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Created page with "*''Japanese'': 禅 ''(zen)'', 禅宗 ''(zen shuu)'' Zen is one of the most prominent sects of Buddhism in Japan. It is distinguished by its rejection (to a large extent) ..."
*''Japanese'': 禅 ''(zen)'', 禅宗 ''(zen shuu)''
Zen is one of the most prominent sects of [[Buddhism]] in Japan. It is distinguished by its rejection (to a large extent) of sacred texts, doctrine & dogma, the Buddhist pantheon, and discussion of heavens and hells, emphasizing instead meditative and intellectual practices towards the pursuit of personal enlightenment.
Though Zen is among the chief things stereotypically associated with Japan among Westerners, within Japan, Zen has traditionally been considered a more strongly Chinese - that is, a less Japanized - form of Buddhism. Zen temples generally have more strongly Chinese architectural styles, stone floors into which one enters with shoes on, and are often furnished with chairs, in contrast to Japanese temples of other sects, where one typically removes one's shoes before stepping up onto bare wooden verandas, and sitting on [[tatami]]-covered floors. Zen temples were also traditionally centers of Chinese cultural practices and Chinese studies, and it was through Zen that [[Zhu Xi]] [[Neo-Confucianism]], as well as certain forms of [[tea]] and [[tea ceremony]], painting, and calligraphy were introduced and promoted. Zen monks also played a prominent role in foreign relations, especially during the [[Muromachi period]], both as diplomatic envoys and as foreign policy advisors to the shoguns.
==Origins==
The Indian monk [[Bodhidharma]], commonly known as Daruma in Japan, is considered the first patriarch of Zen.
The Chinese monk [[Huineng]] ([[638]]-[[713]]) is considered the sixth patriarch. By the end of the 8th century, Zen (C: ''Chán'') had gained a widespread following among Chinese elites.
==Introduction and Development of Zen in Japan==
Chán Buddhism reached the heights of its popularity in China during the [[Southern Song Dynasty]] ([[1127]]-[[1279]]), and was first introduced to Japan at that time. The Japanese monk [[Eisai]], who traveled to China in [[1168]] and again in [[1187]], first introduced [[Rinzai]] Zen (C: ''Línjì Chán'') to Japan in [[1191]], along with powdered tea. Establishing himself first in [[Kamakura]], his teachings included, notably, the introduction of the concept of the ''[[koan|kôan]]'', a riddle, often unanswerable, which forces the adept to think outside of normal modes of thought, potentially in this way discovering enlightenment. Encountering difficulty in having these new, heterodox, Zen ideas accepted in Kyoto, Eisai accommodated some elements from [[Tendai]] and [[Shingon]] teachings into his school's Zen practice.<ref name=schiro81>Conrad Schirokauer, David Lurie, and Suzanne Gay, ''A Brief History of Japanese Civilization'', Wadsworth Cengage (2013), 81.</ref> A few decades later, in the 1220s, the Japanese monk [[Dogen|Dôgen]] returned from China to introduce [[Soto Zen|Sôtô Zen]] (C: ''Cáodòng Chán''), a school which focused more chiefly on ''[[zazen]]'' meditation. Unlike Eisai, who promoted his school in the major political centers, Dôgen retreated to the mountains, establishing his temple of [[Eihei-ji]] in a remote area of [[Echizen province]].
Rinzai Zen was strongly patronized by the [[Hojo clan (Hojo Regents)|Hôjô clan]] during the [[Kamakura period]]; many of the most prominent Zen temples in [[Kamakura]] have a connection to the Hôjô. [[Kencho-ji|Kenchô-ji]] was the first temple to be established in Japan as a Zen temple,<ref>It is not the first Zen temple to be established in the country, temples founded under a different sect having previously been converted to Zen use.</ref> being founded in [[1253]] by the [[Song Dynasty]] monk [[Lanxi Daolong]], who was invited by [[Hojo Tokiyori|Hôjô Tokiyori]] for that purpose. Lanxi Daolong then became the first monk to be recognized as a Zen master by a Japanese emperor, and Kenchô-ji is regarded as the first among the Five Mountains (Five Zen Temples) of Kamakura (''[[Kamakura Gosan]]'').<ref>Plaques on-site at Kenchô-ji; and "[http://www.kamakura-burabura.com/meisyokitakamakurakentyouji.htm Kenchô-ji]." Kamakura-Burabura.com 鎌倉ぶらぶら.</ref>
The [[Ashikaga shogunate|Ashikaga shoguns]], like the Hôjô before them, were great patrons of Zen. [[Tenryu-ji|Tenryû-ji]], today considered first among the Five Mountains (Five Zen Temples) of Kyoto (''[[Kyoto Gozan]]''), was founded by the first Ashikaga shogun, [[Ashikaga Takauji]], in [[1339]]. [[Kinkaku-ji]], originally built by [[Ashikaga Yoshimitsu]] in [[1397]] as his private retirement villa, and [[Ginkaku-ji]], built by his grandson [[Ashikaga Yoshimasa]] in the 1480s, both later became Zen temples. Ashikaga Yoshimitsu also employed Zen monks as envoys to China; in this capacity, they played a key role in establishing [[tribute]]/[[kango boeki|tally trade]] relations between Japan and [[Ming Dynasty]] China.
The [[Obaku|Ôbaku]] sect of Zen was introduced to Japan in the 17th century, as [[Chinese in Nagasaki]] helped to bring a group of monks from China to help establish the first Japanese Ôbaku temple, the [[Manpuku-ji]] in [[Uji]].<ref>[[Marius Jansen]], ''China in the Tokugawa World'', Harvard University Press (1992), 10.</ref> Its presence in Japan was first established by Yǐnyuán Lóngqí, known as [[Ingen]] in Japanese, head of the temple of Wanfu-si (J: Manpuku-ji) on Mt. Huangbo (J: Ôbaku) in [[Fujian province]] at that time; invited by Japanese Rinzai monks to come to Japan to help revive Rinzai, which had fallen into decline, Ingen initially refused, but was later invited to come to Japan by members of the Nanjing temple in Nagasaki, at which time he came, arriving in Japan in [[1654]]. He and his disciples introduced a new revised ordination ceremony, and taught a more literal interpretation of Buddhist scriptures. After being granted audiences with [[Emperor Go-Mizunoo]] and Shogun [[Tokugawa Ietsuna]], Ingen was granted permission to establish a Manpuku-ji temple in Japan, which he did, employing mostly Chinese workers and completing the project in [[1669]]. The temple remains today likely the finest surviving example of Ming Dynasty architecture in Japan today.<ref>Jansen, 55-56.</ref>
The sect was strongly supported by Shogun [[Tokugawa Tsunayoshi]], and ''daimyô'' [[Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu]], and quickly became closely associated with and involved in the ''[[kangaku]]'' (Chinese Studies) movement in Japan. Tsunayoshi and Yoshiyasu frequently invited Ôbaku monks and Japanese ''kangaku'' scholars such as [[Ogyu Sorai|Ogyû Sorai]] to discuss the Chinese classics, practice Chinese language, and so forth.<ref>Jansen, 56-57.</ref>
The first Sôtô Zen temple in [[Japanese Buddhism in Hawaii|Hawaii]] was established in [[1903]].<ref>Franklin Odo and Kazuko Sinoto, ''A Pictorial History of the Japanese in Hawaii 1885-1924'', Bishop Museum (1985), 77-78.</ref> Beginning in the 1920s or '30s, but particularly in the 1950s, Zen was first introduced in a prominent way to Americans, through a series of lectures delivered by [[D.T. Suzuki]]. The conception of Zen, and of Japanese culture, introduced by Suzuki continues to have a profound impact upon conventional wisdom and stereotypical popular understandings among Americans about Japan today.
==Cultural and Intellectual Impact==
Powdered tea was first introduced to Japan by Eisai, in 1191, along with the introduction of Rinzai Zen.<ref name=schiro81/> Song Dynasty Neo-Confucianism was first introduced to Japan by a Zen monk, [[Enni]], who brought books on the subject back to Japan from China in [[1241]].<ref>Albert M. Craig, ''The Heritage of Japanese Civilization'', Second Edition, Prentice Hall (2011), 85-86.</ref> During the Muromachi period, before [[Printing and Publishing|popular publishing]] took off in the [[Edo period]], it was Zen temples which were the chief patrons of the printing of copies of the [[Confucian classics]] and other non-Buddhist works.<ref>Eiko Ikegami, ''Bonds of Civility'', Cambridge University Press (2005), 291-292.</ref>
Song dynasty Chán painters such as [[Muqi]] and [[Liang Kai]], and perhaps Zen painting as a style overall, gained a greater following in Japan than in China, and today those two artists are more well-known from works held at [[Daitoku-ji]] in Kyoto, and at the [[Tokyo National Museum]], than from works remaining in China. Along with paintings by the [[Yuan Dynasty]] Indian monk [[Yintuoluo]] and others, these works inspired the flourishing of Zen painting in Japan, beginning with Muromachi era painters such as [[Sesshu|Sesshû]], [[Shubun|Shûbun]], and [[Josetsu|Jôsetsu]], all of whom were associated with the Kyoto temple of [[Shokoku-ji|Shôkoku-ji]]; Edo period artists such as [[Ito Jakuchu|Itô Jakuchû]] also drew inspiration from the works of Mu Qi held at Daitoku-ji.<ref>Conrad Schirokauer, et al, ''A Brief History of Chinese and Japanese Civilizations'', Fourth Edition, Cengage Learning (2012), 202-203.</ref>
Zen rock gardens are, of course, among the most stereotypically famous aspects of Zen culture, and of Japanese culture more broadly. The garden at [[Ryoan-ji|Ryôan-ji]] in Kyoto, where from any given vantage point, at least one rock will always be hidden from view, is perhaps that which the stereotype most draws upon. The dry landscape (''kare sansui'') garden at Ginkaku-ji, which includes a mound of pebbles meant to resemble or evoke [[Mt. Fuji]], is another famous example. However, Zen gardens, including those designed by the likes of [[Muso Soseki|Musô Sôseki]] and [[Kobori Enshu|Kobori Enshû]], take many forms, and some are quite green, including moss, water features, and even trees and other plants.
===Zen in Ryûkyû===
Zen was adopted by the kings of the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]], who established the Zen temples [[Engaku-ji (Okinawa)|Engaku-ji]] and [[Sogen-ji|Sôgen-ji]] in the 15th century as two of the chief patron temples of the royal family. Zen monks played a prominent role in foreign relations for Ryûkyû, as they did in Muromachi era Japan.
==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Buddhism]]
[[Category:Kamakura Period]]
[[Category:Muromachi Period]]
[[Category:Edo Period]]
Zen is one of the most prominent sects of [[Buddhism]] in Japan. It is distinguished by its rejection (to a large extent) of sacred texts, doctrine & dogma, the Buddhist pantheon, and discussion of heavens and hells, emphasizing instead meditative and intellectual practices towards the pursuit of personal enlightenment.
Though Zen is among the chief things stereotypically associated with Japan among Westerners, within Japan, Zen has traditionally been considered a more strongly Chinese - that is, a less Japanized - form of Buddhism. Zen temples generally have more strongly Chinese architectural styles, stone floors into which one enters with shoes on, and are often furnished with chairs, in contrast to Japanese temples of other sects, where one typically removes one's shoes before stepping up onto bare wooden verandas, and sitting on [[tatami]]-covered floors. Zen temples were also traditionally centers of Chinese cultural practices and Chinese studies, and it was through Zen that [[Zhu Xi]] [[Neo-Confucianism]], as well as certain forms of [[tea]] and [[tea ceremony]], painting, and calligraphy were introduced and promoted. Zen monks also played a prominent role in foreign relations, especially during the [[Muromachi period]], both as diplomatic envoys and as foreign policy advisors to the shoguns.
==Origins==
The Indian monk [[Bodhidharma]], commonly known as Daruma in Japan, is considered the first patriarch of Zen.
The Chinese monk [[Huineng]] ([[638]]-[[713]]) is considered the sixth patriarch. By the end of the 8th century, Zen (C: ''Chán'') had gained a widespread following among Chinese elites.
==Introduction and Development of Zen in Japan==
Chán Buddhism reached the heights of its popularity in China during the [[Southern Song Dynasty]] ([[1127]]-[[1279]]), and was first introduced to Japan at that time. The Japanese monk [[Eisai]], who traveled to China in [[1168]] and again in [[1187]], first introduced [[Rinzai]] Zen (C: ''Línjì Chán'') to Japan in [[1191]], along with powdered tea. Establishing himself first in [[Kamakura]], his teachings included, notably, the introduction of the concept of the ''[[koan|kôan]]'', a riddle, often unanswerable, which forces the adept to think outside of normal modes of thought, potentially in this way discovering enlightenment. Encountering difficulty in having these new, heterodox, Zen ideas accepted in Kyoto, Eisai accommodated some elements from [[Tendai]] and [[Shingon]] teachings into his school's Zen practice.<ref name=schiro81>Conrad Schirokauer, David Lurie, and Suzanne Gay, ''A Brief History of Japanese Civilization'', Wadsworth Cengage (2013), 81.</ref> A few decades later, in the 1220s, the Japanese monk [[Dogen|Dôgen]] returned from China to introduce [[Soto Zen|Sôtô Zen]] (C: ''Cáodòng Chán''), a school which focused more chiefly on ''[[zazen]]'' meditation. Unlike Eisai, who promoted his school in the major political centers, Dôgen retreated to the mountains, establishing his temple of [[Eihei-ji]] in a remote area of [[Echizen province]].
Rinzai Zen was strongly patronized by the [[Hojo clan (Hojo Regents)|Hôjô clan]] during the [[Kamakura period]]; many of the most prominent Zen temples in [[Kamakura]] have a connection to the Hôjô. [[Kencho-ji|Kenchô-ji]] was the first temple to be established in Japan as a Zen temple,<ref>It is not the first Zen temple to be established in the country, temples founded under a different sect having previously been converted to Zen use.</ref> being founded in [[1253]] by the [[Song Dynasty]] monk [[Lanxi Daolong]], who was invited by [[Hojo Tokiyori|Hôjô Tokiyori]] for that purpose. Lanxi Daolong then became the first monk to be recognized as a Zen master by a Japanese emperor, and Kenchô-ji is regarded as the first among the Five Mountains (Five Zen Temples) of Kamakura (''[[Kamakura Gosan]]'').<ref>Plaques on-site at Kenchô-ji; and "[http://www.kamakura-burabura.com/meisyokitakamakurakentyouji.htm Kenchô-ji]." Kamakura-Burabura.com 鎌倉ぶらぶら.</ref>
The [[Ashikaga shogunate|Ashikaga shoguns]], like the Hôjô before them, were great patrons of Zen. [[Tenryu-ji|Tenryû-ji]], today considered first among the Five Mountains (Five Zen Temples) of Kyoto (''[[Kyoto Gozan]]''), was founded by the first Ashikaga shogun, [[Ashikaga Takauji]], in [[1339]]. [[Kinkaku-ji]], originally built by [[Ashikaga Yoshimitsu]] in [[1397]] as his private retirement villa, and [[Ginkaku-ji]], built by his grandson [[Ashikaga Yoshimasa]] in the 1480s, both later became Zen temples. Ashikaga Yoshimitsu also employed Zen monks as envoys to China; in this capacity, they played a key role in establishing [[tribute]]/[[kango boeki|tally trade]] relations between Japan and [[Ming Dynasty]] China.
The [[Obaku|Ôbaku]] sect of Zen was introduced to Japan in the 17th century, as [[Chinese in Nagasaki]] helped to bring a group of monks from China to help establish the first Japanese Ôbaku temple, the [[Manpuku-ji]] in [[Uji]].<ref>[[Marius Jansen]], ''China in the Tokugawa World'', Harvard University Press (1992), 10.</ref> Its presence in Japan was first established by Yǐnyuán Lóngqí, known as [[Ingen]] in Japanese, head of the temple of Wanfu-si (J: Manpuku-ji) on Mt. Huangbo (J: Ôbaku) in [[Fujian province]] at that time; invited by Japanese Rinzai monks to come to Japan to help revive Rinzai, which had fallen into decline, Ingen initially refused, but was later invited to come to Japan by members of the Nanjing temple in Nagasaki, at which time he came, arriving in Japan in [[1654]]. He and his disciples introduced a new revised ordination ceremony, and taught a more literal interpretation of Buddhist scriptures. After being granted audiences with [[Emperor Go-Mizunoo]] and Shogun [[Tokugawa Ietsuna]], Ingen was granted permission to establish a Manpuku-ji temple in Japan, which he did, employing mostly Chinese workers and completing the project in [[1669]]. The temple remains today likely the finest surviving example of Ming Dynasty architecture in Japan today.<ref>Jansen, 55-56.</ref>
The sect was strongly supported by Shogun [[Tokugawa Tsunayoshi]], and ''daimyô'' [[Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu]], and quickly became closely associated with and involved in the ''[[kangaku]]'' (Chinese Studies) movement in Japan. Tsunayoshi and Yoshiyasu frequently invited Ôbaku monks and Japanese ''kangaku'' scholars such as [[Ogyu Sorai|Ogyû Sorai]] to discuss the Chinese classics, practice Chinese language, and so forth.<ref>Jansen, 56-57.</ref>
The first Sôtô Zen temple in [[Japanese Buddhism in Hawaii|Hawaii]] was established in [[1903]].<ref>Franklin Odo and Kazuko Sinoto, ''A Pictorial History of the Japanese in Hawaii 1885-1924'', Bishop Museum (1985), 77-78.</ref> Beginning in the 1920s or '30s, but particularly in the 1950s, Zen was first introduced in a prominent way to Americans, through a series of lectures delivered by [[D.T. Suzuki]]. The conception of Zen, and of Japanese culture, introduced by Suzuki continues to have a profound impact upon conventional wisdom and stereotypical popular understandings among Americans about Japan today.
==Cultural and Intellectual Impact==
Powdered tea was first introduced to Japan by Eisai, in 1191, along with the introduction of Rinzai Zen.<ref name=schiro81/> Song Dynasty Neo-Confucianism was first introduced to Japan by a Zen monk, [[Enni]], who brought books on the subject back to Japan from China in [[1241]].<ref>Albert M. Craig, ''The Heritage of Japanese Civilization'', Second Edition, Prentice Hall (2011), 85-86.</ref> During the Muromachi period, before [[Printing and Publishing|popular publishing]] took off in the [[Edo period]], it was Zen temples which were the chief patrons of the printing of copies of the [[Confucian classics]] and other non-Buddhist works.<ref>Eiko Ikegami, ''Bonds of Civility'', Cambridge University Press (2005), 291-292.</ref>
Song dynasty Chán painters such as [[Muqi]] and [[Liang Kai]], and perhaps Zen painting as a style overall, gained a greater following in Japan than in China, and today those two artists are more well-known from works held at [[Daitoku-ji]] in Kyoto, and at the [[Tokyo National Museum]], than from works remaining in China. Along with paintings by the [[Yuan Dynasty]] Indian monk [[Yintuoluo]] and others, these works inspired the flourishing of Zen painting in Japan, beginning with Muromachi era painters such as [[Sesshu|Sesshû]], [[Shubun|Shûbun]], and [[Josetsu|Jôsetsu]], all of whom were associated with the Kyoto temple of [[Shokoku-ji|Shôkoku-ji]]; Edo period artists such as [[Ito Jakuchu|Itô Jakuchû]] also drew inspiration from the works of Mu Qi held at Daitoku-ji.<ref>Conrad Schirokauer, et al, ''A Brief History of Chinese and Japanese Civilizations'', Fourth Edition, Cengage Learning (2012), 202-203.</ref>
Zen rock gardens are, of course, among the most stereotypically famous aspects of Zen culture, and of Japanese culture more broadly. The garden at [[Ryoan-ji|Ryôan-ji]] in Kyoto, where from any given vantage point, at least one rock will always be hidden from view, is perhaps that which the stereotype most draws upon. The dry landscape (''kare sansui'') garden at Ginkaku-ji, which includes a mound of pebbles meant to resemble or evoke [[Mt. Fuji]], is another famous example. However, Zen gardens, including those designed by the likes of [[Muso Soseki|Musô Sôseki]] and [[Kobori Enshu|Kobori Enshû]], take many forms, and some are quite green, including moss, water features, and even trees and other plants.
===Zen in Ryûkyû===
Zen was adopted by the kings of the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]], who established the Zen temples [[Engaku-ji (Okinawa)|Engaku-ji]] and [[Sogen-ji|Sôgen-ji]] in the 15th century as two of the chief patron temples of the royal family. Zen monks played a prominent role in foreign relations for Ryûkyû, as they did in Muromachi era Japan.
==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Buddhism]]
[[Category:Kamakura Period]]
[[Category:Muromachi Period]]
[[Category:Edo Period]]