ot of Mahayana school of Buddhism (which developed in India) combined with the Chinese religico-philosophical system of Taoism (or Daoism). Zen is a transliteration of dhyana, a term in Sanskrit, which serves as the holy language of Buddhism). The term - zen or dhyana - is usually translated into English as either meditation or contemplation.
This is a denotatively correct translation; however, both "meditation" and "contemplation" have the connotation of a passive state that is altogether at odds with the Zen state of dhyana. Dhyana is an engaged state of dynamic (and vigorous) interaction with the world. A better translation might be something like "enquiring" - although this term implies spoken queries and answers between one person and another while dhyana is a state that exists between a single individual and the world around her or him (Rice 418).
Like all variants of Buddhism, Zen remains firmly tethered to the original teachings of the Buddha. The Buddha (the term is not a name but is analogous to the Western concept of "messiah") sought in his teachings and in his own life to discover a means of
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