Zen Buddhism is an Eastern teaching that teaches the attainment of enlightenment. If you take a broader look at this direction, then it is rather a way of life and is beyond the rational. The purpose of the practice is quite broad: it is a spiritual awakening, and the disclosure of the essence of the absolute, and comprehension of oneself.
The first in the Zen line is Shakyamuni Buddha. He is followed by Mahakashyapa, to whom the Buddha conveyed a special state of awakening, and this happened without the help of words (this is how the Zen tradition of direct transmission of the teaching "from heart to heart" was founded).
This teaching originated in China in the fifth century AD. It was brought by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. He later became the first Chan patriarch in China. Badhidharma is the founder of the famous Shaolin Monastery. Nowadays, it is considered the cradle of Chan Buddhism (Chinese).
Followers of Bodhirharma were five patriarchs. Then the doctrine was divided into the southern school and the northern one. South, in turn, was divided into five schools of Zen (in our time there are two left: Linji and Caodong.
Zen Buddhismreached Europe in the middle of the 19th century, but the first acquaintance of Western people with the teaching took place in 1913, it was then that the book “The Religion of the Samurai” was published, but it did not gain popularity. She was interested in a narrow circle of specialists. The philosophy of Zen Buddhism began to gain fans after the publication of books by Suzuki D. T., this served as an impetus for the growth in popularity of Zen. Watts was the first Western author to write about the doctrine. His first book was called The Spirit of Zen. By the end of the 50s, a lot of literature on this topic began to appear. These were both European and American Zen Buddhists, who have already described their experience of immersing themselves in meditation and comprehending the truth. In these books, the European reader was told everything in an accessible language, understandable terms were used. The practical and theoretical aspects of the teaching were described.
The line of transmission in Zen should be continuous, formed directly from the teacher to the student. This ensures the stability of the learning process. Teachers do not welcome written texts and discussions (“Truth cannot be expressed in words”).
Practitioners are known to be calm and even-tempered people. Zen classes contribute to a better development of intellectual abilities. Meditation is at the heart of the practice. It is noted that in the process of education, disease prevention occurs, as well as he alth problems are solved. The student can easily overcome any stress. Consciousness becomes clear, mind - deep and sharp. The concentration of attention increases many times over. Helpsfast and confident decision making. Psychic abilities develop.
This is Zen Buddhism, a philosophy understood by many today. Even in the most critical situations, teaching allows you to feel liberated and self-confident. Practitioners can see the beauty in the smallest things, which is probably why this teaching is gaining more and more fans.
