Ōbaku-shū

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Ōbaku-shū (Jap. pronunciation of ‘Huangpo’, a religious mountain in China where the school originated + shū, ‘tradition’, ‘school’, or ‘teachings’). One of the three major schools of Japanese Zen Buddhism originating in China. Ōbaku-shū was introduced in the 17th cent. by Yin-yüan (1592–1673, Ingen in Japanese) and reflects the syncretism between the Zen and Pure Land nembutsu traditions characteristic of Ming China. Although not popular religiously, Ōbaku-shū has influenced Japanese culture by introducing late Ming artistic forms.