Rinzai. The Rinzai school (臨済宗; Japanese: Rinzai-shū, Chinese: 临济宗 línjì zōng) is one of three sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism (with Sōtō and Ōbaku).
History[edit] Rinzai is the Japanese line of the Chinese Linji school, which was founded during the Tang Dynasty by Linji Yixuan (Japanese: Rinzai Gigen). Kamakura (1185–1333)[edit] Though there were several attempts to establish Rinzai lines in Japan, it first took root in a lasting way through the efforts of the monk Myōan Eisai. In 1168 Myōan Eisai traveled to China, whereafter he studied Tendai for twenty years. The time during which Rinzai Zen was established in Japan also saw the rise of the samurai to power.
Muromachi (or Ashikaga) (1336–1573)[edit] During the Muromachi period the Rinzai school was the most successful of the schools, since it was favoured by the Shogun. Five Mountain System[edit] In the beginning of the Muromachi period the Five Mountain System (Gozan) system was fully worked out. Rinka-monasteries[edit] Sanbo Kyodan. Sanbo Kyodan (三宝教団, Sanbō Kyōdan?
, literally "Three Treasures Religious Organization") is a Zen sect derived from both the Rinzai and Soto traditions of Japanese Zen. History[edit] Sanbō Kyōdan was founded by Yasutani Haku'un in 1954. It is rooted in the thinking of Harada Daiun Sogaku, a Sōtō priest who also studied with Rinzai priests. Both Harada Roshi and Yasutani Roshi were strong promoters of Zen practice for lay practitioners, and for people of other (non-Buddhist, non-Asian) faith communities and cultures. The leaders of the Sanbo Kyodan were involved in the contemporary social and cultural developments in Japan, which followed the abandonment of the mediaeval feudal system and its opening up to foreign influences and modern western technology and culture.
Influence[edit] Western influence[edit] Although the membership of Sanbō Kyōdan is small (3,790 registered followers and 24 instructors in 1988), "the Sanbõkyõdan has had an inordinate influence on Zen in the West". Sōtō. Sōtō Zen or the Sōtō school (曹洞宗, Sōtō-shū?)
Is the largest of the three traditional sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism (the others being Rinzai and Ōbaku). It emphasizes Shikantaza, meditation with no objects, anchors, or content. The meditator strives to be aware of the stream of thoughts, allowing them to arise and pass away without interference. The Japanese brand of the sect was imported in the 13th century by Dōgen Zenji, who studied Caodong Buddhism (Chinese: 曹洞宗; pinyin: Cáodòng Zōng) abroad in China. Dōgen is remembered today as the co-patriarch of Sōtō Zen in Japan along with Keizan Jōkin. With about 14,000 temples, Sōtō is one of the largest Japanese Buddhist organizations. History[edit] Chinese origins[edit] The original Chinese version of Soto-shu, i.e. the Caodong-school (曹洞宗) was established by the Tang dynasty monk Dongshan Liangjie (Ja: Tōzan Ryōkai) in the 9th century. A precursor to the sect is Shítóu Xīqiān (Ch.
Kamakura (1185-1333)[edit] Zen. Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism[note 1] that developed in China during the Tang dynasty as Chán.
From China, Zen spread south to Vietnam, northeast to Korea and east to Japan. Zen emphasizes rigorous meditation-practice, insight into Buddha-nature, and the personal expression of this insight in daily life, especially for the benefit of others. As such, it deemphasizes mere knowledge of sutras and doctrine and favors direct understanding through zazen and interaction with an accomplished teacher. The teachings of Zen include various sources of Mahāyāna thought, especially Yogācāra, the Tathāgatagarbha Sutras and Huayan, with their emphasis on Buddha-nature, totality, and the Bodhisattva-ideal. The Prajñāpāramitā literature and, to a lesser extent, Madhyamaka have also been influential in the shaping of the "paradoxical language" of the Zen-tradition. Etymology[edit] Zen practice[edit] Dhyana - Zen meditation[edit] Central to Zen is the practice of dhyana or meditation.
Lay services[edit]