As his legend grew, Bodhidharma was credited with the teaching that meditation was a return to the Buddha's precepts. He was also credited with aiding the monks of Shaolin Monastery—famous for their prowess in the martial arts—in meditation and training.

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 ...

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.

ˈzen. 1. : a Japanese sect of Mahayana Buddhism that aims at enlightenment by direct intuition through meditation. 2. or zen : a state of calm attentiveness in which one's actions are guided by intuition rather than by conscious effort.