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KCP Fall 2015 Students Experience Zen Meditation

Throughout history, Buddhism and Buddhist institutions have had great influence on the Japanese people, peaking during the Kamakura and Muromachi periods. Buddhism was introduced to Japan by five Chinese monks from Gandhara (an ancient kingdom extending to the Swat valley and Potohar plateau regions of Pakistan and the Jalalabad district of northeastern Afghanistan) who traveled to the country during the Kofun period (250 to 538). Buddhism soon became the Japanese state religion according to national policies; Buddha was made into a Japanese deity and coexisted with other Shinto gods.

Zen is a school of Mahayana (Sanskrit for “Great Vehicle”) Buddhism, one of the main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice. The practice of Zen meditation or zazen is the heart of the Zen Buddhist experience. Also known as dhyana in India, it is a very precise and simple meditation practice that can bring a whole new meaning to life.

Join KCP’s Fall 2015 students as they experience Zen meditation in Yamanashi.

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KCP Flickr.

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KCP Flickr.

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KCP Flickr.

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KCP Flickr.

For more photos of the trip, visit our KCP Flickr album.

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Read all about Japanese immersion learning and studying abroad. Check out our eZasshi archives for more articles!