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100-526: An annotated commentary on the Lotus Sutra ; four volumes in length. It is based on the annotated text Fa Hua Yi Ji (法華義記) by Liang dynasty monk Fayun (法雲, 467–529 AD). Approximately 70% of the contents are identical. According to tradition, the Hokke Gisho was composed in 615 AD and is the oldest Japanese text , highly venerated among Tendai scholars but never shared to the public. Legend indicates that

200-594: A Liang dynasty commentary by the monk Min (旻, 467–527), which was recovered from the Dunhuang manuscripts . Traditionally said to have been completed in 611. An annotated commentary on the Vimalakirti Sutra ; three volumes in length. It is based on annotated texts of the Liang dynasty priest Zhizang (458–522). Traditionally said to have been completed in 613. Only the Hokke Gisho remains in original manuscript form, while

300-465: A Pure Land. The Buddha then opens the stupa. Thereafter Prabhūtaratna invites Shakyamuni to sit beside him in the jeweled stupa. This chapter reveals the existence of multiple Buddhas at the same time as well as the idea that Buddhas can live on for countless aeons. According to Donald Lopez "among the doctrinal revelations that this scene intimates is that a buddha does not die after he passes into nirvāna ." Chapter 12: Devadatta The Buddha tells

400-528: A buddha for someone else." According to Reeves, the story of the little Dragon Girl promotes the idea that women can also become Buddhas just like monks. Reeves sees this as an inclusive message which "affirms the equality of everyone and seeks to provide an understanding of Buddha-dharma that excludes no one." Although the term buddha-nature ( buddhadhatu ) is not mentioned in the Lotus Sūtra , Japanese scholars Hajime Nakamura and Akira Hirakawa suggest that

500-663: A commentary on the Damoduoluo Chan Jing and used the Zuochan Sanmei Jing as a source in the writing of this commentary. Tōrei believed that the Damoduoluo Chan Jing had been authored by Bodhidharma . While dhyāna in a strict sense refers to the classic four dhyānas , in Chinese Buddhism , chán may refer to various kinds of meditation techniques and their preparatory practices, which are necessary to practice dhyāna . The five main types of meditation in

600-425: A gathering at Vulture Peak , Shakyamuni Buddha goes into a state of deep meditative absorption ( samadhi ), the earth shakes in six ways, and he brings forth a ray of light from the tuft of hair in between his eyebrows ( ūrṇākośa ) which illuminates thousands of buddha-fields in the east. Maitreya wonders what this means, and the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī states that he has seen this miracle long ago when he

700-669: A kōan, practitioners are also expected to demonstrate their spiritual understanding through their responses. The teacher may approve or disapprove of the answer based on their behavior, and guide the student in the right direction. According to Hori, the traditional Japanese Rinzai koan curriculum can take 15 years to complete for a full-time monk. The interaction with a teacher is often presented as central in Zen, but also makes Zen practice vulnerable to misunderstanding and exploitation. Kōan-inquiry may be practiced during zazen (sitting meditation) , kinhin (walking meditation), and throughout all

800-434: A meditator to the buddha-mind within. Modern scholars like Robert Sharf argue that early Chan, while having unique teachings and myths, also made use of classic Buddhist meditation methods, and this is why it is hard to find many uniquely "Chan" meditation instructions in some of the earliest sources. However, Sharf also notes there was a unique kind of Chan meditation taught in some early sources which also tend to deprecate

900-503: A sense of timelessness and the inconceivable, often using large numbers and measurements of space and time. Jacqueline Stone writes that the Lotus Sūtra affirms the view that the Buddha constantly abides in our present world. As the Lotus states in chapter 16, the Buddha remains "constantly dwelling in this Sahā world sphere, preaching the dharma, teaching and converting." According to Stone,

1000-469: A sitting position such as the lotus position , half-lotus , Burmese , or seiza . Their hands often placed in a specific gesture or mudrā . Often, a square or round cushion placed on a padded mat is used to sit on; in some other cases, a chair may be used. To regulate the mind, Zen students are often directed towards counting breaths . Either both exhalations and inhalations are counted, or one of them only. The count can be up to ten, and then this process

1100-627: A story about how in a previous life he was a king who became the slave of a rishi just so he could hear the Lotus Sūtra . This rishi was none other than Devadatta, who is destined for Buddhahood in the future as the Buddha Devarāja. In another story, Mañjuśrī praises the nāga king Sāgara's daughter and says she can attain Buddhahood. The bodhisattva Prajñākūṭa is skeptical of this, and then the nāga princess appears. Śāriputra says that women cannot attain Buddhahood. The nāga princess makes an offering to

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1200-545: A symbol of Buddha-nature. Zimmermann noted the similarity with the nine parables in the Tathāgatagarbha Sūtra that illustrate how the indwelling Buddha in sentient beings is hidden by negative mental states . Chapter 9: Prophecies for the Learners and Adepts Ānanda , Rāhula , and two thousand bhikṣus aspire to get a prophecy, and the Buddha predicts their future Buddhahood. Chapters ten to twenty two expound

1300-416: A unity." Similarly, though there are said to be many Buddhas, they are all closely connected with Shakyamuni and they all teach the same thing. Another important teaching of the Lotus Sūtra is that all beings can become Buddhas. The sutra sees the awakening of a Buddha as the only and ultimate goal, and it claims that "of any who hear the dharma, none shall fail to achieve buddhahood." Numerous figures in

1400-641: A view called "mind-only Pure Land" (wei-hsin ching-t’u), which held that the Buddha and the Pure Land are just mind. The practice of nianfo, as well as its adaptation into the " nembutsu kōan " is a major practice in the Japanese Ōbaku school of Zen. The recitation of a Buddha's name was also practiced in the Soto school at different times throughout its history. During the Meiji period for example, both Shaka nembutsu (reciting

1500-500: Is "without steps or gradations. One concentrates, understands, and is enlightened, all in one undifferentiated practice." Zen sources also use the term " tracing back the radiance " or "turning one's light around" (Ch. fǎn zhào, 返照) to describe seeing the inherent radiant source of the mind itself, the "numinous awareness", luminosity , or buddha-nature. The Platform Sutra mentions this term and connects it with seeing one's "original face". The Record of Linji states that all that

1600-420: Is a non-dual "objectless" meditation, involving "withdrawal from exclusive focus on a particular sensory or mental object." This practice allows the meditator to be aware of "all phenomena as a unified totality," without any conceptualizing , grasping , goal seeking , or subject-object duality . According to Leighton , this method "rests on the faith, verified in experience, that the field of vast brightness

1700-882: Is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty as the Chan School (禪宗, chánzōng , "meditation school") or the Buddha-mind school (佛心宗 , fóxīnzōng ), and later developed into various sub-schools and branches. Zen was influenced by Taoism , especially Neo-Daoist thought, and developed as a distinguished school of Chinese Buddhism . From China, Chán spread south to Vietnam and became Vietnamese Thiền , northeast to Korea to become Seon Buddhism , and east to Japan , becoming Japanese Zen . Zen emphasizes meditation practice , direct insight into one's own Buddha nature (見性, Ch. jiànxìng, Jp. kenshō ), and

1800-532: Is a butcher or not, if one sees one's true nature, then one will not be affected by karma . The Bloodstream Sermon also rejects worshiping of buddhas and bodhisattvas, stating that "Those who hold onto appearances are devils. They fall from the Path. Why worship illusions born of the mind? Those who worship don't know, and those who know don't worship." Similarly, in the Lidai Fabao Ji , Wuzhu states that "No-thought

1900-553: Is a central part of Zen Buddhism. The practice of Buddhist meditation originated in India and first entered China through the translations of An Shigao (fl. c. 148–180 CE), and Kumārajīva (334–413 CE). Both of these figures translated various Dhyāna sutras . These were influential meditation texts which were mostly based on the meditation teachings of the Kashmiri Sarvāstivāda school (circa 1st–4th centuries CE). Among

2000-597: Is also influential for other East Asian Buddhist schools, such as Zen . According to the British Buddhologist Paul Williams , "For many Buddhists in East Asia since early times, the Lotus Sūtra contains the final teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha —complete and sufficient for salvation." The American Buddhologist Donald S. Lopez Jr. writes that the Lotus Sūtra "is arguably the most famous of all Buddhist texts ," presenting "a radical re-vision of both

2100-630: Is also taught in Shenxiu's Kuan-hsin lun (觀心論). Likewise, the Ch’uan fa-pao chi (傳法寶紀, Taisho # 2838, ca. 713), one of the earliest Chan histories, shows this practice was widespread in the early Chan generation of Hung-jen , Fa-ju and Ta-tung who are said to have "invoked the name of the Buddha so as to purify the mind." Evidence for the practice of nianfo chan can also be found in Changlu Zongze 's (died c. 1107) Chanyuan qinggui (The Rules of Purity in

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2200-465: Is discussed in the works of the Japanese Sōtō Zen thinker Dōgen , especially in his Shōbōgenzō and his Fukanzazengi . For Dōgen, shikantaza is characterized by hishiryō ("non-thinking", "without thinking", "beyond thinking"), which according to Kasulis is "a state of no-mind in which one is simply aware of things as they are, beyond thinking and not-thinking". While the Japanese and

2300-677: Is found in early Zen sources like the Treatise on No Mind ( Wuxin lun ) and the Platform Sutra . These sources tend to emphasize emptiness , negation, and absence (wusuo 無所) as the main theme of contemplation. These two contemplative themes (the buddha mind and no-mind, positive and the negative rhetoric) continued to shape the development of Zen theory and practice throughout its history. Later Chinese Chan Buddhists developed their own meditation ("chan") manuals which taught their unique method of direct and sudden contemplation. The earliest of these

2400-523: Is found in the Record of Linji which states: "Followers of the Way, as to buddhadharma, no effort is necessary. You have only to be ordinary, with nothing to do—defecating, urinating, wearing clothes, eating food, and lying down when tired." Similarly, some Zen sources also emphasize non-action or having no concerns (wu-shih 無事). For example, Chan master Huangbo states that nothing compares with non-seeking, describing

2500-419: Is heard from within praising the Lotus Sūtra . The Buddha states that another Buddha resides in the stupa, Prabhūtaratna , who attained awakening through the Lotus Sūtra and made a vow to make an appearance to verify the truth of the Lotus Sūtra whenever it is preached. Countless manifestations of Shakyamuni Buddha in the ten directions are now summoned by the Buddha into this world, transforming it into

2600-801: Is immeasurable and that therefore, he did not really pass on into final Nirvana (he only appeared to do so as upāya ), but is still active teaching the Dharma . The earliest known Sanskrit title for the sūtra is the Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra , which can be translated as "the Scripture of the Lotus Blossom of the Fine Dharma " or "The Discourse on the White Lotus of the True Doctrine." In English,

2700-457: Is needed to obtain the Dharma is to "turn your own light in upon yourselves and never seek elsewhere". The Japanese Zen master Dōgen describes it as follows: “You should stop the intellectual practice of pursuing words and learn the ‘stepping back’ of ‘turning the light around and shining back’ (Jp: ekō henshō); mind and body will naturally ‘drop off,’ and the ‘original face’ will appear.” Similarly,

2800-465: Is none other than seeing the Buddha" and rejects the practice of worship and recitation. Most famously, the Record of Linji has the master state that "if you meet a buddha, kill the buddha" (as well as patriarchs, arhats, parents, and kinfolk), further claiming that through this "you will gain emancipation, will not be entangled with things." During sitting meditation (坐禅, Ch. zuòchán, Jp. zazen , Ko. jwaseon ), practitioners usually assume

2900-554: Is none other than the myriad skillful means which are its expressions and modes. As the Buddha says in the sutra, "seek as you will in all ten directions, there is no other vehicle, apart from the upāyas of the buddhas." The One Vehicle is associated with the Mahāyāna ("Great Vehicle"), which is a path that rejects the cutting off of rebirth (the individual nirvana or "extinction" of the Buddhist saint ) and seeks to heroically remain in

3000-510: Is not produced, what need is there for cross-legged sitting dhyana?" Similarly, the Platform Sutra criticizes the practice of sitting samādhi: “One is enlightened to the Way through the mind. How could it depend on sitting?", while Shenhui's four pronouncements criticize the "freezing", "stopping", "activating", and "concentrating" of the mind. Zen sources which focus on the sudden teaching can sometimes be quite radical in their rejection of

3100-508: Is only one single vehicle to Buddhahood, i.e. the Mahāyāna. The sutra emphasizes that this is not a lie, but a compassionate salvific act. Chapter 4: Belief and Understanding Four senior disciples including Mahākāśyapa address the Buddha. They tell the parable of the poor son and his rich father (sometimes called the "prodigal son" parable). This man left home and became a beggar for 50 years while his father became incredibly rich. One day

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3200-445: Is ours from the outset." This "vast luminous buddha field" is our immanent "inalienable endowment of wisdom" which cannot be cultivated or enhanced. Instead, one just has to recognize this radiant clarity without any interference. A similar practice is taught in the major schools of Japanese Zen , but is especially emphasized by Sōtō , where it is more widely known as Shikantaza (Ch. zhǐguǎn dǎzuò, "Just sitting") . This method

3300-513: Is overjoyed. The senior disciples say that they are like the son, because initially they did not have the confidence to accept full Buddhahood, but today they are happy to accept their future Buddhahood. Chapter 5: The Parable of Medicinal Herbs This parable says that the Dharma is like a great monsoon rain that nourishes many different kinds of plants in accordance with their needs. The plants represent Śrāvakas , Pratyekabuddhas , and Bodhisattvas, and all beings which receive and respond to

3400-486: Is repeated until the mind is calmed. Zen teachers like Omori Sogen teach a series of long and deep exhalations and inhalations as a way to prepare for regular breath meditation. Attention is often placed on the energy center ( dantian ) below the navel. Zen teachers often promote diaphragmatic breathing , stating that the breath must come from the lower abdomen (known as hara or tanden in Japanese), and that this part of

3500-428: Is the formal and ceremonial taking of refuge in the three jewels , bodhisattva vows and precepts . Various sets of precepts are taken in Zen including the five precepts , "ten essential precepts" , and the sixteen bodhisattva precepts . This is commonly done in an initiation ritual ( Ch . shòu jiè , Jp . Jukai , Ko . sugye, "receiving the precepts" ) , which is also undertaken by lay followers and marks

3600-513: Is the widely imitated and influential Zuòchán Yí (c. turn of the 12th century), which recommends a simple contemplative practice which is said to lead to the discovery of inherent wisdom already present in the mind. This work also shows the influence of the earlier meditation manuals composed by Tiantai patriarch Zhiyi . However, other Zen sources de-emphasize traditional practices like sitting meditation, and instead focus on effortlessness and on ordinary daily activities. One example of this

3700-465: The Platform Sutra and the works of Shenhui criticize traditional meditation methods of concentration and mindfulness as not necessary and instead promote a more direct and sudden method. For example, the Bodhidharma Anthology states: "The man of sharp abilities hears of the path without producing a covetous mind. He does not even produce right mindfulness and right reflection" and "If mind

3800-553: The Caodong school of Chinese Chan and is associated with Hongzhi Zhengjue (1091—1157) who wrote various works on the practice. This method derives from the Indian Buddhist practice of the union ( Skt. yuganaddha ) of śamatha and vipaśyanā . Hongzhi's practice of silent illumination does not depend on concentration on particular objects, "such as visual images, sounds, breathing, concepts, stories, or deities." Instead, it

3900-456: The Dhyāna sutras are ānāpānasmṛti (mindfulness of breathing); paṭikūlamanasikāra meditation (mindfulness of the impurities of the body); maitrī meditation (loving-kindness); the contemplation on the twelve links of pratītyasamutpāda ; and contemplation on the Buddha . According to the modern Chan master Sheng Yen , these practices are termed the "five methods for stilling or pacifying

4000-460: The Lotus is like digging a well and finding only dry earth, while a bodhisattva that knows the Lotus is like striking water. The Buddha also says that he will send emanations to protect the teachers of the sutra. Chapter 11: The Emergence of the Jeweled Stupa A massive jeweled stupa (a stylized Buddhist reliquary burial mound ) rises from the earth and floats in the air. Then a voice

4100-399: The Lotus Sūtra also teaches that the Buddha has many embodiments and these are the countless bodhisattva disciples. These bodhisattvas choose to remain in the world to save all beings and to keep the teaching alive. For Reeves "the fantastically long life of the Buddha, in other words, is at least partly a function of and dependent on his being embodied in others." The sutra is presented in

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4200-480: The Lotus Sūtra is the idea that the Buddha's lifespan is immeasurable and that he is still present in the world. The text states that the Buddha actually achieved Buddhahood innumerable eons ago, but remains in the world to help teach beings the Dharma time and again. The lifespan of the Buddha is said to be incalculable, beyond imagination, "ever enduring, never perishing." The biography and apparent death ( paranirvana , "final nirvana") of Sakyamuni Buddha (i.e.,

4300-600: The Lotus Sūtra : "Ever since I became a buddha, I have used a variety of causal explanations and a variety of parables to teach and preach, and countless skillful means to lead living beings." The Lotus Sūtra declares also all other teachings are subservient to, propagated by and in the service of the ultimate truth of the "One Buddha–Vehicle", a goal that is available to all. This can and has been interpreted by some figures in an exclusive and hierarchical sense, as meaning that all other Buddhist teachings are to be dispensed with. However, Reeves and other interpreters understand

4400-553: The Middle Chinese word 禪 ( Middle Chinese : [dʑian]; pinyin : Chán ), which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna (ध्यान), which can be approximately translated as "contemplation", "absorption", or " meditative state ". The actual Chinese term for the "Zen school" is 禪宗 ( pinyin : Chánzōng ), while "Chan" just refers to the practice of meditation itself ( Chinese : 習禪 ; pinyin : xíchán ) or

4500-530: The Shōmangyō Gisho and Yuimagyō Gisho exist only from later copies. The Hokke Gisho contains a colophon stating, "This book belongs to the private collection of King Jōgū [Prince Shōtoku] and is not from overseas." However, the brush style is different from the main text and is believed to have been later added by the priest Gyōshin. The Shōmangyō Gisho and Yuimagyō Gisho have no colophon and no authorship information. All three texts have been attributed to

4600-559: The Treatise on the Essentials of Cultivating the Mind , which depicts the teachings of the 7th-century East Mountain school , teaches a visualization of a sun disk, similar to that taught in the Contemplation Sutra . According to Charles Luk , there was no single fixed method in early Chan (Zen). All the various Buddhist meditation methods were simply skillful means which could lead

4700-477: The "first explicit statement of the sudden and direct approach that was to become the hallmark of Ch'an religious practice" is associated with the East Mountain School . It is a method named "maintaining the one without wavering" (守一不移, shǒu yī bù yí), the one being the true nature of mind or Suchness , which is equated with buddha-nature. Sharf writes that in this practice, one turns the attention from

4800-663: The Buddha Gautama) are portrayed as an illusory manifestation, a skillful means meant to teach others. The idea that the physical death of a Buddha is the termination of their life is graphically refuted by the appearance of another Buddha, Prabhūtaratna , who has taught the Lotus countless aeons ago. The Lotus Sūtra indicates that not only can multiple Buddhas exist in the same time and place (which contrasts with earlier Indian views), but that there are countless streams of Buddhas extending throughout all of space and through unquantifiable eons of time. The Lotus Sūtra illustrates

4900-828: The Buddha of a precious jewel and then says she can reach Buddhahood faster than she made that offering. She then turns into a male bodhisattva and becomes a Buddha. Through these stories, the Buddha teaches that everyone can become enlightened – men, women, animals, and even the most sinful murderers. Zen The way The "goal" Background Chinese texts Classical Post-classical Contemporary Zen in Japan Seon in Korea Thiền in Vietnam Western Zen Zen (Japanese; from Chinese: Chán ; in Korean: Sŏn , and Vietnamese: Thiền )

5000-515: The Buddha vehicle ( buddhayāna ). This concept is set forth in detail in chapters 3–9, using parables , narratives of previous existences and prophecies of awakening. Chapter 2: Skillful Means Shakyamuni explains his use of skillful means to adapt his teachings according to the capacities of his audience. He also says that his ways are inconceivable. Śāriputra asks the Buddha to explain this and five thousand monks leave because they do not want to hear this teaching. The Buddha then reveals that

5100-551: The Buddha's name, in most cases the Buddha Amitabha . In Chinese Chan, the Pure Land practice of nianfo based on the phrase Nāmó Āmítuófó (Homage to Amitabha) is a widely practiced form of Zen meditation which came to be known as "Nianfo Chan" (念佛禪). Nianfo was practiced and taught by early Chan masters, like Daoxin (580-651), who taught that one should "bind the mind to one buddha and exclusively invoke his name". The practice

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5200-623: The Buddha-body, "an embodiment of awakened activity." "Zen" is traditionally a proper noun as it usually describes a particular Buddhist sect. In more recent times, the lowercase "zen" is used when discussing a worldview or attitude that is "peaceful and calm". It was officially added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2018. The practice of meditation (Ch: chán, Skt: dhyāna ), especially sitting meditation (坐禪, pinyin : zuòchán , Japanese : ざぜん , romanized :  zazen )

5300-551: The Buddhist path and of the person of the Buddha ." Two central teachings of the Lotus Sūtra have been very influential for Mahāyāna Buddhism . The first is the doctrine of the One Vehicle , which says that all Buddhist paths and practices lead to Buddhahood and so they are all actually " skillful means " of reaching Buddhahood. The second is the idea that the lifespan of the Buddha

5400-539: The Chan Monastery), perhaps the most influential Ch’an monastic code in East Asia. Nianfo continued to be taught as a form of Chan meditation by later Chinese figures such as Yongming Yanshou , Zhongfen Mingben , and Tianru Weize . During the late Ming , the tradition of Nianfo Chan meditation was continued by figures such as Yunqi Zhuhong and Hanshan Deqing . Chan figures like Yongming Yanshou generally advocated

5500-499: The Chinese forms of these simple methods are similar, they are considered distinct approaches. During the Song dynasty , gōng'àn ( Jp. kōan ) literature became popular. Literally meaning "public case", they were stories or dialogues describing teachings and interactions between Zen masters and their students. Kōans are meant to illustrate Zen's non-conceptual insight ( prajña ). During

5600-639: The Korean Seon master Yŏndam Yuil states: "to use one's own mind to trace the radiance back to the numinous awareness of one's own mind...It is like seeing the radiance of the sun's rays and following it back until you see the orb of the sun itself." Sharf also notes that the early notion of contemplating a pure Buddha "Mind" was tempered and balanced by other Zen sources with terms like " no-mind " (wuxin), and "no-mindfulness" (wunien), to avoid any metaphysical reification of mind, and any clinging to mind or language. This kind of negative Madhyamaka style dialectic

5700-601: The Mahayana teachings on the bodhisattva , Yogachara and Tathāgatagarbha texts (like the Laṅkāvatāra ), and the Huayan school . The Prajñāpāramitā literature, as well as Madhyamaka thought, have also been influential in the shaping of the apophatic and sometimes iconoclastic nature of Zen rhetoric . The word Zen is derived from the Japanese pronunciation ( kana : ぜん) of

5800-674: The Song, a new meditation method was developed by Linji school figures such as Dahui (1089–1163) called kanhua chan ("observing the phrase" meditation) which referred to contemplation on a single word or phrase (called the huatou , "critical phrase") of a gōng'àn . Dahui famously criticised Caodong's "silent illumination." While the two methods of Caodong and Linji are sometimes seen as competing with each other, Schlütter writes that Dahui himself "did not completely condemn quiet-sitting; in fact, he seems to have recommended it, at least to his monastic disciples." In Chinese Chan and Korean Seon ,

5900-750: The Srimala Sutra. He finished in three days. This year, Hitsugi no Miko next taught the Lotus Sutra at Okamoto Palace . The empress was most pleased and presented Hitsugi no Miko with Tamomo Tokoro in Harima Province . The oldest text to attribute the Sangyōsho to Shōtoku Taishi is the 747 Hōryūji Garan Engi Narabini Ruki Shizaichō ( 法隆寺伽藍縁起并流記資財帳 ) . In addition, sutra records found in the Shōsōin documents credit King Kamitsumiya, one of Shōtoku Taishi's titles, for

6000-418: The Zen adept as follows: "the person of the Way is the one who has nothing to do [wu-shih], who has no mind at all and no doctrine to preach. Having nothing to do, such a person lives at ease." Likewise, John McRae notes that a major development in early Ch'an was the rejection of traditional meditation techniques in favor of a uniquely Zen direct approach. Early Chan sources like the Bodhidharma Anthology,

6100-427: The activities of daily life. The goal of the practice is often termed kensho (seeing one's true nature), and is to be followed by further practice to attain a natural, effortless, down-to-earth state of being, the "ultimate liberation", "knowing without any kind of defilement". This style of kōan practice is particularly emphasized in modern Rinzai , but it also occurs in other schools or branches of Zen depending on

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6200-414: The annotated Lotus and Srimala sutras. While historical records attribute these works to Shōtoku Taishi, a number of issues and problems have been pointed out. The precise development of these texts is strongly argued in modern scholarship with many alternative hypotheses. These include the following: There is no academic consensus on the true authorship. If authorship is assigned to Prince Shōtoku, then

6300-502: The assembly are confused. The Buddha responds with the parable of the burning house, in which a father (symbolizing the Buddha) uses the promise of various toy carts to get his children (sentient beings) out of a burning house (symbolizing samsara ). Once they are outside, he gives them all one large cart to travel in instead. This symbolizes how the Buddha uses the three vehicles , as skillful means to liberate all beings – even though there

6400-423: The body should expand forward slightly as one breathes. Over time the breathing should become smoother, deeper and slower. When the counting becomes an encumbrance, the practice of simply following the natural rhythm of breathing with concentrated attention is recommended. A common form of sitting meditation is called "Silent illumination" (Ch. mòzhào, Jp . mokushō ). This practice was traditionally promoted by

6500-456: The concept is implicitly present in the text. An Indian commentary (attributed to Vasubandhu ), interprets the Lotus Sūtra as a teaching of buddha-nature and later East Asian commentaries tended to adopt this view. Chinese commentators pointed to the story of Bodhisattva Never Disparaging in chapter 20 as evidence that the Lotus taught buddha-nature implicitly. Another key concept introduced by

6600-529: The form of a drama consisting of several mythological scenes. According to British writer Sangharakshita , the Lotus uses the entire cosmos for its stage, employs a multitude of mythological beings as actors and "speaks almost exclusively in the language of images." According to Gene Reeves the first part of the sutra "elucidates a unifying truth of the universe (the One Vehicle of the Wonderful Dharma)",

6700-619: The importance of traditional Buddhist ideas and practices. The Record of the Dharma-Jewel Through the Ages ( Lidai Fabao Ji ) for example states "better that one should destroy śīla [ethics], and not destroy true seeing. Śīla [causes] rebirth in Heaven, adding more [karmic] bonds, while true seeing attains nirvāṇa." Similarly the Bloodstream Sermon states that it doesn't matter whether one

6800-545: The koan's question constantly. They are also advised not to attempt to answer it intellectually, since the goal of the practice is a non-conceptual insight into non-duality. The Zen student's mastery of a given kōan is presented to the teacher in a private interview (referred to in Japanese as dokusan , daisan , or sanzen ). The process includes standardized answers, "checking questions" ( sassho ) and common sets of "capping phrase" ( jakugo ) poetry, all which must be memorized by students. While there are standardized answers to

6900-409: The kōan method as hopelessly contrived. Similarly, the Song era master Foyan Qingyuan (1067-1120) rejected the use of koans (public cases) and similar stories, arguing that they did not exist during the time of Bodhidharma and that the true koan is "what is presently coming into being." Nianfo (Jp. nembutsu, from Skt. buddhānusmṛti "recollection of the Buddha") refers to the recitation of

7000-542: The magic city represents the "Hinayana Nirvana", created merely as a rest stop by the Buddha, and the real treasure and ultimate goal is Buddhahood. Chapter 8: Prophecy for Five Hundred Disciples Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇī­putra is declared by the Buddha to be the supreme teacher in his saṅgha and is given a prediction of future Buddhahood (his name will be Dharmaprabhāsa). The Buddha then gives prophecies of future Buddhahood to twelve hundred arhats. The five hundred arhats who had walked out before confess that they were ignorant in

7100-527: The manuscript was discovered by the Buddhist monk Gyōshin (行信), who erected the Hōryū-ji Tō-in Temple where the manuscript was kept for many centuries until 1878, when it was finally presented to the Emperor Meiji as an offertory gift. An annotated commentary on the Śrīmālādevī Siṃhanāda Sūtra ; one volume in length. In the late 1960s, it was discovered that about 80% of this text was copied from

7200-495: The mind" and serve to focus and purify the mind, and support the development of the stages of dhyana . Chan Buddhists may also use other classic Buddhist practices like the four foundations of mindfulness and the Three Gates of Liberation ( emptiness or śūnyatā , signlessness or animitta , and wishlessness or apraṇihita ). Early Chan texts also teach forms of meditation that are unique to Mahāyāna Buddhism. For example,

7300-494: The most influential early Chinese meditation texts are the Anban Shouyi Jing (安般守意經, Sutra on ānāpānasmṛti ), the Zuochan Sanmei Jing (坐禪三昧經，Sutra of sitting dhyāna samādhi ) and the Damoduoluo Chan Jing (達摩多羅禪經, Dharmatrata dhyāna sutra) . These early Chinese meditation works continued to exert influence on Zen practice well into the modern era. For example, the 18th century Rinzai Zen master Tōrei Enji wrote

7400-510: The name of Shakyamuni Buddha: namu Shakamuni Butsu ) and Amida nembutsu were promoted by Soto school priests as easy practices for laypersons. Nianfo chan is also widely practiced in Vietnamese Thien . Since Zen is a form of Mahayana Buddhism , it is grounded on the schema of the bodhisattva path, which is based on the practice of the "transcendent virtues" or "perfections" ( Skt . pāramitā , Ch. bōluómì , Jp. baramitsu ) as well as

7500-468: The needs of their disciples. This concept of Buddhist pedagogical strategies is often explained through parables or allegories . In the Lotus Sūtra , the many 'skillful' or 'expedient' practices and teachings taught by the Buddha (including the " three vehicles " to awakening) are revealed to all be part of the "One Vehicle" (Skt.: ekayāna , Ch.:一乘; yīchéng ), the supreme and all encompassing path that leads to Buddhahood. Moreover, this single vehicle

7600-467: The objects of experience to "the nature of conscious awareness itself", the innately pure buddha-nature , which was compared to a clear mirror or to the sun (which is always shining but may be covered by clouds). This type of meditation is based on classic Mahāyāna ideas which are not uniquely "Chan", but according to McRae it differs from traditional practice in that "no preparatory requirements, no moral prerequisites or preliminary exercises are given," and

7700-422: The one vehicle in a more pluralist and inclusive sense which embraces and reconciles all Buddhist teachings and practices. Some have even applied this universalism to non-Buddhist teachings. Reeves also notes that the theme of unity and difference also includes other ideas besides the One Vehicle. According to Reeves "on more than one occasion, for example, the many worlds of the universe are brought together into

7800-441: The past and attached to the inferior nirvana but now they are overjoyed since they have faith in their future Buddhahood. The arhats tell the parable of a man who has fallen asleep after drinking and whose friend sews a jewel into his garment. When he wakes up he continues a life of poverty without realizing he is really rich, he only discovers the jewel after meeting his old friend again. The hidden jewel has been interpreted as

7900-674: The personal expression of this insight in daily life for the benefit of others . Some Zen sources de-emphasize doctrinal study and traditional practices, favoring direct understanding through zazen and interaction with a master (Jp: rōshi , Ch: shīfu ) who may be depicted as an iconoclastic and unconventional figure. In spite of this, most Zen schools also promote traditional Buddhist practices like chanting, precepts , rituals, monasticism and scriptural study. With an emphasis on Buddha-nature thought, intrinsic enlightenment and sudden awakening , Zen teaching draws from numerous Buddhist sources, including Sarvāstivāda meditation,

8000-610: The practice of "observing the huatou " ( hwadu in Korean) is a widely practiced method. It was taught by Seon masters like Chinul (1158–1210) and Seongcheol (1912–1993), and modern Chinese masters like Sheng Yen and Xuyun . In the Japanese Rinzai school, kōan introspection developed its own formalized style, with a standardized curriculum of kōans , which must be studied, meditated on and "passed" in sequence. Monks are instructed to "become one" with their koan by repeating

8100-474: The request of his sixteen sons, he then taught the Lotus Sūtra for a hundred thousand eons. His sons proceeded to teach the sutra. The Buddha then says that these sons all became Buddhas and that he is one of these. The Buddha also teaches a parable about a group of people seeking a great treasure who are tired of their journey and wish to quit. Their guide creates a magical illusory city for them to rest in and then makes it disappear. The Buddha explains that

8200-418: The role of the bodhisattva and the concept of the immeasurable and inconceivable lifespan and omnipresence of the Buddha. The theme of propagating the Lotus Sūtra which starts in chapter 10, continues in the remaining chapters. Chapter 10: The Dharma teachers The Buddha states that whoever hears even just one line from the sūtra will attain Buddhahood. This chapter presents the practices of teaching

8300-563: The same One Vehicle in different forms. Chapter 6: Bestowal of Prophecy The Buddha prophesies the future Buddhahood of Mahākāśyapa , Mahā­maudgalyāyana , Subhūti , and Mahākātyāyana . Chapter 7: A Past Buddha and the Illusory City The Buddha tells a story about a past Buddha called Mahābhijñā­jñānābhibhū, who reached awakening after aeons under the Bodhi tree and then taught the four noble truths and dependent origination. At

8400-415: The second part "sheds light on the everlasting personal life of the Buddha (Everlasting Original Buddha); and the third part emphasizes the actual activities of human beings (the bodhisattva way)." The following chapter by chapter overview is based on the expanded Chinese version of Kumārajīva, the most widely translated version into other languages. Other versions have different chapter divisions. During

8500-414: The semi-mythological Prince Shōtoku . However, current scholarly consensus disputes this and the actual authorship of the texts are unknown. The Nihon Shoki records that in 606, Prince Shōtoku taught the Śrīmālādevī Siṃhanāda Sūtra and the Lotus Sutra , hence the belief that he authored all three. On the seventh month of autumn, the empress summoned Hitsugi no Miko and commanded him to teach

8600-554: The shortened form Lotus Sūtra is more common. Translations of this title into Asian languages include the following: The Japanese Buddhist priest Nichiren (1222–1282) regarded the title as the summary of the Lotus Sūtra 's teachings. The chanting of the title is the basic religious practice he advocated during his lifetime. The Lotus Sūtra is known for its extensive instruction on skillful means (Sanskrit: upāyakauśalya or upāya , Ch.: fangbian , Jp.: hōben ), which refers to how Buddhas teach in many ways adapted to

8700-487: The simplest forms of devotion will eventually reach Buddhahood. The Buddha also states that those who reject and insult the Lotus Sūtra (and those who teach it) will be reborn in hell. Chapter 3: The Parable of the Burning House The Buddha prophesies that in a future eon ( kalpa ) Śāriputra will become a Buddha called Padmaprabha. Śāriputra is happy to have heard this new teaching, but says that some in

8800-403: The son arrives at the father's estate, but the son does not recognize his father and is afraid of such a powerful man. The father therefore sends low class people to offer him a menial job cleaning trash. For over 20 years, the father gradually leads his son to more important and better jobs, such as being the accountant for all the father's wealth. Then one day he announces his identity and the son

8900-502: The study of meditation ( Chinese : 禪學 ; pinyin : chánxué ) though it is often used as an abbreviated form of Chánzong . Zen is also called 佛心宗, fóxīnzōng (Chinese) or busshin-shū (Japanese), the "Buddha-mind school," from fó-xīn , "Buddha-mind"; "this term can refer either to the (or a) Buddha's compassionate and enlightened mind , or to the originally clear and pure mind inherent in all beings to which they must awaken." Busshin may also refer to Buddhakaya ,

9000-663: The sutra receive predictions of future Buddhahood, including the ultimate Buddhist villain Devadatta . In chapter 10, the Buddha points out that all sorts of people will become Buddhas, including monks, nuns, laypeople, along with numerous non-human beings like nagas. Even those, who practice only simple forms of devotion, such as paying respect to the Buddha, or drawing a picture of the Buddha, are assured of their future Buddhahood . According to Gene Reeves, this teaching also encourages this potential for Buddhahood in all beings, even in enemies as well as "to realize our own capacity to be

9100-417: The sutra which includes accepting, embracing, reading, reciting, copying, explaining, propagating it, and living in accordance with its teachings. The teachers of the Dharma ( dharmabhāṇaka ) are praised as the messengers of the Buddha. The Buddha states that they should be honored as if they were Buddhas and that stupas should be built wherever the sutra is taught, recited or written. Someone who does not know

9200-510: The sūtra has also been interpreted as promoting the idea that the Buddha's realm ( buddhakṣetra ) "is in some sense immanent in the present world, although radically different from our ordinary experience of being free from decay, danger and suffering." In this view, which is very influential in Tiantai and Japanese Buddhism , "this world and the pure land are not, ultimately, separate places but are in fact non dual ." According to Gene Reeves,

9300-680: The taking of the bodhisattva vows . The most widely used list of six virtues is: generosity , moral training (incl. five precepts ), patient endurance , energy or effort , meditation ( dhyana ), wisdom . An important source for these teachings is the Avatamsaka sutra , which also outlines the grounds ( bhumis ) or levels of the bodhisattva path. The pāramitās are mentioned in early Chan works such as Bodhidharma 's Two entrances and four practices and are seen as an important part of gradual cultivation ( jianxiu ) by later Chan figures like Zongmi . An important element of this practice

9400-454: The teaching line. In the Caodong and Soto traditions, koans were studied and commented on, for example Hongzhi published a collection of koans and Dogen discussed koans extensively. However, they were not traditionally used in sitting meditation. Some Zen masters have also critiqued the practice of using koans for meditation. According to Haskel, Bankei called kōans "old wastepaper" and saw

9500-459: The teachings according to their respective capacities. Some versions of the sutra also contain other parables, such as one which compares the Dharma to the light of the Sun and moon, which shine equally on all. Just like that, the Buddha's wisdom shines on everyone equally. Another parable found in some versions says that just like a potter makes different types of pots from the same clay, the Buddha teaches

9600-454: The three vehicles ( yānas ) are really just skillful means, and that they are in reality the One Vehicle ( ekayāna ). He says that the ultimate purpose of the Buddhas is to cause sentient beings "to obtain the insight of the Buddha" and "to enter the way into the insight of the Buddha." The Buddha also states the various benefits for those who preserve the sutra, and that those who perform even

9700-451: The traditional Buddhist meditations. This uniquely Zen approach goes by various names like “maintaining mind” (shouxin 守心), “maintaining unity” (shouyi 守一), “pacifying the mind” (anxin 安心), “discerning the mind” (guanxin 觀心), and “viewing the mind” (kanxin 看心). A traditional phrase that describes this practice states that "Chán points directly to the human mind, to enable people to see their true nature and become buddhas." According to McRae

9800-632: The works would need to have been finally completed before 622 when he died. Lotus Sutra The Lotus Sūtra (Sanskrit: Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtram , Sūtra on the White Lotus of the True Dharma, Chinese : 妙法蓮華經 ) is one of the most influential and venerated Buddhist Mahāyāna sūtras . It is the main scripture on which the Tiantai along with its derivative schools, the Japanese Tendai and Nichiren , Korean Cheontae , and Vietnamese Thiên Thai schools of Buddhism were established. It

9900-401: The world of suffering to help others attain awakening , all while working towards complete Buddhahood. In the Lotus Sūtra , the One Vehicle encompasses many different and seemingly contradictory teachings because the Buddha's great compassion and wish to save all beings ( bodhicitta ) led him to adapt the teaching to suit many different kinds of people and contexts. As the Buddha states in

10000-549: Was a student of the Buddha Candrasūryapradīpa. He then says that the Buddha is about to expound his ultimate teaching, The White Lotus of the Good Dharma . In fact, Mañjuśrī says this sutra was taught by other Buddhas innumerable times in the past. Modern scholars suggest that chapters 2–9 contain the original form of the text. In Chapter 2 the Buddha declares that there ultimately exists only one path, one vehicle,

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