56 Is Zen Buddhism the same as meditation?
No. Zen Buddhism and meditation are distinct. Although Zen Buddhism advocates practicing meditation and cultivating concentration, meditation is not necessarily the Zen school of Buddhism.
The term "Zen Buddhism" was established in China. In the time of the Buddha, there was no such term as Zen Buddhism; there was only the practice and content of meditation. The practice of the Buddhist path to liberation begins with discipline, centers on concentration, and aims at wisdom. Discipline, concentration, and wisdom are called the "three undefiled studies"; none of the three can be missing, and the three are interrelated and mutually reinforcing, forming a spiral state—discipline gives rise to concentration, concentration gives rise to wisdom, and wisdom leads to practice—ascending directly along the path of liberation. The concentration here is meditation.