IOverview
The word Zen, like Chan and Thiền, comes from the Sanskrit dhyāna, meditative absorption. Zen is the Mahayana school that treats seeing one's own mind clearly as the gate to awakening, relying on seated meditation and a teacher's direct pointing rather than long exposition.
The school took shape in China as Chan, then became Zen in Japan, Seon in Korea and Thiền in Vietnam. Its two strongest surviving lines are Linji and Caodong. Since the 20th century Zen has become the form of Buddhism best known in the West, through books, meditation centres and the arts.
IIOrigins and History
In Zen tradition, the Buddha once held up a flower before the assembly and only Mahakasyapa smiled. The mind seal passed from him through 28 Indian patriarchs to Bodhidharma, who came to China in the early 6th century, and on down to the Sixth Patriarch Huineng.
Historians regard these lineage lists as largely composed later to establish legitimacy. Manuscripts found at Dunhuang in the early 20th century show that early Chan was far more varied than the traditional account suggests.
- early 6th c.BodhidharmaHonoured by tradition as the first patriarch of Chinese Chan.
- 638 to 713HuinengThe Platform Sutra records his teaching of sudden awakening, seeing one's nature in an instant.
- 9th to 10th c.The Five HousesLinji, Caodong, Yunmen, Guiyang and Fayan.
- 1191Eisai brings Linji to JapanThe Rinzai line is established in Japan.
- 1227Dogen brings Caodong to JapanHe founds Eihei-ji in 1243, a head temple of Soto.
- 12th centuryJinul in GoryeoHe lays the foundation of Korean Seon, later the Jogye Order.
- 20th centuryZen in the WestJapanese, Korean and Vietnamese teachers found centres in Europe and North America.
IIITeachings and Distinctive Features
Zen sums itself up in four lines: a special transmission outside the scriptures, not founded on words and letters, pointing directly to the human mind, seeing one's nature and becoming Buddha. Everyone already has Buddha nature, and practice is the work of recognising it.
- Koan and huatou: the Linji line uses exchanges between old masters as puzzles to investigate until a breakthrough comes. Collections such as the Blue Cliff Record and the Gateless Gate gather them.
- Silent illumination and just sitting: the Caodong line stresses sitting still and bright awareness in silence. Dogen taught that sitting itself is awakening made manifest.
- Mind to mind transmission: the teacher confirms the student's insight. The teacher to student lineage is the backbone of Zen.
The phrase not founded on words is often taken to mean that Zen rejects scripture. In fact Zen has a large literature of recorded sayings, lamp histories and koan collections, and Zen monasteries still chant the Diamond Sutra and the Heart Sutra. The phrase means that words are a finger pointing at the moon, not the moon itself.
IVPractice, Ritual and Daily Life
Seated meditation is the centre of monastic life, often alternated with walking meditation. Students meet the teacher privately to present their understanding. Intensive retreats last several days and are called sesshin in Japan.
Work is part of practice. Tradition credits the 8th century master Baizhang with the saying a day without work is a day without food. Cooking, sweeping and gardening all count as meditation, and Baizhang's monastic code shaped Chinese Chan monasteries for centuries.
Zen influence runs through Japanese culture in the tea ceremony, flower arranging, rock gardens and calligraphy. The ensō, a circle drawn in one brushstroke, is a familiar symbol of Japanese Zen.
VOrganisation and Distribution
Zen has no single church. In China and Vietnam most Mahayana temples claim a Linji lineage, even though their practice blends with Pure Land. In Japan, Soto has two head temples, Eihei-ji and Soji-ji, and about 14,000 temples according to the scholar William Bodiford in 2006. Rinzai is divided into several independent branches, each with its own head temple. In South Korea the Jogye Order is the largest Buddhist body. There is no reliable figure for the total number of Zen practitioners worldwide.
VIIn Vietnam
The Tran era Thien Uyen Tap Anh records three early lineages: Vinitaruci, who arrived in 580, Vo Ngon Thong in 820 and Thao Duong under the Ly in 1069. Some scholars argue these lines were arranged later on a Chinese model. Under the Tran, King Tran Nhan Tong became a monk in 1299 and founded the Truc Lam school, the first Zen school founded by Vietnamese, with three patriarchs: Tran Nhan Tong, Phap Loa and Huyen Quang.
- 17th centuryLinji and Caodong arriveChinese masters such as Nguyen Thieu in the south and Chuyet Cong in the north establish Linji lines. Caodong takes root in the north and in Hue.
- 1667 to 1742Master Lieu QuanHe founds the Lieu Quan branch of Linji, a Vietnamised line that spreads across central and southern Vietnam.
- 1971 to 2002Truc Lam revivalThe Venerable Thich Thanh Tu founds Chan Khong monastery in 1971, Truc Lam Da Lat in 1993 and Truc Lam Yen Tu in 2002.
- 1982Plum VillageThich Nhat Hanh, of the Lieu Quan line, founds Plum Village in France. He died in 2022 at Tu Hieu temple in Hue.
VIISymbol of the Branch
Zen circle
円相 Ensō
VIIISub-branches
- Linji (Rinzai)
- Caodong (Soto)
- Obaku
- Jogye Order of Korea
- Truc Lam
- Lieu Quan branch of Linji
IXOther Branches of Buddhism
Mahayana BuddhismMahāyāna 大乘, the Great VehicleThe largest branch, centred on the bodhisattva ideal of liberating oneself and others.
Theravada BuddhismTheravāda, the teaching of the eldersThe second largest branch.
Vajrayana BuddhismVajrayāna, Tibetan rdo rje theg pa, also Mantrayana or Esoteric BuddhismThe branch that uses mantra, mudra and mandala visualisation, with a strong role for the teacher.
Pure Land Buddhism淨土宗, also called the Lotus School 蓮宗, Japanese JōdoA Mahayana school centred on reciting the name of Amitabha Buddha for rebirth in the Pure Land.Chan and Zen Buddhism禪 Chan, Japanese Zen, Korean Seon, Vietnamese Thiền, from Sanskrit dhyānaA Mahayana school that points directly to the mind rather than relying on scripture.
Khmer Theravada Buddhism in VietnamTheravāda of the Khmer of southern VietnamThe Theravada tradition of the Khmer people in the Mekong Delta.Uses the common symbol of the pathKhất Sĩ BuddhismĐạo Phật Khất Sĩ Việt Nam, Vietnamese Mendicant BuddhismA Vietnamese lineage founded in the South by Patriarch Minh Đăng Quang around 1944 to 1946.Uses the common symbol of the pathVietnamese (Kinh) TheravadaTheravāda among the Kinh, formerly called Original BuddhismThe Theravada lineage among ethnic Vietnamese, begun at Bửu Quang temple in Thủ Đức in 1938 by monks including Hộ Tông (Vansarakkhita), Thiện Luật, Bửu Chơn and Huệ Nghiêm.Uses the common symbol of the pathXSources
The library cross-checks the sources below. Where they disagree, the page gives both.
?Quick Questions
Are Chan and Zen the same school
Yes. Chan is the Chinese reading, Zen the Japanese, Seon the Korean and Thiền the Vietnamese reading of the same character 禪. Each country developed lineages with their own character.
How do Rinzai and Soto differ
Rinzai stresses koan investigation leading to breakthrough. Soto stresses just sitting in silent awareness and treats sitting itself as awakening made manifest. Many teachers draw on both.
What is the Truc Lam school
It is the Zen school founded by King Tran Nhan Tong after he became a monk in 1299, unifying the Zen lines of the Tran era. Since the late 20th century the Venerable Thich Thanh Tu has revived it through a network of Truc Lam monasteries.
Are Vietnamese temples Zen temples
Most Vietnamese Mahayana temples claim a Linji lineage, so by lineage they are Zen temples. Yet their routine usually includes Buddha name recitation and mantras, so calling them purely Zen misses part of the picture.