Zen can be summed up in one phrase: “Be mindful of the present moment and let go.” Its origin is the Sanskrit word dhyāna (meaning quiet contemplation or meditation). The Pali word jhāna shares this root. **In Chinese translation, it was phonetically transcribed as “zenna” (禅那, old character: 禪那), later abbreviated to ‘zen’ (禅).** Its original meaning is “meditation = clearing the mind.”
The “starting point” of Zen is the practice of meditation within ancient Indian Buddhism.
As a distinct school, “Zen (Chinese Zen = Chan Buddhism/Chán)” was formed in China, generally beginning around the 6th century and flourishing fully during the Tang dynasty (7th–9th centuries). Tradition holds Bodhidharma (c. 5th–6th century) as its founding patriarch (historically a somewhat legendary figure).
Zen subsequently spread to Korea (Seon), Vietnam (Thiền), and Japan. In Japan, the foundations were laid during the Kamakura period (12th–13th centuries) by Rinzai’s Eisai (said to have introduced it in 1191) and Sōtō’s **Dōgen (1200–1253)**.
Three major schools of Zen were introduced to Japan:
① Rinzai — Eisai (1141–1215). He is said to have brought Rinzai Zen to Japan after traveling to Song China from 1187 to 1191. He founded Shōfuku-ji (Hakata) in 1195 and Kennin-ji (Kyoto) in 1202. It spread with the backing of the warrior class.
② Sōtō — Dōgen (1200–1253). After returning from China in 1227, he established a teaching centered on zazen and founded Eihei-ji (Echizen) in 1244. It later developed into Japan’s largest Zen school.
③ Ōbaku — Ingen Ryūki (arrived 1654). He came during the turmoil of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, founded Manpuku-ji (Uji) in 1661, and established Ōbaku as one of Japan’s three Zen schools. He transmitted practices with a distinctly Chinese character.
While each school emphasizes a distinct core, all share zazen (seated meditation) as their foundation. It’s easiest to understand them as separate branches growing from the same “Zen” trunk.
This blog focuses on Sōtō Zen. To help English-speaking readers visualize the ideas, we use analogies set in familiar English-speaking contexts rather than in Japan.