First published in 2005

Zen Buddhism was first introduced in Japan as the faith for the Samurai or the military class and moulded the characters of many distinguished soldiers and statesmen.

The object of this work is to show how the Mahayanistic views of life and the world differ markedly from those of the Theravada, and this to explain how the religion of Buddha has adapted itself to its environment in the Far East.

To this end, the author undertakes a close study of the Zen sect, selecting this group because of the great influence it has had on Japanese life and also because of the unique position it holds among the established religious systems of the world.