Zen Zen Zen (; ) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty as Chan Buddhism. It was strongly influenced by Taoism and developed as a distinct school of Chinese Buddhism. From China, Chan Buddhism spread south to Vietnam which became Vietnamese Thiền, northeast to Korea and east to Japan, where it became known as Seon Buddhism and Japanese Zen, respectively. The term 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"). Zen emphasizes rigorous self-control, meditation-practice, insight into
Rochester Zen Center the Center to form the Springwater Center, located an hour south of Rochester. The Rochester Zen Center has also contributed to the intellectual development of American Zen, through Philip Kapleau's books, "The Zen of Living and Dying", "Zen Merging of East and West", "To Cherish All Life", and the recent "Awakening to Zen" and the writings of its members and its decennial anniversary conferences. In 1986, the 20th Anniversary Conference focused on "Buddhism and Nonviolence," and the 1996 Thirtieth Anniversary explored "Buddhism in America." Since 1986 the head abbot at Rochester Zen Center has been Bodhin Kjolhede, who was sanctioned