Zen

Zen is about finding yourself (finding out who you really are), as well as finding truth – not worshipping others, but believing in yourself, knowing “who you really are,” being yourself, living in your own way. These are the goals of Zen.

Zen Buddihism began almost 2,500 years ago when Buddha achieved enlightenment through Zen meditation in India. Zen came to Japan, from China, during the Kamakura period, the time of samurai. The Kamakura period started in the 11th century and ended in the middle of the 14th century. Samurai practiced Zen to keep their mind calm and clear when they fought in war. After that, various aspects of Japanese culture – such as, Noh theater, the tea ceremony, Japanese gardening, and even some foods called kaiseki ryouri were influenced by Zen. Therefore, you can see that today, Japan’s culture has its roots in Zen. Zen was born in India, grown in China, and blossomed in Japan, afterwards spreading across the world.