Реферат: Zen Buddhism Essay Research Paper Zen Buddhism

Zen Buddhism Essay, Research Paper

Zen; Buddhism’s trek through history, politics, and America

Zen, or Zenno (as it is known by the Japanese word from which it derives), is the

most common form of Buddhism practiced in the world today. All types of people from

intellectuals to celebrities refer to themselves as Buddhist, but despite its popularity

today in America, it has had a long history throughout the world.

“Here none think of wealth or fame,

All talk of right and wrong is quelled.

In Autumn I rake the leaf-banked stream,

In spring attend the nightingale.

Who dares approach the lion’s

Mountain cave? Cold, robust,

A Zen-person through and through,

I let the spring breeze enter at the gate.”

-Daigu (1584-1669, Rinzai) (DailyZen)

Zen Buddhism’s history begins where Buddhism’s history began. It originated on

the continent of Asia around 500 B.C.. The founder of Buddhism; Gotama Siddhattha, a

former price in what is now known as India, is known as “The Buddha,” which roughly

translates to ” one who is awake” (Merit 102). “At the age of twenty-nine, deeply

troubled by the suffering he saw around him, he renounced his privileged life to seek

understanding. After six years of struggling as an ascetic he finally achieved

enlightenment at age thirty-five” (DailyZen). In 475 A.D. a Buddhist teacher,

Bodhidharma, traveled to China and introduced the teachings of Buddha there. In China

Buddhism mixed with Taoism, and the result was the Ch’an School of Buddhism, and

from there Ch’an spread to Japan where it is called Zen Buddhism (DailyZen). The

Buddhist Religion has always been passed down from teacher to student, and through the

use of books and sacred works such as the Malind-panha, Pali Tipitaka, and the Pitaka

series (Merit 102). These books and teachers taught students of the religion the

philosophies of the practice.

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