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I. INTRODUCTION
People often ask, "Is Zen a form of Buddhism?" The answer to this question is both yes and no. The answer should be "Yes" because, historically speaking, Zen is a form of Buddhism which was founded by Bodhidharma in China in the sixth century. It developed in China and Japan, later taking the form of the 'Zen sect', with its own particular temples, rituals, priesthoods, and religious orders. In this sense, Zen should be called a form of Buddhism which stands side by side with other forms of Buddhism, such as the T'ien-t'ai sect, the Hua-yen sect, the Chen-yen sect, and the Ching-t'u sect, i.e., Pure Land Buddhism. Further, not only in terms of temples, rituals, priesthood, and religious orders, but also in terms of teaching, thought, and practice, Zen, in the course of its long history, has come to have its own particular forms comparable to the other schools of Buddhism. This may be called the 'traditional Zen sect'.

　　 At the same time, however, the answer to the question, "Is Zen a form of Buddhism?" should be "No", because Zen is not merely one form of Buddhism, but rather, in its fundamental nature, is the basic source of all forms of Buddhism. This idea has been expressed by Zen in the statement: "Zen is the integrating storehouse of the Buddha-dharma." Zen, in this sense, is no less than what may be called "Zen itself". That Zen is the root of all forms of Buddhism can be seen in the following basic expressions:

　　 Not relying on words or letters.
　　 An independent transmission outside the teaching of the scriptures.
　　 Directly pointing to man's Mind.
　　 Awakening of one's (Original-) Nature, thereby actualizing one's own Buddhahood.

　　 Before elucidating the meaning of these four classes and, more important, before explaining the reason why Zen can be said to be the very root and source of all forms of Buddhism, a review of the nature and development of Buddhism is in order.

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II. THE NATURE AND DEVELOPMENT OF BUDDHISM
What we call Buddhism today dates from `Saakyamuni Buddha, who lived in the northeastern part of India around the fifth century B.C.[1] `Saakyamuni means 'the sage from the tribe of the `Saakyas'. His family name was Gautama, his given name, Siddhaartha. After his Enlightenment or Awakening, Siddhaartha Gautama came to be called the Buddha by his disciples and followers. The term 'Buddha' is not a proper noun, but a common noun. It means 'an Enlightened One' or 'an Awakened One'. What was it to which he became enlightened or awakened? To Dharma -- to the truth! The term 'Buddha' is thus a common noun which can be applied not only to Siddhaartha Gautama but to anyone who is enlightened by or who awakens to the Dharma, i.e., the truth.

　　 In this sense, the term 'Buddha' has some affinity to the term 'Christ'. In Christianity, one speaks of "Jesus Christ". 'Jesus' is the given name of the person who was born of Mary as the son of a carpenter at Nazareth, at the beginning of the Christian Era. 'Christ', however, is a common noun which means 'the Anointed One' or 'Messiah'. Accordingly, the term 'Christ' could be, in the nature of the term, applicable not only to Jesus of Nazareth but also to anyone who is qualified to be called "the Anointed One". The Jews do not apply the term 'Christ' to Jesus of Nazareth, simply because they do not regard Jesus of Nazareth as the 'Christ' -- although many of them regard Jesus as a prophet.

　　 I understand that to make clear the essential relationship between Jesus of Nazareth and the Christ, that is, the hoped-for Messiah, Paul Tillich carefully used the phrase, 'Jesus as the Christ'.[2] Following Tillich's example, Buddhists should correctly say "Siddhaartha as the Buddha", or "Gautama as the Buddha".

　　 There is, however, a great difference between the 'Buddha' and the 'Christ'. In Christianity the title, the 'Christ' can properly be applied only to Jesus of Nazareth. In Buddhism, on the other hand, the title, 'Buddha' can legitimately be applied not only to Siddhaartha, but to anyone who attains enlightenment or awakens to the Dharma. Thus, in Buddhism there are many Buddhas, indeed innumerable Buddhas. This great difference arises for the following two reasons: first, in Christianity, 'Christ' is the 'Messiah' with a heavenly character which necessarily cannot be ascribed just to anyone. In Buddhism, however, 'Buddha' is one who

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awakens to the Dharma, and the possibility of awakening to the Dharma can be attributed to any person in so far as he is a man. Secondly, in Christianity, Jesus as the Christ is the Son of God, the only incarnation of God in the history of the world; consequently, his historical existence is positively essential as the final (i.e., last, genuine, and decisive) revelation of God.[3] In Buddhism, however, Siddhaartha is not the only Enlightened One in the history of man. What is essential to Buddhism is not Siddhaartha's historical existence, but the Dharma he realized. This characteristic of Buddhism is clearly expressed in the well-known passage, "Regardless of the appearance or non-appearance of the Tathaagata (`Saakyamuni Buddha) in this world, the Dharma is always present".[4] In marked contrast to the Christian understanding of Jesus Christ or Jesus as the Christ, who is the center of history as the final revelation of God, Gautama Buddha or Siddhaartha as the Buddha is neither the center of history, the final revelation, nor the final Awakening.