Zen East, Zen West: The Heart Knows in Its Own Way

Author: Zhang Zhijun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: To promote Buddhism in serving reality better 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 been centered around "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 sense of reflection. Before the Song Dynasty, Buddhism in China was highly developed, with eight major sects during the Ming Dynasty, among which Chan (Zen) was one of the most Chinese and (most able to reflect the original aspirations of the Buddha) sects. At that time, the lineage of Chan Buddhism nearly covered the entire southern and northern regions of China and spread eastward to Japan and South Korea, as well as southward to Vietnam and other areas. 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 believe one of the main reasons may be related to the practice of Buddhism in later periods in China becoming detached from social reality.