people give you a lesson. And the best people give you memories.Zig Ziglar

Moving from survival to stability, from stability to success, from success to significance.Zig Ziglar

Be helpful. When you see a person without a smile, give them yours. Zig Ziglar

You never know when a moment and a few sincere words can have an impact on a life.Zig Ziglar

You can make positive deposits in your own economy every day by reading and listening to positive, life-changing content, and by associating with encouraging and hope-building people.Zig Ziglar

Make today worth remembering.Zig Ziglar

Stop selling. Start helping.Zig Ziglar

You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.Zig Ziglar

Fear has two meaning; Forget Everything And Run or Face Everything And Rise. The choice is yours.Zig Ziglar

If you learn from defeat, you havent really lost.Zig Ziglar

If you aim at nothing, you will hit every time.Zig Ziglar

The worlds most deadly disease is hardening of the attitudes.Zig Ziglar

Success is dependent upon the glands sweat glands.Zig Ziglar

Good things come to those who believe, better things come to those who are patient and the best things come to those who dont give up.Zig Ziglar

If you can dream it, then you can achieve it.Zig Ziglar

Remember that failure is an event, not a person.Zig Ziglar

Isnt it amazing how much stuff we get done the day before vacation?Zig Ziglar

A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could.Zig Ziglar

The most important persuasion tool you have in your entire arsenal is integrity.Zig Ziglar

Outstanding people have one thing in common: an an absolute sense of mission.Zig Ziglar

True joy comes when you inspire, encourage, and guide someone else on a path that benefits him or her.Zig Ziglar

Dont count the things you do, do the things that count.Zig Ziglar

When you do more than youre paid for. Eventually, youll be paid for more than you do.Zig Ziglar

When you are tough on yourself, life is going to be infinitely easier on you.Zig Ziglar

How you see the future is much more important than what happened in your past.Zig Ziglar

The greatest of all mistakes is to do nothing because you think you can only do a little.Zig Ziglar

Where you start is not as important as where you finish.Zig Ziglar

Money isnt the most important thing in life, but its reasonably close to oxygen on the gotta have it scale.Zig Ziglar

Hope is the power that gives a person the confidence to step out and try.Zig Ziglar

We cannot start over, but we can begin now and make a new ending.Zig Ziglar

Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.Zig Ziglar

Make failure your teacher, not your undertaker.Zig Ziglar

Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.Zig Ziglar

Motivation is the fuel necessary to keep the human engine running.Zig Ziglar

Repetition is the mother of learning, the father of action, which makes it the architect of accomplishment.Zig Ziglar

Put all excuses aside and remember this: You are capable.Zig Ziglar

You can start where you are with what youve got and go to wherever it is you want to go.Zig Ziglar

If you dont see yourself as a winner, then you cannot perform as a winner.Zig Ziglar

A goal properly set is halfway reached.Zig Ziglar

Dont let someone who gave up on their dreams talk you out of going after yours.Zig Ziglar

The greatest cause of a poor image is the absence of unconditional love.Zig Ziglar

There is little you can learn from doing nothing.Zig Ziglar

Try to look at your weakness and convert it into your strength.Zig Ziglar

The great majority of people are wandering generalities rather than meaningful specifics. The fact is that you cant hit a target that you cant see. If you dont know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else. You have to have goals.Zig Ziglar

You already have every characteristic necessary for success if you recognize, claim, develop and use them.Zig Ziglar

You are what you are and you are where you are because of what has gone into your mind. You change what you are and you change where you are by changing what goes into your mind.Zig Ziglar

When you encourage others, you in the process are encouraged because youre making a commitment and difference in that persons life. Encouragement really does make a difference.Zig Ziglar

Dont let mistakes and disappointments of the past control and direct your future.Zig Ziglar

Take time to be kind and to say thank you.Zig Ziglar

You are the only person on earyh who can use your ability.Zig Ziglar

When obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach your goal; you do not change your decision to get there.Zig Ziglar

Getting up and moving forward is a choice.Zig Ziglar

Lack of direction not lack of time is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.Zig Ziglar

Happiness is the ability to move forward knowing the future will be better than the past.Zig Ziglar

Look back in forgiveness, forward in hope, down in compassion, and up with gratitude.Zig Ziglar

There are not traffic jams on the extra mile.Zig Ziglar

Share With Others To Help Them Awaken!

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63 Inspi63 Inspirational Zig Ziglar Quotes On Successrational ...

You have Questions? We have answers.

Here are some frequently asked questions about the union, how it works and how our members can participate more effectively in union activities. Dont see your question below? Head over to our contact us page to get connected with an organizer today!

Are you currently a healthcare worker looking to join 1199SEIU? Visit our Join Us page for more information. Are you looking to work for 1199SEIU? Visit our "Jobs at 1199SEIU" page for the latest employments listings."

An organization of every person who works for the same employer, using their collective strength to prevent management from doing whatever it wants, such as awarding raises arbitrarily or firing workers without cause. Unions are also the way workers make demands on management, such as healthcare coverage, time off, and decent salaries. Learn more

The union is you healthcare workers who join together in their workplace to exercise a collective voice. All important decisions in 1199, from voting on contracts to electing union leaders, are made by our members. 1199 is one of the most democratic unions in the United States, and the active involvement of our members is supported and encouraged in all areas of our union.

1199SEIU is the largest, fastest-growing and most effective healthcare union in the United States. We represent over 400,000 members throughout New York State, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Washington, DC, and Maryland. Our members work in every job classification and in every facet of the healthcare industry, including hospitals, nursing homes, home care and clinics. 1199 is driven by a mission to achieve affordable, quality healthcare for all, and to be the strongest voice we can be for the workers who provide that care.

1199SEIU members work in every job classification in every aspect of the healthcare industry including hospitals, home care agencies and organizations, nursing homes, health centers and clinics. Under the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the federal agency in charge of relations between unions and employers, some managers, supervisors and other employees are not eligible to vote in union elections. If you have a question about your eligibility, please contact an organizer.

Members of 1199SEIU have been able to achieve the highest job standards in America for healthcare workers, including better wages, affordable health benefits, retirement security, no-cost education opportunities, more paid time off and job security. 1199 members also have a strong voice on the job so we can advocate for better staffing and patient care. And because healthcare funding is largely controlled by government, we have built an effective voice in the legislative and regulatory arenas. We have been able to protect healthcare funding, expand access to affordable healthcare and advance our professions.

The first step to forming a union is to form a committee that takes responsibility for informing co-workers and building union support. The next step is to sign cards stating that workers want to form a union and ask that an election be held. If a majority of workers vote for 1199, then workers initiate negotiations with management for better pay and other improvements.

Yes, the right to form a union is protected by federal law. Workers can talk about forming a union and exchange information anywhere and anytime, as long as it does not interfere with patient care. It is illegal for management to treat workers differently for supporting a union, interrogate workers about their union support, or threaten them in any way. The only way workers will win better pay, benefits and respect is by having the courage to stand up for one another, our patients and our families.

Delegates are rank-and-file members elected from each worksites department, who enforce our contract, represent our members in grievances and engage members in union activities.I would like to represent my department as a delegate. How do I run? Visit Our Delegates page for complete instructions on how to run for an open delegate position in your institution.

Your delegate is your first point of contact when a question arises about your rights, working conditions, or if you have an idea for the workplace you want to share with your co-workers.

Without a union, management has all the power and is able to make every decision on their own, without input from workers. With a union, workers have a united voice and are able to participate in the decisions that affect wages, benefits and working conditions. When workers are part of a union, management has to share power and decision-making, and this can often be difficult for management to accept. In order to stop workers from forming a union, management will often try to intimidate, divide and confuse workers. Management often hires high-priced consultants that spread misinformation and try to divert workers attention from the job improvements that need to be made. Workers have learned that if they stay united and do not let managements scare tactics distract them, they will be successful in forming their union and winning job improvements.

Dues are the monetary resources that workers pool together to put toward solving problems in the workplace and organizing for the most effective and united voice. Dues pay for the legal experts who work with us to negotiate our contracts, the organizers who help us solve problems on the job, and the campaigns we run to support workers who want to join our union. In 1199, dues are 2 percent of our base wages with a $100 per month cap. When workers join 1199, they do not begin paying dues until they have successfully negotiated a first contract that wins improvements to their jobs.

Dues money pays for staff, salaries, legal fees, offices, contract negotiation costs and other expenses associated with the day-to-day running of our union. Dues money does not pay for health benefits. Most union contracts require employers to contribute to benefit funds or some other health benefit coverage for workers. Even in case of labor-management funds, the union does not run the funds; by law, these funds are separate trusts managed by an equal number of labor and management trustees.

In unity there is strength and 1199s guiding principle has always been an injury to one is an injury to all. Employers are continuing to demand more from workers in every field while offering less. When workers of diverse classifications stand together we speak with one voice, our strength is greater and we build on the gains we have all fought so hard to win.

Call 212.261.2300 or email the changes to addresschange@1199.org.

Political Action Contributions are voluntary contributions that members make in order to support our voice in government where we advocate for the interests of patients and working families. Because healthcare is highly regulated and the majority of healthcare funding comes from the government, 1199 members have built the most effective legislative action program in the country. We have defended healthcare funding, elected pro-worker officials and politicians, expanded access to healthcare for the uninsured, and passed legislation on key patient protections.

Our goals are achieved not only through mobilization, but also through political strength. We encourage our members to register, vote and become politically active in our communities. The majority of healthcare funding for the institutions, research and programs that affect us is decided in the political and legislative arenas; Medicare, Medicaid, hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, research and mental healthcare all depend on government funding. Our ability to elect the right people and fight for our share of budgets in city halls and state houses is critical.

Visit our Contact Us page to get in touch with your 1199 organizer.

You should participate in the local chapter meetings at your institution. You can also write a Letters to the Letters column in the 1199 Magazine.

No, strikes are a tool of last resort that workers use to make their voice heard and the decision to strike is only decided by a democratic vote of all members. The vast majority of union contracts are settled without strikes, because there are many other ways that workers can make management agree to improvements in their jobs.

No. In fact, forming a union improves the lines of communication between workers and management. When workers have a union, there is a formal process in place so that workers can collectively raise their concerns and make sure they are addressed. But this formal process does not prevent individual workers from speaking directly to their supervisors as well. Workers often find that after forming their union, communications and relations with management are better than ever before.

Visit our Join Us page for more information.

Visit our Careers page for the latest job listings.

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