Maria Kannon Zen Center listed with the American Zen Teachers Association. Maria Kannon Zen Center Maria Kannon Zen Center (MKZC) is a non-profit practice center in the Sanbo Kyodan tradition of Zen Buddhism, located in Dallas, Texas and founded in 1991 by the guiding teacher Ruben Habito (a Dharma heir of Yamada Koun). MKZC derives its name by combining the names of the Virgin Mary of Christianity and Kannon bodhisattva of Buddhism. It is actually the name of a figurine revered in Japan during Christian persecution there. Many of the MKZC members are individuals who consider themselves Christian, with Habito himself being a practicing
History of Buddhism later Kamakura period (1185-1333), there were six new Buddhist schools founded which competed with the older Nara schools and are known as "New Buddhism" or "Kamakura Buddhism." They include the influential Pure Land schools of Hōnen (1133–1212) and Shinran (1173–1263), the Rinzai and Soto schools of Zen founded by Eisai (1141–1215) and Dōgen (1200–1253) as well as the Lotus sutra school of Nichiren (1222–1282). Japanese Buddhist art was especially productive between the 8th and 13th centuries during Nara period (710-794), Heian period (794-1185) and Kamakura period (1185-1333). Buddhism, especially Zen, remained culturally influential during the Ashikaga period (1333–1573) and the