Zen Buddhism Zen or Chan Buddhism represents a movement within the Buddhist religion that stresses the practice of meditation as the means to enlightenment. ... With the importance of lineages, Chan stressed the master-disciple relationship, and Bodhidharma was followed by a series of patriarchs each of whom received the dharma, or religious truth, directly from his predecessor and teacher. ... According to a later and clearly biased legend, Huineng defeated Hung-jen in a stanza-composing contest, thereby demonstrating his superior enlightenment (Davids 104). ... Zen meditation highlights...

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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The northern school, a short-lived affair, insisted on a doctrine of gradual enlightenment. ... If one perceives one's own nature, enlightenment will suddenly follow. ... Training in the methods of meditation leading to such enlightenment is best transmitted from master to disciple. ... -866), who was an exponent of sudden enlightenment. ... The Soto stressed quiet sitting in meditation to await enlightenment. ...

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