General History of Karate: Buddhism and Japan

Bodhidarma's teachings spread from India, to China, and through Korea to Japan during the sixth century. During this time, numerous clans were vying for the favor of the emperor. One such clan was the Soga clan, who had been heavily influenced by Buddhism and they were successful in influencing the royal family. This resulted in Prince Shotoku Taishi studying Buddhism heavily eventually becoming a scholar of Buddhism. In addition to the spread of Buddhism, China also influenced Japanese architecture, politics, etc. But Buddhism took on a different nature in Japan. After some time, it became what we now know as Zen.

There was a Japanese monk, known as Dogen who wanted to learn Buddhism from those who first sincerely developed it, the Chinese. For this reason, he traveled throughout China observing the practice of Buddhism in many temples but he never liked what he saw. Not until he resolved himself to go home did he come across a senior Chinese monk who was "drying mushrooms in the sun." Dogen then questioned the monk, asking him why he was performing such a menial task when it should be the task of a "junior monk." 

The monk then responded:

"If I do not do this, if I do not work here and now, who could understand? I am not you, I am not others. Others are not me. So others cannot have the experience. I must dry these mushrooms here and now, today, at this moment. Now, go away so I may work!"

Dogen then spent a year studying under that monk's teacher and returned to Japan, introducing the practice of Zen. The two fundamental ideas that Dogen based Zen on were "direct, personal experience" and "practice of zazen" which is the practice of "seated meditation."

(Information found in Karate: Technique and Spirit)