Information AboutZen |
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Zen () is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism notable for its emphasis on Practice and Experiential Wisdom —particularly as realized in the form of Meditation known as '' Zazen ''—in the attainment of Awakening . As such, it de-emphasizes both Theoretical Knowledge and the study of Religious Text s in favor of direct individual experience of one's own True Nature . A broader term is the Sanskrit word Dhyana , which exists also in other religions in India . The emergence of Zen as a distinct school of Buddhism was first documented in China in the 7th Century CE . It is thought to have developed as an amalgam of various currents in Mahāyāna Buddhist thought—among them the Yogācāra and Madhyamaka philosophies and the '' Prajñāpāramitā '' literature—and of local traditions in China, particularly Taoism and Huáyán Buddhism . From China, Zen subsequently spread southwards to Vietnam and eastwards to Korea and Japan . In the late 19th and early 20th Centuries , Zen also began to establish a notable presence in North America and Europe . ETYMOLOGY "Zen", pronounced {Link without Title} in , ''Seon'' in Korea , and ''Thiền'' in Vietnam . ZEN TEACHINGS AND PRACTICES Basis In Zen, Philosophical teachings and textual study are given less emphasis than in other forms of Buddhism. Nonetheless, Zen is deeply rooted in both the teachings of the Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama and Mahāyāna Buddhist thought. Tang Dynasty image of the Buddha seated in meditation]] The fundamental Zen practice of ''zazen'', or seated Meditation , recalls both the posture in which the Buddha is said to have achieved enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree at Bodh Gaya , and the elements of Mindfulness and Concentration which are part of the Eightfold Path as taught by the Buddha. All of the Buddha's fundamental teachings—among them the Eightfold Path, the Four Noble Truths , the idea of Dependent Origination , the Five Precepts , the Five Aggregates , and the Three Marks Of Existence —also make up important elements of Zen. Certain other elements emerging from Theravāda Buddhist thought, such as the Perfections , also have a place in Zen. Additionally, as a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism, Zen draws many of its basic driving concepts, particularly the Bodhisattva ideal, from that branch. Uniquely Mahāyāna figures such as Guānyīn , Mañjuśrī , Samantabhadra , and Amitābha are venerated alongside the historical Buddha. Despite Zen's lack of emphasis on textual study, it has drawn heavily on the Mahāyāna Sūtras , particularly the '' Heart Of Perfect Wisdom Sūtra '', the '' Sūtra Of The Perfection Of Wisdom Of The Diamond That Cuts Through Illusion '', the '' Lankavatara Sūtra '', and the "Samantamukha Parivarta" section of the '' Lotus Sūtra ''. Zen has also itself produced a rich corpus of written literature which has become a part of its practice and teaching. Among the earliest and most widely studied of the specifically Zen texts, dating back to at least the 9th Century CE, is the Platform Sutra Of The Sixth Patriarch , sometimes attributed to Huìnéng . Others include the various collections of '' Kōan ''s and the '' Shōbōgenzō '' of Dōgen Zenji . |
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