Zen expected to become familiar with the classics of the Zen canon". A review of the early historical documents and literature of early Zen masters clearly reveals that they were well versed in numerous Mahāyāna Buddhist sūtras, including Madhyamaka. Especially the Lotus Sutra played a large role in the development of East Asian Buddhism, including Zen. Nevertheless, Zen is often pictured as anti-intellectual. This picture of Zen emerged during the Song Dynasty (960–1297), when Chán became the dominant form of Buddhism in China, and gained great popularity among the educated and literary classes of Chinese society. The use of koans, which
Buddhism in Lithuania Cardinal Audrys Juozas Bačkis. In 2009 supporters of Tibetan independence suggested giving its name to one of the parks in Vilnius as a gratitude for the Dalai Lama's support for the Lithuanian independence movement of the 1990s. In 2009 "The Days of Tibetan Culture" (Lithuanian language: "Tibeto kultūros dienos") were held in Vilnius, attended by Indian Buddhist monks. Probably the most prominent Lithuanian Zen Buddhist is a TV journalist and a former head of the international non-governmental organisation Transparency International, Rytis Juozapavičius, who is also the abbot of Vilnius Zen Center, Ko Bong Sa. Buddhism in Lithuania The roots of