Chan Buddhism (also written as Ch'an Buddhism and known as Zen), is one of the two schools of Mahayana Buddhism. The other school is known as Pure Land Buddhism. Two individuals from India are credited with helping establish Buddhism in China, the warrior and monk Buddhabhadra (also known as Batuo) who established the first Shaolin Temple in Henan Province in the later part of the 5th century CE, and in the 6th century Bodhidharma (also known as Damo), who introduced a new school called Dhyana to the Shaolin Buddhists. This new school of teachings, also known as Chan in China, was less dogmatic and taught that enlightenment could be attained directly via mediation practice and the realization of one's nature. academic.hws.edu/chinese/huang/mdln210/mdln210-17a.ppt http://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/7521621 http://departments.colgate.edu/greatreligions/pages/buddhanet/zen325/6thpatr.txt

Chan Buddhism spread from China to many other areas nearby, such as Tibet, Burma and Japan, albeit in different forms as the sect has subdivided into many different subsects from the "Southern School" of the sixth patriarch, Hui-Neng; during the 7th to the 9th century. Two of the sects, Cao'dong and Linji were brought to Japan by the monks Elsai and Dogen in the 12th and 13th century, respectively, to become Zen Buddhism. http://large.stanford.edu/history/kaist/references/confucius/liu4/

This page contains further information on the history of Chan Buddhism below. Beliefs of this Buddhist sect are are included. A featured video is included that describes the life and teachings of Hui-Neng. Related Mahalo Pages on Taoism, Buddhism, Zen and other topics can be found on the right of the page. Google links, news and blogs sections are listed below if you need more information.

Buddhism first became established in China along trade routes with India. The town of Dunhuang in western China, where two branches of the Silk Road meet, had a thriving Buddhist community around the 4th century. But it was not until the late 5th century that Batuo established the first monastery, or Shaolin temple, at Song Shan in Henan Province. The philosophical foundation for the Chan sect was established by Bodhidarma during the 6th century, which departed from the Mahayana foundation established by Batuo. Bodhidarma became the first patriarch of Chan Buddhism. http://www.googlesyndicatedsearch.com/u/hws?q=buddhism&domains=hws.edu&submit=&sitesearch=hws.edu

A succession of patriarchs led the Chan sect until it was time to select a 6th leader. Two people assumed this role, Hui-Neng who actually received the Bodhidharma robe of transmission and formed what was later called the "Southern School," and Shen-hsi, who claimed transmission and established what was derisively termed the "Northern School." Essentially Hui-Neng taught "sudden enlightenment," and Shen-hsi was said to have taught "gradual enlightenment." Although the sect of Shen-hsi had the support of the Empress Wu, it did not have a patriarchal successor. www.thezensite.com/ZenEssays/HistoricalZen/Legends_in_Chan.pdf http://departments.colgate.edu/greatreligions/pages/buddhanet/zen325/6thpatr.txt academic.hws.edu/chinese/huang/mdln210/mdln210-17a.ppt

Later divisions of the Southern Sect which occurred from the 7th century included the Qingyuan and Nanyue. Sub-branches of each of these occurred up until the 9th century. Three branches came from the Qingyuan sect, including Cao'dong, Fayan and Yunmen. Two branches that came from the Nanyue subsect were Weiyang and Linji. Traditions from the Linji and Cao'dong branches were brought to Japan by the 13th century. http://large.stanford.edu/history/kaist/references/confucius/liu4/ http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/reviews/showrev.php?id=23405

For Chan Buddhists, enlightenment cannot be achieved through good deeds and thoughts because all thoughts are illusory, including the study of sutras, cultivation of morality, and avoidance of evil. Chan Buddhists avoid the mainstream Buddhist practices including dogma, ritualism and the three baskets (Tripitaka) which include discipline, discourses and higher philosophy. www.thezensite.com/ZenEssays/HistoricalZen/Legends_in_Chan.pdf Chan followers also see scriptural authority as being unable to adequately express religious truth, which can only be realized by mind. http://snowy.arsc.alaska.edu/mirrors/gutenberg/etext04/samur10.txt Words and thoughts cloud the mind and one's essential nature. http://www.googlesyndicatedsearch.com/u/hws?hl=en&domains=hws.edu&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=huang&btnG=Search&sitesearch=hws.edu

Some consider this tradition to be anti-intellectual as it emphasizes an emptying of the mind. This state is attained by meditation practice to help one achieve clarity of mind to see one's true nature. http://www.buddhanet.net Hui-Neng, said in this regard, "Meditation to wisdom is like the lamp to the light," meaning that meditation and wisdom are of one essence. academic.hws.edu/chinese/huang/mdln210/mdln210-17a.ppt Mind-to-mind transmission of this wisdom is one of the mystical aspects of Chan Buddhism that occur between teacher and practitioner. www.thezensite.com/ZenEssays/HistoricalZen/Legends_in_Chan.pdf

• 495 CE - Batuo introduced Mahayana Buddhism to China

• 516-526 CE - Damo introduce Dhayana school of Buddhism, considered the first patriarch http://www.shaolin.com/historycontent.aspx

• 661 CE - Hui-Neng became the sixth patriarch, founding the "Souther School"; and Shen-hsi also claimed transmission, forming the "Northern School." http://www.nalanda-university.com/buddhist-ayurveda-encylopedia/huineng_sixth-patriarch-of-chan-buddhism_zen-master_hwei-neng.htm

• 701 CE - Shen Hsui recieves support of the Empress Wu, preaching in Lo-yang and Chang'an. http://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/7521621

• 845 CE - Persecution and destruction of Buddhist temples and documents by Taoist Emperor Emperor Wu-tsung of the T'ang dynasty, called the Hui-ch'ang persecution http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-Huichangpersecution.html

• 10th-13th century -Tang and Song dynasties, Buddhism had a popular following. http://www.google.co.cr/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=12&ved=0CAsQFjABOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Focean.otr.usm.edu%2F~w416373%2FHIS%2520101%2520web%2520site%2FLsn%25205%2520Resurgent%2520China.ppt&ei=5DQ8S7mDGIbIlAfj6s2eBw&usg=AFQjCNFWTyngr0e3AQTOKP4g2qiMcFeySQ&sig2=OQe8m-7ST5JU_jK4co9ILg

• 12th and 13th century - Movement of Cao'dong sect teachings by Dogen (Rinzai) and Linji sect by Elsai (Soto) to Japan to become Zen Buddhism http://large.stanford.edu/history/kaist/references/confucius/liu4/

• 15th and 16th centuries - Period of dormancy for the movementacademic.hws.edu/chinese/huang/mdln210/mdln210-17a.ppt

• 17th century - Scholastic revival of Chan Buddhism, non-ascetic style of meditation