In practicing Zen, all that matters is looking into "What am I?" This big question points to a clear, before-thinking mind. When you're thinking, you may have the idea that there are infinite beings in the world, or billions, or just a few. But before thinking, there's nothing at all: complete, empty stillness.
there are about 9.6 million zen buddists in the world
Zen Buddhists do not have the conceept of prayer as they have no god to pray to. The process of askimng for direction from a deity or attempting to understand a deeper meaning is against the Zen process of non-intellectual acceptance of the world.
Some estimates indicate that there are 3.32 million registered Zen followers. This would be about 1% or less of the total Buddhist followers in the world. However, religious statistics are very dfficult to confirm.
Zen Buddhists meditate in Temples.
Dancing is neither a traditional nor a common part of the practice of Zen Buddhists. Therefore, if they dance it is simply because they want to dance. .
because they are
Most zen Buddhists don't do martial arts, but small groups do. The Sholin monks and Shorinji Kempo to name few...
Zen Buddhists do not control their bodies or minds. The whole of Zen Buddhism is to attain an instantaneous and unthinking awareness of the whole of the situation and be one with it. This precludes "controlling" anything.
Like Buddhism in general, Zen Buddhists worship no god(s) Non-Buddhists often mistakenly believe that Buddhists worship The Buddha. He is, however, just a man. His "claim to fame" is that he worked out the path to decreasing pain through the control of desire on his own, without instruction or guidance. He is revered for this, but not worshipped
While not ancient, the controversial Zen macrobiotic diet is definitely Buddhist-inspired and that of the Zen sect in Japan.
the samurai wrote poetry mostly to calm themselves, and they were also zen Buddhists.
Buddhist civilians can wear whatever they want but monks are encouraged to were red or orange robes due to the fact Buddhists are supposed to live a simple life.
If the question is "What is the reason for the death of Zen" - Zen is a viable philosophy around the world today, it is not "dead" If the question is "What is the reason of death in Zen" - Zen has no reason for anything, things simply "are". In the case of death, it is the partition between one re-birth and the next until enlightenment is attained.