Sanskrit Word in English: Zen

You've probably heard the word ZEN in English in reference to Buddhism. Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism. The word Zen that we use in English represents the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word chan, which is in turn from Sanskrit dhyana, meaning "meditation." You can learn more about Zen Buddhism in this Wikipedia article.

Gautama Buddha was Indian by birth, and Buddhism originated in India, then spreading throughout Asia. In modern times, Buddhism has also become well known in the West, so you will find Buddhist communities all around the world. For more about the history of Buddhism, see this Wikipedia article.

The image below shows a Buddha sculpture from Japan; find out more: Taiizan Kotokuin Shojosenji.