SO TO ZEN - Shasta Abbey

36 Sōtō Zenserene reflection meditation, for wisdom is considered aninherent part of meditation. Although wisdom refers to thewisdom of religious experience, it does not exclude theacceptance of scientific knowledge.After Zen was transplanted in China, it was influenced bythe practical culture of the Chinese, revealing characteristicshitherto unseen in India and finally was successful in establishingitself as an independent school. Chinese chÕan was notmerely a kind of quiet meditation after the Indian style, but anenlightenment practice which points directly at the True Natureof original enlightenment (J. hongaku shinsh‡) inherent withinus. Its spirit extended to the daily life of the people and finallyled to the creation of the ChÕing-kuei (monastic rules of etiquette)drawn from the Precepts of Buddhism (J. ritsu) and theceremonies of Confucianism (C. li, J. rei). Zen was well suitedto the practical nature of the Chinese people and rapidly spreadthroughout China. Architecture, sculpture, painting, calligraphyand pottery all developed around the chÕan temple.Zen practice, once introduced into Japan, was able toblend well with the emotional element in Japanese culture andmade remarkable developments. Its first task was the conversionand education of the warrior caste, among whom it lateraroused the famed Bushid‡ (Way of the Warrior) spirit socharacteristic of Japanese culture. Zen was a firm protectorof Japanese culture at the end of the Kamakura Period