A little history of Zen Buddhism After it had been established in India for almost 1000 years, the monk Bodhidharma took the teaching to China, in the 5th century CE, under the name of ch'an, where it spread widely throughout the country, having found there a favorable ground for its growth.

Dōgen (born Jan. 19, 1200, Kyōto, Japan—died Sept. 22, 1253, Kyōto) was a leading Japanese Buddhist during the Kamakura period (1192–1333), who introduced Zen to Japan in the form of the Sōtō school (Chinese: Ts'ao-tung).

Zen traces its origins to India, but it was formalized in China. Chan, as it is known in China, was transmitted to Japan and took root there in the thirteenth century.

Although Zen Buddhism in China is traditionally dated to the 5th century, it actually first came to prominence in the early 8th century, when Wuhou (625–705), who seized power from the ruling Tang dynasty (618–907) to become empress of the short-lived Zhou dynasty (690–705), patronized Zen teachers as her court priests ...