The Philosophy of Zen Buddhism

Synopsis

Zen buddhism is a form of mahāyāna buddhism that originated in china and is strongly focused on meditation. It is characteristically sceptical towards language and distrustful of conceptual thought, which explains why zen buddhist sayings are so enigmatic and succinct. But despite zen buddhism’s hostility towards theory and discourse, it is possible to reflect philosophically on zen buddhism and bring out its philosophical insights.