The Glocal Book:"The Book of Tea" by Okakura Kakuzou(Tenshin)-No.45

Zen; Supreme Self-Realisation

「If now we turn our attention to Zennism we shall find that it emphasises the teachings of Taoism.
Zen is a name derived from the Sanscrit word Dhyana, which signifies meditation.
It claims that through consecrated meditation may be attained supreme self-realisation.
Meditation is one of the six ways through which Buddhahood may be reached, and the Zen sectatians affirm that Sakyamuni laid special stress on this method in his later teachings, handing down the rules to his chief disciple Kashipa.
According to their tradition Kashipa, the first Zen patriarch, imparted the secret to Ananda, who in turn passed it on to successive patriachs until it reached Bodhi-Dharma, the twenty-eighth.
Bodhi-Dharma, came to Northern China in the early half of the sixth century and was the first patriarch of Chinese Zen.
There is much uncertainty about the history of these patriarchs and their doctrines.
In its philosophical aspect early Zennism seems to have affinity on one hand to the Indian Negativism of Nagarjuna and on the other to the Gnan philosophy formulated by Sancharacharya.」(From the Book of Tea-Taoism and Zennism, p.47-48, Charles E. Tuttle Co., Rutland, Vermont-Tokyo, Japan)

Now, we are going to study about Zen, which is the most deeply affect to The Way of Tea and/or The Tea Ceremony.

First of all, let's learn about the history of Zen.
Yet, there is much uncertainty about the early phase of Zen history.

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