January 24, 2025

It would be a reasonably close approximation
to say that Taoism was being developed by Shamans
in and near China by around 1500 BCE,
and that Lao Tzu was credited
with writing the Tao Te Ching about 500 BCE,
and that the Buddha was stirring around 
in India about that same time.

And that about 206-220 CE Buddhism was being
introduced into China from India,
and introduced as Ch'an (which became Zen)
into Japan about 552 CE.

All of which is to say that we have been handling,
refining, interpreting, reinterpreting, passing around
religious ideas for over 3,000 years
and we do it as though we know what we are talking about.

Here's the rub with Buddhism and Zen:
Classic/Traditional Buddhism is strict,
by the book (the Dharma)
and insistent on doing it like it is supposed to be done--
which is like someone else (Buddhist teachers)
says it should be done.

Zen is intuitive, not rational/logical,
and is to be experienced, not explained.

Zen is what happened when Buddhism met Taoism.
Taoism took what it liked from Buddhism,
the experience of enlightenment,
doing Zen like they intuit it ought to be done,
and threw away Buddhism's scriptures, doctrines
rituals, and practices and called itself 
"Zen Buddhism" in 625-705 CE.

If you don't like what you read here,
I invite you to do your own research,
making internet inquiries
to your complete satisfaction.