What exactly is the difference between Zen and Buddha? It s easy to make jokes if you don t know!

Mondo Science Updated on 2024-01-29

A Buddha is a personality whose intellect, emotion, and ability have all attained their most complete state at the same time, in other words: the Buddha is great wisdom, great compassion (or full wisdom, full compassion) and great power. Zen is an act based on "stillness", which originated from human instinct, was developed by ancient ancestors, and existed in various sects.

"Buddha" is the abbreviation of "Buddha" in Hindi, which means "Jue" in Chinese. This kind of consciousness is different from the ordinary consciousness, because most of the consciousness of ordinary people is an illusion; This enlightenment is the true wisdom that can be truly proven to all things, which is the Buddha. A Buddha is a person who has a thorough understanding of life in the universe, a person who is truly fully enlightened, and is also called a person who is fully enlightened or omniscient.

The word "Zen" is an abbreviation of the Buddhist word "Dhyana", which is derived from the transliteration of Sanskrit. It is also translated as "renunciation of evil" or "forest of merit", and in the literal translation of "meditation" or "meditation". Zen is not a simple noun, but a profound practice in Buddhism. Zen is an act based on "stillness", which originated from human instinct, was developed by ancient ancestors, and existed in various sects. This practice is called contemplation, which means practicing in contemplation and attaining inner stability through in-depth thinking and study.

Zen is not to set up words, not to set up classes, to point directly to people's hearts, and to become a Buddha by epiphany. The experience of Zena is described as silent and contemplative, hence the name meditation. In this philosophy, stillness is concentration, consideration is wisdom, and the realm of concentration and wisdom is equal, and it is full of magic, which is collectively called "Dhyana". This is what Buddhists often call Zen, a state of ethereal tranquility, in which the individual puts aside external interference, takes back his consciousness, and returns the spirit to his or her own inner being, which is the essence of "Zen".

The first ancestor Bodhidharma

The third son of the king of Nantianzhu Guoxiang, the Brahmin surname Kshatriya, studied under the Venerable Prajnatara. Emperor Wen of the Western Wei Dynasty passed away in the second year of the Great Unification (536), buried in Xiong'er Mountain (now Shaanxi County, Henan), and built a tower in Baolin Temple; Tang Dynasty Zong Li Yu gave the name "Yuanjue Zen Master", and the tower said "Empty View". Today's Shaolin Temple has "the first ancestral nunnery", "face wall hole" and other relics.

Second ancestorHuike

The common surname is Ji, and the original name is Shenguang, also known as Monk Ke. Northern Wei Dynasty, Northern Qi Dynasty Luoyang (now Henan) Tiger prison people. When Master Bodhidharma lived in Shaolin Temple in Songshan, the divine light asked for the Tao. On the snowy night, his left arm was broken, and Bodhidharma felt and promised it, and changed his name to Hui Ke. Later, he received the mantle of Bodhidharma, followed the legal system of Zen Buddhism, and became the second ancestor.

The three ancestors are monks

Master Seng Can, also known as Monk Can, year of birth and death and deeds unknown, is the three ancestors of Zen Buddhism in China, who followed the second ancestor Hui Ke to learn Buddhism for several years, and then was awarded the mantle as the three ancestors of Zen Buddhism. Before the three ancestors passed away, they passed on the mantle to the four ancestors of Zen Buddhism, and it is said that he wrote "Faith Inscription" to pass on.

Four Ancestors Daoxin

Daoxin (580-651), commonly known as Sima, was born in Yongning County, a high monk of the Sui and Tang dynasties, and the fourth ancestor of Zen Buddhism. Father Sima Shen, in 579 A.D. the Northern Zhou Dynasty occupied Qichang land, the Guangji realm was divided from Qichang County, established as Yongning County, Sima Shen was the first county commander, the third day of the third month of the second year, Sima Daoxin was born. Emperor Wen of Sui opened the emperor for thirteen years, asked the three ancestors of Zen Buddhism to seek the law, and then was ordained in Jizhou Fu Temple, and was awarded the mantle by the three ancestors at the age of 26.

Five Ancestors Hongnin

Master Hongren (601 615), a native of Huangmei County, Hubei Province, he was clever since childhood, known as a "prodigy", at the age of 23, he went to Huangmei Shuangfeng Temple to seek the Dharma, and the four twists the Taoist master as a teacher, during which he won the appreciation and respect of the Taoist master, was promoted to the throne, and was honored as the head of the temple, becoming the best and most powerful assistant of the Taoist master. Master Daoxin passed on the mantle to Master Hongren, and Master Hongren became the fifth generation patriarch of the Weeping Sect.

Six AncestorsHuineng

Huineng's common surname is Lu, and he is originally from Fanyang (now Beijing). He lost his father at the age of three, and when he was a little older, he made a living by chopping wood to support his old mother. One day, when selling firewood, I heard people recite the "Diamond Sutra" and had an understanding, so I went north to Huangmei to pay homage to the five ancestors. After the master chose the heir of the law, he made the public **. The Theravada Master Shenxiu first made a side: "The body is a Bodhi tree, and the heart is like a mirror." Wipe it diligently at all times, and don't let it cause dust." After hearing this, Huineng asked someone to write a ghostwriter, "Bodhi has no tree, and the mirror is not a platform." There is nothing in the first place, where is the dust". This piece won the praise of the five ancestors, and the mantle of Zen was secretly imposed.

In the early days of Buddhism in China, it quickly merged with the local culture and formed a Buddhist system with Chinese characteristics. The Buddhist emphasis on compassion and the Confucian idea of benevolence are fused together, and together they have injected the power of humanistic care into Chinese society. This convergence is not only reflected at the ideological level, but also has a profound impact on social ethics and moral norms.

As an important branch of Buddhism, Zen Buddhism thrives in China's unique cultural soil. Zen Buddhism emphasizes that there are no words, no classes, and it points directly to the hearts of the people, and has an epiphany to become a Buddha. The introduction of Zen Buddhism had a profound impact on Chinese philosophy and promoted the deepening and development of traditional Chinese thought. The concept of Zen Buddhism of "pointing directly to the heart" echoes the concepts of "Taoism and Nature" in traditional Chinese culture, and together constructs a unique cultural concept in China.

In the field of art, Buddhism and Zen Buddhism have also injected unique inspiration and expressions into Chinese art. Typical representatives of Buddhist art are Buddha statues and temple buildings, which combine faith and aesthetics through the artistic expression of Buddhist teachings, infusing traditional Chinese art with religious mystery and transcendence. Zen Buddhism, on the other hand, emphasizes the spiritual connotation beyond words and forms through artistic expressions such as "Zen realm" and "Zen meaning", which has influenced many artistic fields such as Chinese painting and literature, making art more profound and connotative.

Write to the end. Buddhism and Zen Buddhism, as religious and philosophical systems, have left a profound imprint on Chinese culture. They have had a profound and extensive impact on traditional Chinese thought, art, philosophy and way of life. This influence has not only had a tremendous impact in history, but it still has important value and significance in today's society. Autumn and Winter Check-in Challenge

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