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Zen


Zen (Chinese: 禪; pinyin: Chán; Japanese: 禅, romanized: zen; Korean: 선, romanized: Seon; Vietnamese: Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (Chánzong 禪宗), and later developed into various sub-schools and branches. 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.

The term Zen is derived from the Japanese pronunciation of the Middle Chinese word 禪 (chán), an abbreviation of 禪那 (chánnà), which is a Chinese transliteration of the Sanskrit word dhyāna ("meditation"). Zen emphasizes rigorous self-restraint, meditation-practice, insight into the nature of mind (見性, Ch. jiànxìng, Jp. kensho, "perceiving the true nature") and nature of things (without arrogance or egotism), and the personal expression of this insight in daily life, especially for the benefit of others. As such, it de-emphasizes knowledge alone of sutras and doctrine, and favors direct understanding through spiritual practice and interaction with an accomplished teacher or Master.

Zen teaching draws from numerous sources of Mahāyāna thought, especially Yogachara, the Tathāgatagarbha sūtras, the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, and the Huayan school, with their emphasis on Buddha-nature, totality, and the Bodhisattva-ideal. 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.

Furthermore, the Chan School was also influenced by Taoist philosophy, especially Neo-Daoist thought.


Systematic review of the efficacy of meditation techniques as treatments for medical illness. Arias AJ, Steinberg K, Banga A, Trestman RL. J Altern Complement Med. 2006 Oct;12(8):817-32. doi: 10.1089/acm.2006.12.817. PMID: 17034289.
Health benefits of meditation. Horowitz S. Altern Complement Ther. 2010;16:223–8. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1089/act.2010.16402
Meditation in medical practice: a review of the evidence and practice. Fortney L, Taylor M. Prim Care. 2010 Mar;37(1):81-90. doi: 10.1016/j.pop.2009.09.004. PMID: 20188999.
Meditation: Process and effects. Sharma H. Ayu. 2015 Jul-Sep;36(3):233-7. doi: 10.4103/0974-8520.182756. PMID: 27313408; PMCID: PMC4895748.
A Phase Ib/IIa Study of the Pan-BET Inhibitor ZEN-3694 in Combination with Enzalutamide in Patients with Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer. Aggarwal RR, Schweizer MT, Nanus DM, Pantuck AJ, Heath EI, Campeau E, Attwell S, Norek K, Snyder M, Bauman L, Lakhotia S, Feng FY, Small EJ, Abida W, Alumkal JJ. Clin Cancer Res. 2020 Oct 15;26(20):5338-5347. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-20-1707. Epub 2020 Jul 21. PMID: 32694156; PMCID: PMC7572827.

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