Do you have any idea what Zen is or what it is about? "Zen is a religious division of Buddhism, that teaches an approach to life, incorporating harmony between ultimate reality and the world of daily life, cultivating awareness of reality, and finding answers in this life and beyond" (1). The word Zen means, "to meditate". The Japanese history revealed this philosophy gained a lot of popularity. Without doubt, this Zen teaching influenced a great deal on Japanese culture. "The purpose of Zen is to discover answers within you" (3). Instead of letting themselves become angry, people who practice Zen meditate. This practice of meditation sooths their emotions and calms them down. It is known that they are people who almost never resort to violence or aggression. To further become aware of what Zen is I would like to describe the history and background, some of their beliefs, and the influence of arts and crafts.
             The history and background of Zen is quite interesting. Do you know who started Zen? "The Buddha was an Indian prince who lived in the sixth century B.C." (2). By accident he learned the gloom and reality of the world outside of his kingdom. Soon, he left the kingdom to rescue the "suffers". By traveling to different towns, he taught people that they could achieve enlightenment. "His preach reached the whole Indian continent and eventually influenced people, their life style, culture, and art throughout Southeast Asia, China, and as far as Japan" (1). After Buddha died people still practiced his beliefs, and those people started teaching the beliefs.
             There are many beliefs in Zen; these beliefs may seem unusual, but it is because here in the United States, Zen is somewhat unknown. They believe life is full of suffering; this suffering may be physical or mental. Physical suffering is at birth, old age, sickness, and death, and it is described as un
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