The Chinese philosophy Taoism arose roughly the same time as Buddhism.
Many of its teachings came from philosopher Lao Tzu.
Eventually, a Buddhist monk known as Bodhidharma brought Buddhism to China.
In China, Buddhism got mixed with Taoism.
One of the results was Zen Buddhism.
What is Zen Buddhism?
It's not easy to explain, but let's try...
The word zen comes from Japanese, which comes from a Chinese word that comes from a Sanskrit
word that basically means meditation.
Zen Buddhists will often talk of zazen, or seated meditation, which is central to their
practice.
In some Zen temples, meditators might get hit with a warning stick.
They either requested this to help them focus or the master may have noticed that they were
starting to fall asleep.
Unlike other branches of Buddhism, Zen Buddhism doesn't emphasize the sutras or traditional
Buddhist doctrines.
Most people who study Zen look for a good teacher, sometimes known as a Zen Master,
to guide them.
A famous aspect of Zen practice is the use of koans to teach lessons.
Koans are short dialogues or anecdotes, sometimes containing a paradox.
Zen Buddhism is practiced mainly in China and Japan.
It has had a profound influence on culture - including literature, painting, and even
sports like archery.
It has been claimed that Apple's Steve Jobs was influenced by Zen, which then influenced
the design of many Apple products.
What do you think about Zen Buddhism?
Leave your comments below.
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