Japanese Zen is derived from the Japanese pronunciation of the Middle Chinese word 禪 (Chan) which traces its roots to the Indian practice of dhyāna ("meditation"). Buddhism was introduced to China in the first century CE. According to tradition, Chan was introduced around 500 CE by Bodhidharma, an Indian monk teaching dhyāna. He was the 28th Indian patriarch of Zen and the first Chinese patriarch. Buddhism was introduced in Japan in the 8th century CE during the Nara period (710-794) and the Heian period (794–1185). Zen was not introduced as a separate school in Japan until the 12th century during the Kamakura
Zen Flesh, Zen Bones (Mahamudra) organisation, notes that the practice starts with studying and pondering the dharma, where-after the practice of meditation commences. The "Vigyan Bhairav Tantra" is a chapter from the "Rudrayamala Tantra". It was introduced to the west by Paul Reps, a student of Lakshman Joo. Reps brought the text to wider attention by including an English translation in his popular book "Zen Flesh, Zen Bones". Cast as a discourse between the god Shiva and his consort Devi or Shakti, it briefly presents 112 meditation methods or centering techniques ("dharana"s). Zen Flesh, Zen Bones Zen Flesh, Zen Bones is a 1957 publication