Abstract
The present chapter, Zen and Zen Buddhism, offers a brief history of Zen Buddhism for behavioral health professionals that may not have been exposed to the context with which Zen and mindfulness practices rose out of. More specifically, Shudo Ishii, Ph.D., an emeritus of Komazawa University, the oldest Soto Zen Buddhism University in Japan, presents the history of Zen Buddhism in China, and highlights its core perspective on enlightenment, practice, and everyday living (this chapter). Knowing the history of Zen Buddhism in China is relevant to behavioral health practitioners as the core perspectives systematized in China remain central in Zen Buddhism today where many acceptance- and mindfulness-based practices were originated. Ishii argues that there are three key theses that had shaped and adapted the practice of Zen Buddhism: These are self, Zen practice (zazen and koan), and enlightenment. The emergence of different schools of Chinese Zen is often attributable to overlapping, yet somewhat distinct perspectives on these three domains.
Translated and Edited by Akihiko Masuda and Kayla Sargent.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Buddhist Text Translation Society. (2001). The Sixth Patriarch’s Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra. Burlingame, CA, USA: Buddhist Text Translation Society.
Daoyuan, S., & Whitfield, R. S. (2015). Records of the transmission of the lamp: Volume I the Buddhas and Indian Patriarchs. New York: Books on Demand.
Dogen, E., & Tanahashi, K. (1985). Moon in a dewdrop: Writings of Zen master Dogen. New York, US: North Point Press.
Dogen, E., Uchiyama, K., Okumura, S., & Leighton, T. D. (1997). The wholehearted way: A translation of Eihei Dogen’s Bendowa with commentary by Kosho Uchiyama Roshi. North Clarendon, VT, US: Tuttle Publications.
Dumoulin, H. (2005). Zen Buddhism: A history Volume 1: India and China. Bloomington, Indiana US: World Wisdom.
Ferguson, A. (2011). Zen’s Chinese heritage: The masters and their teachings. Somerville MA, US: Wisdom Publications.
Ishii, S. (1987). The study of Zen Buddhism in Song Dynasty: Caodong School of Zen in China and Dogen Zen, 16, 123–152.
Ishii, S. (1991). Study on the history of the establishment of Dogen Zen.
Ishii, S. (2002). The characteristics of the Japanese Daruma Sect. The Annual Report of Researches of Matsugaoka Bunko, 16, 123–152.
Ishii, S. (2016). Kanna Zen of Dahui Zonggao. Paper presented at the 4th International Conference Ganhwa Seon.
Japan Buddhist Federation. (1978). Understanding Japanese Buddhism.
McRae, J. R. (1993). Yanagida Seizan’s landmark works on Chinese Ch’an. Cahiers d’Extrême-Asie, 7, 51–103.
McRae, J. R. (2000). The platform Sutra of the Sixty Patriarch. Berkeley, CA USA: Murata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research.
McRae, J. R. (2001). Religion as revolution in Chinese Historiography: Hu Shi (1891–1962) on Shen-Hui (684–758). Cahiers d’Extrême-Asie, 12, 59–102.
McRae, J. R. (2003). Seeing through Zen: Encounter, transformation, and genealogy in Chinese Chan Buddhism. Berkeley, CA, USA: University of California Press.
Poceski, M. (2015). The records of Mazu and the making of classical Chan literature. New York, USA: Oxford University Press.
Sasaki, R. F., & Kirchner, T. Y. (2008). The record of Linji. Honolulu, HI, US: University of Hawaii Press.
Schlutter, M. (2010). How Zen became Zen: The dispute over enlightenment and the formation of Chan Buddhism in Song-Dynasty China. Honolulu, HI, US: University of Hawaii Press.
Shankman, R. (2008). The experience of Samadhi: An in-depth exploration of Buddhist mediation. Boston, MA, US: Shambhala.
Shih, H. (1953). Ch’an (Zen) Buddhism in China its history and method. Philosophy East and West, 3(1), 3–24. doi:10.2307/1397361.
Suzuki, D. T. (1996). Zen Buddhism: Selected writings of D. T. Suzuki. New York, US: An Image Book.
Suzuki, D. T. (1997). Eastern Perspective [Toyoteki na mikata]. Tokyo, Japan: Iwanami Shoten.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Ishii, S., Masuda, A., Sargent, K. (2017). Zen and Zen Buddhism: An Overview. In: Masuda, A., O'Donohue, W. (eds) Handbook of Zen, Mindfulness, and Behavioral Health. Mindfulness in Behavioral Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54595-0_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54595-0_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-54593-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-54595-0
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)