The standard work on the history of Zen for 35 years has now been updated for a new generation of readers. The first of a two-volume set, this book offers a detailed account of the history, development, and traditions of the Zen school of Mahayana Buddhism. It explores the emergence of Zen from its roots in the Buddhist and Yogic traditions of ancient India to its Taoism-influenced development in China and its expression in the arts and culture of the two societies. New to this edition is a supplement containing the author's latest scholarship on the important Northern School of Chinese Zen, detailing its rise, its conflict with other Zen schools, and its demise in the 10th Century.