Zen Heaven, Zen Earth -- Unbound by Established Methods: Unbound by Established Methods

Author: Zhang Zhijun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: To promote Buddhism in serving the reality in the new era, and to encourage more people to recognize and participate in Life Zen, over the past decade, with the kind care and strong support of the China Buddhist Association and the Hebei Provincial Committee of the CPC and the Provincial People's Government, the Hebei Buddhist Association has focused on "Life Zen Summer Camp," and so on. Although we have achieved some results and received positive responses both within and outside the Buddhist community, this is merely a starting point, and there are still many things we need to continue doing. Many scholars often say, "Buddhism originated in India, developed in China, and bloomed in Japan." Every time I hear this, I can't help but feel a mix of emotions. Before the Song Dynasty, Buddhism in China was highly developed, with eight major sects during the Ming Dynasty, among which Chan (Zen) was a highly Chinese characteristic and able to embody the original intent of the Buddha sect. At that time, the lineage of Chan Buddhism almost covered the entire southern and northern regions of China and spread eastward to Japan and South Korea, and southward to Vietnam and other places. After the Southern Song Dynasty, Buddhism in China began to gradually decline. By the modern era, its influence became even smaller. Why did this happen? The reasons are multifaceted. I think one main reason is likely related to the practice of Buddhism in later periods in China becoming detached from social reality.