 The Pāli Canon from the 1st century BCE considers Buddhist meditation as a step towards liberation.By the time Buddhism was spreading in China, the "Vimalakirti Sutra" which dates to 100 CE included a number of passages on meditation, clearly pointing to Zen (known as Chan in China, Thiền in Vietnam, and Seon in Korea).The Silk Road transmission of Buddhism introduced meditation to other Asian countries, and in 653 the first meditation hall was opened in Singapore.