What is Soto Zen meditation?

Sōtō, largest of the Zen Buddhist sects in Japan. It follows the method of quiet sitting and meditation (zazen) as a means of obtaining enlightenment.

What is the sacred text of Zen?

The Buddhist canon consists of the Sutras: the words and teachings of the Buddha. There are also a number of noncanonical Buddhist texts that provide supplementary teachings, rules of conduct and commentary on transitional states after death.

How many sutras are there in Buddhism?

As with the other two belief systems, there are many Buddhist sutras but the best-known is the foundational text of a collection of 38 sutras under the title Prajnaparamita – Perfection of Wisdom.

What are the sacred texts of Zen Buddhism?

Influential sutras

• Lankavatara Sutra.
• Diamond Sutra.
• Vimalakirti Sutra.
• Avatamsaka Sutra.
• Chinese texts.
• Japanese texts.
• Written references.
• Web references[edit]

What kind of sutras does Soto Zen use?

Sōtō Zen, like all of Zen, relies on the Prajnaparamita Sutras, as well as general Mahayana Buddhist sutras, such as the Lotus Sutra, the Brahma Net Sutra and the Lankavatara Sutra. Zen is influenced in large part by the Yogacara school of philosophy as well as the Huayan school.

Who is the founder of Soto Zen Buddhism?

Sōtō Zen is now also popular in the West, and in 1996 priests of the Sōtō Zen tradition formed the Soto Zen Buddhist Association based in North America. Shítóu Xīqiān. The original Chinese version of Sōtō-shū, i.e. Cáodòng-zōng (曹洞宗) was established by the Tang dynasty monk Dòngshān Liángjiè (洞山良价, Japanese: Tōzan Ryōkai) in the 9th century.

Is there a translation of the Heart Sutra?

The translation of the Heart Sutra I’m going to share with you is by a team of translators who participated in the Soto Zen Translation Project. This project was organized by the International Division of the of the Japanese Soto Shu, or the official Soto Zen organization in Japan.

Are there any Soto Zen temples in Japan?

Many Zendo or meditation centers offer Zen teachings around the world. Most of them are grouped under the name Soto Zen Buddhist Association and most non-Japanese teachers are found under this banner. If you would like to study it in Japan, a few temples accept foreigners.