Zen

Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that emphasizes meditation and experiential insight into the nature of mind and reality. It originated in China as Chan Buddhism and developed during the first millennium CE, blending Indian Buddhist teachings with Daoist philosophy and Chinese culture. The term Zen is the Japanese reading of Chan.

Central practice is zazen, seated meditation, often performed facing a wall and guided by a teacher. In many Chan/Zen lineages, practitioners may engage in koan study—paradoxical questions or statements designed to provoke insight—while others emphasize just sitting, or shikantaza. The goal is satori, a moment of awakening that reveals the true nature of mind beyond conceptual thinking.

History and transmission: Zen arose in China and later spread to Korea (Seon) and Vietnam (Thiền), before influencing Japanese Buddhism, where it diversified into major schools. Traditionally, Bodhidharma is regarded as the founder, with Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch, as a key figure in the Chan lineage. In Japan, Zen was established through masters such as Eisai (Rinzai) and Dogen (Soto), giving rise to the two largest modern branches: Rinzai, known for koan study, and Soto, emphasizing quiet sitting.

Doctrine and practice emphasize direct experience over reliance on scriptures, though sutras are not neglected. Teaching emphasizes the teacher–student relationship and the transmission of insight beyond words. Zen has had a broad cultural impact, influencing arts and aesthetics such as garden design, painting, and the traditional tea ceremony, and it remains a global form of Buddhist practice.