History of Zen,Japanese Buddism
In ancient India, "zazen" was just one of the techniques of Buddhist practice.
It was in China in the 6th century that Zen Buddhism was born as a sect. It
is said that an Indian monk called Dharma visited the Eineiji Temple and some
say that it was the Shorinji Temple in China in order to introduce "zen" to
the Chinese people, here he demonstrated "zen" by sitting facing a wall for
nine years. As Zen Buddhism continued to develop in China for about three
centuries after this, denominational sub- sects like "Rinsai ("Oubaku")",
"Soto" and "Hogen" also became established. Although Buddhism itself was introduced
in Japan in the 6th century, it was in the 12th century, under the Kamakura
shogunate, that Zen Buddhism become an important power, as a result of the
activities of high priests such as Dogen. While Chinese "zen" included the
chanting of prayers and the active practice of
Taijiquan, Dogen
proposed the practice of "shikan-daza" meditation while sitting
in silence.
