ABSTRACT
This chapter overviews the significant changes that shaped lay Zen in the modern period. Focusing on the development of several denominations (kyōdan), most notably that of Ningen Zen, it explores the influence these changes have had on the laicization of Zen. The central claim is that lay Zen possesses at least two distinct characteristics from traditional koji Zen, as presented in the previous chapter. First is its accessibility to the rising urban middle class, which transformed lay Zen into an identifiable trend rather than a lifestyle a few privileged individuals shared. Second, closely related to the first, is the power shift between the Buddhist clergy and the laity. The examples in what follows demonstrate that what started as an attempt by several Zen masters to appeal to new audiences culminated in laypeople challenging monastic authority. Accordingly, the chapter contends that through a gradual expropriation of religious authority, lay Zen has grown independent and has become a distinct and influential entity.
