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Ch'an / Zen Buddhism

johnathanjohnathan Canada Veteran
edited May 2010 in Buddhism Basics
I have been investigating different schools of Buddhism to see if i can't figure out which one resonates most with me...

I am wondering if anyone can explain if Ch'an and Zen are one and the same and if not what are the differences...

Comments

  • NiosNios Veteran
    edited May 2010
    Hello my "new scotland" friend.

    I hope this answers your question.
  • johnathanjohnathan Canada Veteran
    edited May 2010
    Thanks for the expedient reply Nios,

    I was aware that Ch'an was from China and that Zen came from Ch'an as it moved into Japan... I don't see anywhere where the principles or practices differ so I guess I am just seeking confirmation on this in case I am missing something somewhere...

    Not only am I a "New Scotsman" but my ancestors are originally from Scotland... weirdly enough my wife's ancestors are Irish... This could explain why we're always butting heads (or it could be that we're both Capricorns... not sure)
  • johnathanjohnathan Canada Veteran
    edited May 2010
    Also, I have not seen mention of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path when reading about Zen, does Zen not pay credence to these core teachings of the Buddha?
  • NiosNios Veteran
    edited May 2010
    Och-aye! I'm a mixed bread myself! English, Welsh, Scottish, French... from there it just gets messy! :p

    As with all forms of Buddhism, the chan/zen have slight differences in practice focus and culture can give them a different "feel", but essentially they are the same.
    By practice focus I mean, one school might focus on koan, one on meditation, etc.

    Nios
  • NiosNios Veteran
    edited May 2010
    johnathan wrote: »
    Also, I have not seen mention of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path when reading about Zen, does Zen not pay credence to these core teachings of the Buddha?

    From my experience they do. Some zen schools can be quite austere in their practice, especially when it comes to intellectualizing over the teachings, which is often discouraged. The teachings and sutras are indeed there (and chanted often) but the focus is on shikantaza meditation, hence the name "zen" ("dhyana")

    Someone with more experience might be able to expand on this for you.

    Nios.
  • RichardHRichardH Veteran
    edited May 2010
    johnathan wrote: »
    Also, I have not seen mention of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path when reading about Zen, does Zen not pay credence to these core teachings of the Buddha?

    The Dharma name given to me, Kojip, means Four Noble Truths in Korean. This was given by Zen teacher Samu Sunim when taking the precepts. The Four noble Truths are foundational for all schools as far as I know.
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