The Role of Zen in Japanese Culture

Japanese culture is extraordinarily ritualistic. Zen provides a way out of this thing and zen provides just that. When you meet a Japanese who is thoroughly trained in zen he is a different kind of personality altogether from modern rich Japanese. He has manners not studiedly courteous nor is he brusque but he's simply at ease, gives you his whole attention so long as you give him your whole attention if you start wandering and frittering he promptly leaves.