Japanu je mjesto gdje se prakticira zen budizam. U Japanu ima trinaest različitih budističkih škola, svaka sa svojim hramovima, svećenicima i brojnim sljedbenicima. Te škole uključuju tendai, shingon, rinzai, jodo, nichiren, soto, obaku, ritsu, juzu-nenbucu, hosso, kegon i ji-shu. Od tih trinaest škola, tri su povezane sa zen budizmom: rinzai, soto i obaku.
Riječ “zen” je izvedena iz sanskrtske riječi “dhyana,” što znači meditacija. Zen predstavlja poseban sustav učenja i discipline unutar budističke škole. Riječ “dhyana” se promijenila kroz povijest u susretu s kineskim jezikom i postala “chan” na mandarinskom. Japanci su preuzeli ideografsko pismo od Kineza, ali su ga prilagodili svom izgovoru. Tako je kineski ideogram postao “zen” na japanskom jeziku. Ova fonološka promjena rezultat je povijesnih događaja koji su budističko učenje iz Indije donijeli u Japan kroz mnogo godina i uz brojne promjene.
U Japanu se može vidjeti nutarnje dvorište s zen vrtom. In Kyoto, the most important temple of the Rinzai school, founded by Eisai.
Members of another group were called Mahasanghikas (“members of the great community”). They advocated the view that Buddha was only a human being and that the only thing that set him apart from others was that he realized himself by becoming a bodhisattva, an enlightened being. From their ranks, Northern Buddhism developed, known as Mahayana, which spread to countries north of India (Tibet, China, Mongolia, Korea, Japan…)
Over time, Mahayana schools further divided. One of the first divisions was between Madhyamikas (“followers of the middle way”) and Yogacharas (“those who practice yoga”). From this division, other divisions arose, based on giving preference to certain sutras and emphasizing certain aspects of the Buddha’s teachings. Also, in contact with indigenous cultures and religions in different countries, specific forms of Mahayana Buddhism emerged, of which Tibetan Lamaism and Japanese Zen are the most well-known today.
The path ahead In the tea room within the Enko Rinzai school temple in the vicinity of Kyoto. It was founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu in the 17th century.
According to Zen tradition, Buddha, at the moment of enlightenment, proclaimed: “Truly, all living and non-living beings are enlightened simultaneously.” The truth contained in enlightenment cannot be explained with words; it must be directly experienced. Buddha then transmitted this truth to his disciple Mahakashyapa through the legendary story of the flower. Mahakashyapa passed it on to his disciple Ananda, and so on, until it reached Bodhidharma. Although the authenticity of the lineage of teachers can be debated, it should be emphasized that it includes many prominent figures of Mahayana, such as Ashvaghosha, Nagarjuna, Kanadeva, and Vasubandhu.
With Bodhidharma’s arrival in China around the year 520, a series of six Chinese Zen (Ch’an) teachers began, formally concluding with the appearance of Hui Neng (Japanese: Eno). He reformed Bodhidharma’s teachings in an extraordinary way, incorporating elements of Chinese Taoism and thus creating a philosophical-religious school. known as Chan. This school will be the most influential philosophical-religious sect in China for several centuries to come. Hui Neng, through his strong spirit, influenced numerous students. Many of them became charismatic, independent, and capable teachers, which is why he did not want to appoint a successor, believing that it could only harm the development of the school.
After his death in 713, the school split into two branches, from which the legendary “Five Zen Branches” emerged. These are the Cao Dong School (Japanese: Soto), founded by Hsing Szu (Japanese: Seigen), the Lin Chi School (Japanese: Rinzai), founded by Nan Yoh (Japanese: Nangaku), the Wei Yan School (Japanese: Jigjo), founded by Wei Shan (Japanese: Jisan) and his disciple Yan Shan (Japanese: Kjozan), the Yun Men School (Japanese: Umon), founded by Yun Men, and the Fa Yen School (Japanese: Hogen), founded by Fa Yen. The Chan school reached its peak sometime towards the end of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127 – 1279), after which its influence gradually declined. By that time, it had made significant contributions. One of the most prominent individuals among philosophers, statesmen, scientists, warriors, artists, and even Chinese emperors.
One of several Zen gardens within the temple complex of Tofuku in Kyoto.
Calligraphy of the Sino-Japanese ideogram that denotes the Sanskrit term dhyana or meditation. In Chinese, this ideogram is pronounced as chan, and in Japanese, as zen, and it signifies a unique system of teaching and discipline within the Buddhist school of the same name.
Another time was in the 9th century when the Chinese Zen teacher I Kung (Jap. Giku) came at the invitation of Empress Danrin and served as her personal teacher. However, after teaching the empress, he returned to China several years later.
The third story is about Kakui, who came to China in 1171 and spent four years studying Zen under Fuh Haia (Jap. Buk-kai). When Emperor Takakura asked him about Zen teachings upon his return, Kakui took a flute and played a note that went without an echo in the court and Japanese society. He then left the court and was never heard of again. Eisai was the first person to establish a Zen school in Japan. He was a versatile, energetic, and enterprising man. At the age of twenty, he became a student at the Tendai school. He traveled to China twice. The first time, at the age of twenty-eight, he brought back a large number of Buddhist books to Japan. His second trip in 1187 was intended for India, but the Chinese authorities did not allow him to cross the border. He ended up staying in China and studying Zen at the Rinzai school on Mount Tiantai for five years. Upon his return to Japan, he brought back tea saplings along with other things. He succeeded in introducing both tea and Zen into Japanese tradition, despite numerous difficulties. He spent the rest of his life defending the new school from critics, making important connections, building temples throughout Japan, and writing books. He passed away at the age of seventy-five.
Not long after his death in 1223, another young seeker set sail across the sea. This was a twenty-four-year-old named Dogen, who was The student was then the most powerful of the Tendai school, but he wanted more than that. As Eisai passed away, following his example, he decided to travel to China. There, he studied at the Soto school for five years, in the Tien Tung Shan monastery. After returning to Japan, he began to spread Zen in a completely opposite way to Eisai’s. He chose to live a very secluded life, writing books and teaching students. He avoided pomp, gatherings, important individuals, and public life. However, his fame as a wise man constantly grew, and he was eventually invited to be the teacher of shogun Tokiyori.
Eisai and Dogen are considered the founders of the Rinzai and Soto schools in Japan. The Rinzai school was named after its greatest teacher, Lin Chiu (Jap. Rinzai), and is also known as the “abrupt school” because it believes that enlightenment cannot be achieved gradually. This school uses koans. In contrast, the Soto school prioritizes the technique of zazen meditation. It has a system of five stages that gradually lead the student from taming their own personality to merging with their own Self and U. The school received its name from the first syllables of the teachers Tsao Shan (also known as Sozan in Japanese) and Tung Shan (also known as Tozan in Japanese).
With these two schools, Rinzai and Soto, Zen began its fruitful presence in Japan, gradually adopting elements of traditional Shinto religion. Today, there are over six thousand Rinzai temples and over fifteen thousand Soto temples in Japan, and Zen and Japanese tradition are inseparably connected in all aspects of culture.