Everything Zen
April 1st, 2008Zen is a form of Buddhism that places emphasis on meditation and connection with the natural inner Buddha nature of practitioners. Unlike other forms of Buddhism, Zen does not focus on theoretical knowledge or text studies.
Zen is rooted in the teachings of Buddha Siddhartha Gautama and Mahayana Buddhist thought. The main Zen practice is zazen. Zazen is a seated meditation that is based upon the meditation style used to reach enlightenment by Buddhists at Bodh Gaya.
Zen training involves daily practice. There are intensive periods of meditation, but practicing with others is essential. Zen is considered to be a way of life, not just a religion.
Zazen, as mentioned, is a large part of Zen. It is the core of the religion. Zazen is done seated; the person starts by focusing on posture and breathing. As meditation continues the person lets their thoughts flow without given them consideration. The length of a zazen session is five minutes or longer, but the time spent is not considered as important as the fact that it should be done every day to be effective.
The Zen teacher is very important. Zen emphasizes communication and the Zen teacher is the student’s guide to Zen. It is the Zen teacher who helps students learn about Zen, zazen and the Buddhist traditions.
Another aspect of Zen that is often used during meditation is called koan. A koan is a story that is told and then meditated upon. These stories often involve Zen history and demonstrate something of importance. They are often a riddle-type story where it is the student’s job to discover the hidden meaning or answer.
Koans are often used to measure a student’s progress. Zen teachers will use koans to see how well the student is mastering the concepts they have been taught.
Zen has always been a Chinese form of Buddhism, but it has found popularity in other parts of the world, as well. It spread throughout Asia and even to North America. However, its roots and history are distinct to China.
Zen, while different from traditional Buddhism, still incorporates the key beliefs and concepts of Buddhism. It still focuses on the main ideals, but it is more the practice which differs.
Zen deals more with daily meditation and mental aspects of Buddhism. The belief is that communication is more important than written text.
