“Zen funeral rites typify both the promise of universal salvation characteristic of Japanese Buddhism and the dominance of funeral services in the activities of Japanese Buddhist temples. In fact, Japanese Buddhist funerals—the single most important Buddhist ritual still observed by the vast majority of Japanese—largely derives from rites that were introduced and popularized first by Zen monks.” ZenFuneral RitesJapanese Buddhism Book:Sōtō Zen in Medieval Japan Source: Sōtō Zen in Medieval Japan