Sudden Enlightenment In Zen And Vajrayana Buddhism

Sudden enlightenment, as it is seen in Zen and Vajrayana Buddhism, is the belief that liberation from samsara and the attainment of liberation occurs in a specific instance of time, and that such an event is typically followed by a lifetime of practice. This differs from classical Buddhist sects such as Theravada, which believe in gradual enlightenment; the process of practicing Buddhism in order to attain enlightenment after death. Sudden enlightenment was introduced by Shen-Hui, who was a Chinese monk that believed himself to be the seventh patriarch in the lineage of patriarchs. Shen-Hui’s teachings became the fundamental base of Chinese Buddhism. He believed in a so-called ‘perfect practice’, which would lead directly to sudden enlightenment. …show more content…
In the following century, Chan Buddhism underwent a ‘golden age’ in which the belief in sudden enlightenment was remembered once again. This led to the creation of Rinzai, one of the five houses of Chan Buddhism, which relies on the practice of Koan. Rinzai students spend their time studying Buddhist riddles known, as Koans. These Koans were contained in the collected sayings literature, a compilation of Zen Buddhist teachings. In order to solve a Koan, it is said that one needs to poses great faith, great doubt, and great determination. Once a student has solved enough Koans, they can become a Zen master reach satori, a permanent state of enlightenment. The Rinzai house of Chan Buddhism focuses on the attainment of enlightenment through continuous study of