Final answer:
Zen Buddhism in China during the Middle Ages encouraged meditation and learning from a Chan master's example, including performing humble tasks and deciphering paradoxical questions to achieve enlightenment.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the Middle Ages, Zen Buddhism encouraged the cultivation of two primary practices in China. The first was the disciplined practice of meditation, which was believed to move individuals closer to enlightenment. This could be sudden, through the contemplation of paradoxes called "cases" (gong an), or gradual. The idea was to realize that the world is illusory, and this understanding could be pursued even during routine tasks like sweeping. Secondly, Zen emphasized learning from the example of a Chan master, who would perform humble tasks and face paradoxical questions to achieve enlightenment, teaching that enlightenment came from direct experiences rather than ritual or studying scriptures.