Zen Buddhism was founded by an Indian Buddhist monk, Bodhidharma in China in the fifth century before its origination in Japan in the eleventh century AD. Zen means, "be nothing, think nothing" and their goal is to achieve "Satori" or enlightenment. Zen can be experienced through everyday life, at work, in art and sports. Meditation is the fundamental part of Zen. It is not only known for its focus on meditation, but also for its non-rational statements called Koans and for its naturalness and freedom. According to Zen, good deeds and devotion are not considered as a path to salvation. Zen cannot be defined and cannot be taught, it has to be experienced. One of the basic beliefs of Zen Buddhism is that "Buddha nature is in all people and that it is perfect". The history of Zen, its different schools, Zen arts and Zen gardens had a great influence on the Western culture during the twentieth century and has now become the most popular and influential form of Buddhism. The foundation of Zen lies in India, where Siddhartha Gautama was born and attained enlightenment and became the Buddha. .
Japanese Zen has its origins in China, where the first Zen masters taught and the first monasteries were found. Zen in China is known as "Ch"an" and in Japan as "Wu". During the Tang dynasty and Sung dynasty (618-906), known as the golden age of China, Zen was widely supported by the Chinese government and was popular among all classes of people in China. Ch"an was carried to Japan in the twelfth and eleventh centuries by the visits of Chinese monks to Japan. It was supported by the Shogun (chief military lord) and Daimyo (vassal lords). There are many reasons why Zen came to Japan at that particular time and was successful in Japan. Zen had pure aesthetic features, and artistic creativity, which was very important in that era and Zen learned to coexist, and even to merge with Shinto worship and belief. Earlier in China, during the Tung dynasty, several schools were founded and later it was transferred to Japan by two monks: Eisai, founder of Rinzai school and Dogen, founder of Soto school.