Ted,+Grace

**ZEN BUDDHISM**

=**History of Zen Buddhism** =
 * ====Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism. ====
 * ====It emerged as a distinctive school of Mahayana Buddhism about 15 centuries ago. ====
 * ====Zen is called “Ch’an” Buddhism in China, and it refers to a mind absorbed in meditation. ====
 * ====“Zen” is Japanese. ====
 * ====It can be translated as “Meditation Buddhism” in any language. ====
 * ====Sometimes it is called “the face-to-face transmission of the dharma outside the sutras.” ====
 * ====By interacting face-to-face, teachers have passed on their realization of dharma to students. ====
 * ====According to Bodhidharma’s definition, Zen is not an intellectual discipline that can be learned from books, it can be learnened thorough practice of studying mind and seeing into one’s nature. ====

=**Zen in Japan** =
 * = [[image:Zen-symbol.jpg align="center"]] ||
 * = Symbol for Zen ||
 * ====Zen in Japan originated as far back as the mid 6th century. ====
 * ====Now there are about 9.6 million Zen Buddhists in Japan. ====
 * ====The tea ceremony in Japan is a ritual influenced by Zen Buddhism. ====


 * = [[image:YQECD00Z.jpg]] ||
 * = <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Japanese monks during Zen meditation ||


 * = [[image:p1000559-2_600.jpg width="568" height="417" align="center"]] ||
 * = <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">The Japanese tea ceremony ||

=<span style="background-color: #404040; color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">**Zen Beliefs and Practices** =
 * ====<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">There are various meanings of Zen, including literal, sitting meditation, connotation, and meditation. ====
 * ====<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">To be a Zen person, one should have both wisdom and compassion. ====
 * ====<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Methods of Zen practices are “just sitting” and kōan. ====
 * ====<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Kōan is similar to riddles which have illogical answers. ====
 * ====<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">For example, "When two hands clap and make a sound, what is the sound of one hand?" ====


 * = <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">[[image:inkdrawing.jpg width="240" height="234"]] ||
 * = <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Korean Zen ink painting ||

=<span style="background-color: #404040; color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium;">**Further Information about Zen** =
 * = <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">[[image:monks-china-leshan-cc-drs2biz.jpg]] ||
 * = <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Chinese Buddhist monks ||
 * ====<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Zen is the most widely known Buddhism school in America. ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Since the latter half of the 20th century, its concepts influenced western society. ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Within the last century, Zen groups have spread in North America and Europe. ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Zen (Japanese) and Ch’an (Chinese) derive from the Sanskrit word Dhyana, which means “meditation.” ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Zen Buddhism focuses on obtaining enlightenment (bodhi) through meditation. ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Zen rejects the study of scriptures, religious rites, religious practices, and good works in order to overcome ignorance. ====

<span style="background-color: #404040; color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: medium;">**Works Cited**

<span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-decoration: none;">http://buddhism.about.com/od/chanandzenbuddhism/a/zen101.htm <span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-decoration: none;">http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/rosa/rosa04.htm <span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-decoration: none;">http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/sects/zen.htm <span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-decoration: none;">http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/japanese-zen/ <span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-decoration: none;">http://zenmadeeasy.biz/ <span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-decoration: none;">http://www.aliceinwonderlands.com/Asia/Japan/peoplenculture.htm <span style="color: #0225a3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">__[]__ <span style="color: #0225a3; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">__[]__