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 A review of the early historical documents and literature of early Zen masters clearly reveals that they were well versed in numerous Mahāyāna Buddhist sūtras, including Madhyamaka.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
White Collar Zen White Collar Zen White Collar Zen is a project by Steven Heine, who is primarily known for his research on medieval Japanese religion and society. The project deals with the principles of Zen Buddhism in relation to the contemporary workplace and professional leadership issues. "White Collar Zen" demonstrates how to incorporate Zen principles into daily work life in order to achieve professional success. In addition to the book – "White Collar Zen: Using Zen Principles to Overcome Obstacles and Achieve Your Goal" (Oxford University Press, 2005) – White Collar Zen is a multi-faceted project that includes a unique course on