You walk into a temple and come upon perfectly arranged rocks, water features, trees, and gravel raked so thoroughly that a human could not have possibly done it. Yet this is not simply a beautiful garden but one based on the principles of Zen Buddhism. Zen Buddhism is an ancient South Asian philosophical and spiritual school of thought that came to Japan from China. Zen Buddhism has many important aesthetic aspects. One of them, wabi-sabi, states:
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Sign up for freeWhere did Buddhism originate?
With which country is Zen Buddhism primarily associated?
What does "zen" refer to?
Who established Buddhism?
What type of tea do Japanese tea ceremonies use?
Which one is NOT influenced by Zen Buddhism?
What is Japanese calligraphy called?
What is Japan's native religion?
From which country did Zen Buddhism come to Japan?
What is traditional Japanese ink painting called?
What term is used to describe religious fusion?
Where did Buddhism originate?
With which country is Zen Buddhism primarily associated?
What does "zen" refer to?
Who established Buddhism?
What type of tea do Japanese tea ceremonies use?
Which one is NOT influenced by Zen Buddhism?
What is Japanese calligraphy called?
What is Japan's native religion?
From which country did Zen Buddhism come to Japan?
What is traditional Japanese ink painting called?
What term is used to describe religious fusion?
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Team Zen Buddhism Teachers
Nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect.”1
Zen Buddhism is a school of thought within Mahayana Buddhism focused on several essential areas, including meditation, enlightenment, aesthetics, a relationship between daily life and nature, and intuitive thinking. Today, Zen Buddhism is typically associated with Japan.
Buddhism arose in India sometime between the 6th and 4th century BCE. Some describe it as a religion. Others—as a philosophical and ethical tradition because it does not have deities in the Western sense.
Fig. 1 - Buddha and his attendant in Buddha’s final days, East Java. Source: Wikipedia Commons (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license).
Buddhism came from the life and teachings of prince Siddhartha Gautama (563–483 BC).
Today, Buddhism is one of the world's most famous living religions. It is prevalent in many parts of Asia and is practiced worldwide. Its adherents exceed half a billion people.
There are three main types of Buddhism.
| Buddhist school | Summary |
| Theravada | Theravada is the oldest form of Buddhism alive today, and it originated in Nepal. It is the main form of Buddhism practiced in parts of Southeast Asia, such as Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Sri Lanka. |
| Mahayana | Mahayana Buddhism came from India. One of the differences between Mahayana and Theravada is the incorporation of later texts that the older variant, Theravada, does not recognize.
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| Vajrayana | Like Mahayana, Vajrayana Buddhism came from India to places like Buthan, Tibet, and Mongolia. Its practitioners consider this school of Buddhism to contain secret knowledge. Some Westerners call Vajrayana "Tantric Buddhism."Vajrayana Buddhism has the following branches:
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Buddhism is a complex tradition with many essential concepts and beliefs. Some of them are:
| Concept | Summary |
| Enlightenment | Creatures follow a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth through reincarnation. In each iteration, they learn important lessons. Enlightenment is a stage at which one no longer needs to be reborn. |
| Meditation | Meditation is a practice used to train the mind. |
| Nirvana | Nirvana is the stage at which one abandons all that needs to be shed. It is also a state of peace. |
| Karma | Karma is the relationship between one's actions and the consequences, especially regarding reincarnation. |
| Four Noble Truths | The Four Noble Truths summarize human existence as a path of suffering. However, it can surpass suffering by getting rid of one's desires and following specific rules. |
Did you know?
Mahayana Buddhism came to China and transformed into the Chan school of thought during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). From there, Chan Buddhism spread throughout East Asia. In Japan, its ideas became Zen Buddhism.
The adherents of Zen Buddhism subscribe to those above central religious beliefs of Buddhism but also emphasize ideas linked to Confucianism and Taoism, ancient Chinese schools of thought.
Some of the essential principles are:
Fig. 2 - Pine Trees, by Tohaku Hasegawa, ink wash painting, 16th century. Source: Tokyo National Museum, Wikipedia Commons (public domain).
Zen aesthetics took on many forms in Japan:
Wabi-sabi is a traditional Japanese way of thinking that cultivates the acceptance of change and imperfection in natural and artificial aesthetics.
Zen-inspired aesthetics mean that imperfection and mutability can still be perceived as being beautiful. In nature, this idea can be expressed in the following ways:
These aesthetic qualities elicit a response, for instance, a sense of longing and isolation. Yet these qualities allow one to understand the limits of the physical world and attain liberation from it. Therefore, these seemingly negative features are positive in the view of Mahayana Buddhism.
Fig. 3 - Japanese calligraphy by the poet Hirose Gyokusō, 19th century. Source: Wikipedia Commons (public domain).
Like Chan Buddhism, which came from China and became Zen, calligraphy also traveled to Japan from China. Some of the earliest identifiable calligraphy masters date back to the 4th century, with roots going back even earlier. Japan’s calligraphic tradition arose around the 12th century as the Heian period (794 to 1185) ended.
Calligraphy is aesthetically good handwriting. Calligraphy in different styles exists in many cultures and is typically created using brushes or pens. It may be purely decorative. Alternatively, calligraphy may have a deeper purpose, such as its meditative aspects to foster enlightenment in Zen Buddhism.
There are many styles and schools of calligraphy, including:
| Calligraphy type | Definition |
| Shodō or Shūji | Japanese calligraphy is called shodō or shūji in general. |
| Karayō | Japanese calligraphy that follows Chinese roots is known as karayō. |
| Hitsuzendō | Zen calligraphy, specifically, is called hitsuzendō. |
The relationship between calligraphy and Zen thinking is reciprocal. For example, a calligrapher cannot repaint over a single piece of work, so they must focus on delivering the fluidity of motion when carrying out a brush stroke. If one’s mind is clear, the body automatically channels the necessary spiritual qualities when painting letters or characters. Japanese monks practice calligraphy for meditation, such as perfecting a circle, ensō, which symbolizes enlightenment. There are also links between different Zen-inspired aesthetic practices, such as using calligraphy to calm one’s mind before a tea ceremony.
Like calligraphy, traditional Japanese sumi-e painting is linked to Zen Buddhism. And like calligraphy, this style of painting uses brushes and black ink. Sumi-e is minimalist and harmonious. Its strokes are as crucial as the subject of the image. Sumi-e may be used as a meditative practice.
Traditional rock gardens (Zen gardens or dry gardens) were developed in religious settings in Japan, such as monasteries and temple grounds. The city of Kyoto (then called Heian-kyō), the capital of Japan during the Muromachi (Ashikaga) period (1336-1573), gave birth to the classical form of these gardens. At that time, their purpose was to display nature’s underlying character. Rock gardens were also used for meditative purposes. The monks could sit in one spot, such as the Hojo porch, and meditate because such gardens were meant to be viewed from a single vantage point.
Hojo (hōjō) is the residence of the head (abbot) of a temple or a monastery in Japan.
Japanese tea ceremony, also known as the way of tea (chadō), is another critical custom linked to Zen Buddhism. However, tea ceremonies are usually for colleagues, friends, and family and lack formal religious aspects.
Tea gatherings may be informal (chakai, tea meeting) or formal (chaji, tea event). Formal chaji may include a full meal and last for several hours.
The tea ceremony typically uses matcha powder to make green tea.
Some trace the history of tea in Japan to the 9th century. 16th-century thinker and tea master Master Sen no Rikyū significantly impacted how tea was practiced.
Wabi-cha is Sen no Rikyū's style of ceremonial tea drinking focused on aesthetics and simplicity. The type qualifies everything from the size of the tea room to the tea bowls.
Fig. 4 - Tea Ceremony, from Daily Life of Tokyo Women series, by Kunichika Toyohara, 1883. Source: Los Angeles Museum of Art, Wikipedia Commons (public domain).
Japan's indigenous religion, Shinto, focuses on the power of nature and one's ancestors. Shinto means "the way of the gods (spirits)."
Its practitioners believe that everything in this world is imbued with its spirit, even rocks.
Syncretism is a fusion of different religions, traditions, and ways of thinking
—or their traits.
The Japanese often follow the elements of both Buddhism and Shinto called Shinbutsu-shūgō. This type of syncretism is expressed in many ways:
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What is zen Buddhism?
Zen Buddhism is typically associated with Japan. However, it initially came from China, representing Mahayana Buddhism, and spread throughout East Asia. This school of Buddhist thought focuses on key areas such as intuitive thinking, aesthetics, and meditation. "Zen" refers to meditation.
How did zen Buddhism help shape Japanese culture?
In Japan, Zen Buddhism disseminated its spiritual practices as well as its emphasis on simple aesthetics linked to nature.
What does the word zen refer to in Zen Buddhism?
“Zen” is a reference to the meditative aspect of Zen Buddhism. This Japanese word actually comes from the Chinese characters that refer to an ancient South Asian word that means “meditation” in the Sanskrit language.
Is Zen Buddhism a religion?
There is some debate regarding the status of Zen Buddhism. In the West, Zen Buddhism is usually described as a philosophy, school of thought, or religion. Some emphasize that Buddhism has no deities and therefore is not a religion. Others argue that just because Buddhism does not fit into the Western concept of religion with a set of gods does not mean it is not a religion.
Where did zen Buddhism originate?
Buddhism originated in India. From India, it made its way to China. Ultimately, the Zen Buddhism from the
Mahayana tradition came to Japan.
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