Japanese Zen and the Zen priest's function has largely been reduced to officiating at funerals, a practice sarcastically referred to in Japan as . For example, the Sōtō school published statistics stating that 80 percent of laity visited temples only for reasons having to do with funerals and death. Mahayana Buddhism teaches śūnyatā, "emptiness", which is also emphasized by Zen. But another important doctrine is the buddha-nature, the idea that all human beings have the possibility to awaken. All living creatures are supposed to have the Buddha-nature, but don't realize this as long as they are not awakened. The doctrine of an
Buddhism in Lithuania Zen Master. The Vilnius Kwan Um Zen community grew under the support of Zen Master Wu Bong's frequent visits. The Vilnius International Kwan Um School of Zen Buddhism was officially registered as a religious community in Lithuania in 1991. Zen Master Su Bong Sunim, the guiding teacher of the Hong Kong Kwan Um Sangha, opened the first Zen Temple, Ko Bong Sa, in Vilnius in 1993. Daily Zen practice is held at the Kaunas Zen Kwan Um Center since 2007. The 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso has visited Lithuania twice and met with the President Valdas Adamkus and the Catholic