Tiantai Schools and Chan/Zen Schools in Chinese Buddhism

Student:
Institution:
Course:
Date:
Tiantai Schools and Chan/Zen Schools in Chinese Buddhism
Tiantai schools, also known as the T'ien-t'ai schools, are East Asian Buddhist schools of Mahayana that were developed in China in the sixth century. The name of this school was derived from the fact that Tiantai Mountain was the place where Zhiyi lived. Tiantai school puts much emphasis on the doctrine of “One Vehicle” of Lotus Sutra. In addition to this, it also emphasizes the philosophy of Madhyamaka, especially as spoken in the works of Zhiyi, the fourth patriarch (Strong, pp 19-28). Tiantai is believed to be the earliest attempt at the reworking of the tradition of the Indian Buddhist. The name Tiantai means the platform of the sky. During the era of the Sui Dynasty, the Tiantai schools became one of the schools of Chinese Buddhism that were leading. It had several temples that were supported by wealthy patrons and emperors. Historically, the Buddhists schools existed in China even before the emergency of Tiantai schools. The schools were important in the history of China and East Asia because they represent direct Indian transplantations and have very few modifications to their methods and basic doctrines. In addition to this, the schools grew, widened in terms of doctrine, and were able to absorb and give rise to movements within Buddhism finally.
The Chan/Zen schools are indigenous types of Chinese Buddhism that also developed starting in the sixth century. The real term for the “Zen School” is Chánzōng, while Chan refers to the meditation act itself. In some contexts, Chan is used to referring to the consequent arising of Buddhist compassion and wisdom. It is evident that Chan was not distinctive among the Buddhism of China, especially in its use of techniques of meditative. What gave Chan a distinctive feature was the development or creation of new narrative forms and novel use of language, among others. Unlike other Chinese Buddhist schools, the defining concerns of Chan were relational and experimental. The teaching of Zen is drawn from several sources of the thought of Mahayana, especially Yogachara. These teachings emphasized the nature of Buddha, the Bodhisattva ideal, and totality. In addition to this, the Taoist philosophy significantly influenced the Chan schools, especially the thought of Neo-Daoist (Strong, pp 21-32). The Chan teachings involve four major elements: understanding, faith, awakening, and practice. These schools are essential in the historical times of China and East Asia because they are a section of the Chinese Buddhist that emphasizes attaining the supreme religious goal of Buddhists and Buddhahood.
The images of Guanyin, Lady Bai, and the Chan master Fahai
Guanyin
All over China, Guanyin was well known to be a bodhisattva who was very honorable. The appearance of Guanyin started to change over time. The first image or picture illustrated how the northern Wei Dynasty era saw Guanyin. They showed Guanyin in a light that was very simple. This implies that there were no flashy features. The characteristics that showed or represented her as a more female figure started to take place around the tenth century. What can be clearly seen in this picture is its posi...