Introduction Zen is a subchool of Mahayana or the Greater Vehicle of Buddhism. Zen is a Japanese term, a short for Zen-na. It is a transliteration of the Chinese term, Chan or Chan-na which in turn is a transliteration of Sanskrit, dhyana. The primary focus of Zen Buddhism is on spiritual practice through daily activities. Philosophical explanations are given lesser importance. Today, Zen Buddhism is practised in a number of countries.

The Mythology of Zen Buddhism It is believed that the origin of Zen Buddhism lies in the Flower Sermon delivered by the Buddha. The Flower Sermon did not involve any verbal communication between the Buddha and His disciples. Rather, what Buddha did was very simple, He upheld a flower before His disciples and quietly waited for a response from them. None responded, except one. This was Mahakashyapa and his response was simple, just a smile. The seemingly simple action and reaction from the Buddha and Mahakashyapa is considered to have a deeper meaning. It is believed that through this, the Buddha passed on a special insight to Mahakashyapa.

History of Zen Buddhism The roots of Zen lie in India, the land of origin of Buddhism. From India, Buddhism spread to other parts of the world. Missionaries from India also visited China to spread the religion. Bodhidharma, a monk from south India visited China in the 6th century CE and is regarded as the founder of the Chan or the Zen Buddhism in the country. He, it is believed, came to China to preach "special transmission outside scriptures" which "did not rely upon words". Huike, a disciple of Bodhidharma, became his successor and the first Chinese patriarch of Zen in China. Huike was followed by Sengcan, Dao Xin, Hongren and Huineng. (The last of these patriarchs is regarded as the ancestor by the surviving schools of Zen Buddhism today).

The ensuing period saw Zen emerging as the largest sect in Chinese Buddhism. A number of school sprung up, each with their own set of beliefs, however, the basic focus still remained the same meditational practice, personal instruction and personal experience. Zen Buddhism developed further during the Tang and the Song period. A number of renowned teachers like Mazu, Shitou, Baizhang, Huangbo, Linzi and Yunmen contributed immensely to develop specialised teaching methods which later became the feature of Five houses of mature Chinese Zen Buddhism. The Five Houses of advanced Zen Buddhism included Cadong, Linji,Guiyaing, Fayan and Yunmen. The last three schools, slowly, merged into the Linzi School. This happened during the rule of Song dynasty (960-1279) and the same period also saw development of Zen teaching methods shape up into a technique that was singular to Zen Buddhism, Koan practice.

Zen developed in China in post Song period as well and a number of texts came up. Later, it got merged with Pure Land Buddhism. Still later, Zen saw periods of decline and revival. The first revival took place during the rule of Ming dynasty while another revival was staged during the 20th century by Hsu Yun, a prominent figure in Chinese Buddhism. Yet another revival took place more recently after the severe repression of Peoples republic of China.

Zen in Other Countries Zen did not remain confined to China, infact very early in its history it crossed borders and reached Vietnam. Later, it also made its presence felt in Korea, Japan and western countries. Below is given a listing of different schools of Zen in these countries and regions other than China.

Japan : Soto, Rinzai and Obaku. Rinzai School is further categorised into Myoshin-ji, Nanzen-ji, Tenry?-ji, Daitoku-ji, and Tofuku-ji. These schools are based on their association with temples.

Vietnam : Vinitaruci School is considered the oldest Zen Buddhist School. Other early Zen Buddhist Schools in Vietnam include Vo Ngon Thong and Thao Duong. More recent Schools in Vietnamese Buddhism are Truc Lam and Lam Te, Lieu Quan.

Korea : Seon is the earliest sect in Korean Zen. Jogye order is its subsect and one of the most dominant form of Zen in Korea.

West : Big Mind, Mountains and Rivers Order, the Zen Peacemaker Order, the Ordinary Mind school, Katagiri lineage.

Zen Beliefs & Practices Zen Buddhism is an offshoot of Mahayana Buddhism and like all the Buddhist schools, it lays stress on the very basic teachings of the Buddha the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, the Five Precepts, the Three Dharma Seals and the Five Skandhas. Zen Buddhism also draws from specific teachings of Mahayana Buddhism, most prominently the Mahayana concept of paramitas and bodhisattva ideal of universe salvation. Buddhist deities important in Mahayana tradition are also held in high reverence in the Zen traditions. These deities include Shakyamuni Buddha, Kuan Yin, Maju?ri, Samantabhadra, and Amitabha Buddha

The literary basis of Zen Buddhism are the Mahayana Sutras composed in India and China. These Mahayana Sutras include the Heart Sutra; the Diamond Sutra; the Lankavatara Sutra, the Samantamukha Parivarta, a chapter of the Lotus Sutra; and the Platform Sutra of Huineng.

The focus of Zen lays on daily life practice together with concentrated period of meditation. Also, practicing with others is of paramount importance in Zen. The emphasis on Zen Buddhism is on direct experience rather than on study of books.

Zazen : The most important Zen practice is Zazen (in Japanese) or sitting meditation. In it, practitioners sit in a posture that are called, the lotus, half lotus, seiza and Burmese. Focus is given on ones posture and breathing. The amount of time spent in the practice of Zazen varies, it is more for the monks and less for the householders. It offers an occasion for both discipline and insight.

Koan Practice: Literally, this term means public case and is used as an aid in the advancement of realisation in Zen training. It is usually a story or a phrase from the teaching that comprise a riddle. This riddle is what master seeks a solution to from the student. The solution of these riddle depends not on logic but on insight. In a private meeting known as doksun, the students reveals his level of progress in the resolution of the problem to the teacher. The teacher, on his part, encourages the student to make intuitive leap into a genuine understanding of reality.

Other Techniques : A number of other techniques are characteristics of Zen Buddhism. Some of these are meant to shock the student to eventually assist him to abandon the habitual activities of mind. Not all of these are in practise today, quiet a few exist only in stories. One of these which still exist today is katsu. It is a loud belly shout that helps disciples break through rational thought pattern and thereby achieve enlightenment.

Some Books to Increase Your Understanding of Zen Buddhism

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