Zen in the South, Zen in the North: Wisdom that Transcends the Heavens

Author: Zhang Zhijun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: To promote Buddhism in serving the reality better in the new era, and to gain more people's recognition and participation in Life Zen, over the past ten years, 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, our Hebei Provincial 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 emotion. Before the Song Dynasty, Buddhism in our country was highly developed, with eight major sects during the Ming Dynasty, among which Chan Buddhism is highly Chinese in character and capable of reflecting the essence of the Buddha's teachings as one of the major sects. 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, as well as southward to Vietnam and other regions. After the Southern Song Dynasty, Buddhism in our country began to gradually decline. By the modern era, its influence became even smaller. Why did this happen? The reasons are multifaceted. I think one of the main reasons may be related to the practice of Buddhism in later periods in China becoming detached from social reality.