zen

A school of Buddhism deeply influenced by Taoism, Zen originated in China (where it was called chan) and was further developed in Japan. A central practice of Zen Buddhism is sitting meditation, called zazen.

In many of its stories and historical persons, Zen has a trickster sensibility, with sayings intended not to be taken literally, but to shock the listener into a new perspective. For example, Zen Master Linji once said, “If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.” This might have struck some as sacrilegious until realizing Linji’s deeper point that overcoming one’s illusions and idealizations are an essential part of “the road” to enlightenment. In Zen, stories or adages such as this are called koans, which typically don’t make superficial sense but are meant to reveal some deeper truth upon sustained reflection.

Further Reading

• Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth is a delightful children’s telling of three classic Zen stories