Zen Buddhism, A History: India & China

by Heinrich Dumoulin

Unparalleled in scope and detail, this classic history of Zen covers all important ideas and developments in the tradition from its beginnings in India through the Sung period in China.

Genres: Buddhism, Zen, Religion, History, China, Philosophy, Nonfiction

440 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Jesse Morrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published in German in 1959, this book has become the classic introduction into the study of Zen history.

The first few chapters are arduous and dense as it explains the foundations of Vedic based dhyana as it fused with Chinese Buddhism and Taoism to create a new movement - Chan (in Japanese: "zen").

However, the pace picks up as it gets to the Six Patriarch, Hui-Neng. Dumoulin takes us through the dynamic rise of Zen in the T'ang dynasty and it's eventual stagnation into orthodoxy in the Sung. He also prepares the ground for the movement's travel over the Sea of Japan (volume Two is about Zen in Japan).

I bought this book maybe 15-18 years ago and tried to read it once or twice. Each time, I was halted as the building blocks to Ch'an are tough to follow. But I found it a very enjoyable read from the Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch on.

The Northern School is only covered by a short supplement and I have read that there has been much scholarship since this work that if not challenges at least expands and further explains Zen. But all in all, for a lay person who know little of Zen and less of its history, this would be an interesting work.

[Rishu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not just an in-depth study of roots of Zen in Indian and Chinese Buddhist philosophy, but also an exploration into the geo-political environment encircling Zen development, Dumoulin has done an extraordinary job of piecing together the key historical figures and documents of Zen accurately. Since he wrote this book, there have been key scholarly developments in the field of Zen studies, but his work is by no means outdated. In fact, his review and understanding of the Sixth Patriarch and his succession is probably the best I've read. Dumoulin also does a great job of addressing in passing Suzuki's Zen thesis that Zen is entirely a unique Japanese accomplishment. The work of this first volume has been to show how Indian and Chinese Buddhism greatly rooted Zen and it's influence on Japanese Zen can be clearly seen. This book is a must read on anyone interested in Zen, Buddhism, or Indian and Chinese philosophies.

[Sami · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book from the onset gives a very negative overtone, as if the author is trying to accuse the devout Buddhists how foolish they are, for having believed what they have been told through the generations about the Buddha. This book also makes useless connections between Buddhism & Yoga (not the right connections which are actually there). It seems to me that Mr. Heinrich Dumoulin, as a Jesuit priest, is trying to destroy the credibility of Buddhism as well as Yoga and other east Asian traditions so in the end his self-fulfilling prophecy will be come to be that we need to give up on the Buddhist & Yogic paths and turn to Jesus, the true and only savior of mankind. I'm so glad he's wrong about that.

[Elli · Rating 1 out of 5]

One Strike Review: On page xvii of the Introduction the author writes "Zen (Chin., Chan, an abbreviation of ch'an-na, which transliterates the Sanskrit term dhyāna or its Pali cognate jhāna, terms meaning "meditation")" which is flatly incorrect. Those terms do not mean 'meditate'; they refer to a specific kind of meditation and specifically the kind the Buddha said (in the Pali canon) allowed him to reach enlightenment and specifically the kind he enjoined every one of his followers to practice to attain to liberation. This error is not an inconsequential one as the Zen traditions' lack of pursuit of jhāna is historically and soteriologically important. Because of this incredibly basic error I stopped reading.

[Belle Meade School]

294.392709

[Pete · Rating 3 out of 5]

Committing the history of Zen Buddhism into book form is no mean task. Dumoulin's treatment treads the line between fact-book and editorial, between a history book and a philosophy book, and he walks that line with grace. He admits in this book that it is impossible to give a true history of Zen without some treatment of its philosophical and religious contexts, and indeed he delves quite well into many of the origins and 'tenets' of Zen throughout the past. However, he does well to avoid over-moralizing or allowing his work to become a philosophical discourse, and instead keeps the historical pace quick and driven, pausing only to give longer treatment to particularly salient topics (e.g. the Sixth Patriarch). All in all, not a book for the disinterested observer -- rather, a book for those who wish to dive into the past and start swimming with vigor.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heinrich Dumoulin's 2 volume set provides an excellent overview of the history of the development of Zen Buddhism as it was born in India, moved to the China and then to Japan up to modern times and its now global presence.

while certainly not a simple pick-up-and-read book it is a crucial book for anyone seriously interested in the study of Zen Buddhism as no other work provides such great detail in one place.

[Jenny Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read parts as I was preparing to write a paper, but what I read was interesting, insightful, and useful.

[Hunter Marston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very rigorous and very thorough history of Zen, often illuminating the back story unnoticed by most scholars

[Jessica Zu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty old book, so its image of Chan is very traditional, but it is a good one to start with if you are interested in Chan history.

[S. Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dense read but there's nothing like a challenge in unearthing the history of buddhism.

[Stephen McDonough · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Historical Foundation of Zen Buddhism. Scholarly work.