Zen Buddhism Research Paper

Torrey Headley

World Civ 1

Professor Ravalli

21 September 2015

Zen Buddhism

Buddhism, according to D.T. Suzuki, is based on the Buddha’s personal experience in northern India 2500 years ago and all schools of Buddhism base their doctrines on the teachings. One of the schools of Buddhism is Zen Buddhism, also known as Chan in China, which developed in China during the Tang Dynasty. From China, Chan spread through other countries like Vietnam, Korea and Japan, where it became known as Japanese Zen. (Harvey)

Zen Buddhism Beliefs

The essential element of Zen Buddhism is found in its name, for Zen means "meditation." (Department of Asian Art) Zen also emphasizes insight into Buddha nature, and the personal expression of this insight in daily life rather than the knowledge of sutras, which is where Buddha’s teachings are recorded, and doctrines. Unlike some schools of Buddhism that base their doctrines on the teachings Buddha developed after his enlightenment, Zen insist on having the same experience the Buddha had. (Suzuki) “When Zen was flourishing in China, the followers believed in not relying on words or letters.” Which meant ignoring the “sutras”, and forming religious ceremonies. They instead relied on their own experience. (Suzuki) According to research, they believed that words did not serve when needed most. For example, when in the moment of crisis, they will not look for passages that work for that type of crisis, they instead work through that crisis in their own way, which cant come from another’s mind or teachings. One Zen teacher explained that Zen is not repeating passages and sermons it is “something that can never be told by another person. [Because] what I tell you is my own: that will never be yours and what you need is your own, something that comes out of your own inner being.” (Suzuki) To reach the Nirvana, the main goal of Buddhism, which is “a transcendent state in which there is neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and the...