Contemporary Methods of Spiritual Cultivation and Dharma Practice in the Trúc Lâm Zen School
Duong Tien Phong
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS December 30, 2025 DOI: 10.47191/ijmra/v8-i12-49 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Keywords | Modernization theory Indigenous Enlightenment Buddhist studies Consolidation business Environmental ethics Aesthetics Traditional knowledge Indigenization Anthropology Praxis Spiritual practice Social science |
| Key points | Argues that contemporary Trúc Lâm Zen exemplifies a localized form of Zen modernism, combining classical meditative principles with rationalized training systems and expanded lay participation. |
Abstract
The Trúc Lâm Zen School represents a distinctive case of an indigenous Zen lineage that has undergone systematic revival and institutional consolidation in the contemporary period. Originating in medieval Southeast Asia and revitalized in the late twentieth century, the tradition has re-emerged as a meditation-centered movement emphasizing disciplined cultivation, ethical self-regulation, and mindfulness in daily life. Drawing on historical analysis, modern Zen scholarship, and studies of Buddhist modernism, this article examines contemporary methods of spiritual cultivation and Dharma practice within Trúc Lâm Zen. The analysis focuses on doctrinal foundations, institutional reconstruction, cultivation techniques for monastic and lay practitioners, and the impacts of modernization and globalization. The paper argues that contemporary Trúc Lâm Zen exemplifies a localized form of Zen modernism, combining classical meditative principles with rationalized training systems and expanded lay participation.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental balance and well-being: Building bridges between Buddhism and Western psychology. | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist Modernism and the Rhetoric of Meditative Experience | 1995 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist and Psychological Perspectives on Emotions and Well-Being | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Too Early to Tell: The Potential Impact and Challenges—Ethical and Otherwise—Inherent in the Mainstreaming of Dharma in an Increasingly Dystopian World | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From self to nonself: The Nonself Theory | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |