Buddhism deity and its associated mandala. Another element of Tantra is the need for ritual initiation or empowerment (abhiṣeka) by a Guru or Lama. Some Tantras like the Guhyasamāja Tantra features new forms of antinomian ritual practice such as the use taboo substances like alcohol, sexual yoga, and charnel ground practices which evoke wrathful deities. Zen Buddhism (禅), pronounced "Chán" in Chinese, "seon" in Korean or "zen" in Japanese (derived from the Sanskrit term "dhyāna", meaning "meditation") is a form of Mahayana Buddhism found in China, Korea and Japan. It lays special emphasis on meditation, and direct discovery of the Buddha-nature.
Buddhism in Japan Lotus Sutra (妙法蓮華經: "Myōhō Renge Kyō"; abbrev. 法華經: "Hokke-kyō"), treatises and letters by Nichiren. Mantra: Nam(u) Myōhō Renge Kyō" (南無妙法蓮華經) Japanese culture maintained an uneasy relation to Buddhist culture. While the Chinese culture was admired, Buddhism was also regarded as a strange influence. During the Kamakura (1185–1333) and Muromachi (1336–1573) Buddhism, or the Buddhist institutions, had a great influence on Japanese society. Buddhist institutions were used by the shogunate to control the country. During the Edo (1600–1868) this power was constricted, to be followed by persecutions at the beginning of the Meiji-restoration (1868–1912). Buddhist temples played a major administrative role