Why did Zen Buddhism appeal to the Samurai warriors?

Answer 1

Zen training in the instantaneous appreciation of a situation and the concurrent and equally instantaneous initiation of a response is the essence of the warrior skills. As a backup to this skill set the philosophy that actions are neither good or bad, but that they just "are" removed the expectation of remorse.

Answer 2

Samurai, the feudal warriors of Japan, were separated from all other warriors throughout history in that they feared absolutely nothing.

They had an inherent understanding of life and death as two entities of the same cycle, and through this, they achieved the courage to fight no matter what. A true samurai could never be intimidated. He never feared an opponent, and he longed for the day he died on the battlefield.

Zen Buddhism teaches us that Buddha Nature is nothing but the pure nature of the mind itself. Zen practitioners strive to realise sunyata, or beauty and fulfillment in emptiness. This may seem paradoxical, but the essence of Zen Buddhism is to find it.

In short, Samurai preferred Zen Buddhism because it enabled them to find themselves, and in doing so, eliminate fear.

Answer:

A goal of Zen studies is to attain the ability to grasp an instantaneous appreciation of the whole and act on it without second thought. For a warrior this ability and commitment was valuable.

Answer 3

Many Japanese appealed many people with Zen Buddhism. Zen Buddhism is a blend with Shinto and Buddhism. Many people took Buddhism into their lives because Buddhism was very alike with Shinto. Zen means"meditation". It put emphasis on self-discipline, simplicity, and meditation. Zen was focused on the individual attempts to achieve inner peace rather than the idea of salvation. Samurai favored it because they thought it would give them inner peace and help them in battle. Some of the artists liked its combination of simplicity and boldness. With these qualities in drawings by using just black ink and making strong, dark lines.

Answer:

It is questionable if Zen Buddhism appeals to "many" Japanese. Demographic data and poll results indicate that about 70 to 84% percent of Japanese profess no religious membership. Even further data indicates 64% do not believe in God, and 55% do not believe in Buddha. Many Japanese do use Buddhism and other religions for ceremonial activities such as weddings and funerals but this does not translate into a belief.

Answer 4

Zen fosters responses without thinking. In a dangerous situation, thinking is often much too slow for effective actions. The Martial Arts value the process of emptying thoughts from the mind. For example, fear of death is a thought. If you are in a battle and you fear being killed, you will be less effective as a warrior.

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Answer 5

Zen Buddhism is exemplified by an instantaneous appreciation of the facts of a situation and the immediate identification and initiation of an appropriate response. These are skills required of a group whose main activity is sword fighting. In addition the response decided on is free from moral second guessing. Again a response desirable for a warrior committed to participating in significant amounts of killing oponents.