Zen Buddhism

1. A brief summary or your personal opinion on the readings (3~5 sentences) for discussion

2. questions should be answered at least two paragraph long. 

1) Provide a paragraph-length reaction to the public-facing scholarship assigned for this week (“A Special Transmission”). Have you ever read a religious magazine (or a Buddhist magazine before)? What type of audience do you envision for an article (or issue) of this tone and type? How do you define “religious writing” and does this article fit your category? Explain why or why not? What questions arose for you with regard to the content or message? 

2) In your own words, AND WITHOUT GOOGLING, define “Zen Buddhism” in two or three sentences. There are no right answers here, so do not be afraid of guessing! 

3) WITHOUT GOOGLING, is Buddhism a canonical religion (i.e. does it “have a book” like Christianity “has the Bible”)? If you answer “yes,” please identify what you believe to be the book if you can. If you answer “no,” please explain why you have answered this way.