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Zen (Japanese:
Zen, 禅;
Chinese: Chαn, 禪;
Korean: Seon, 선)
Overview
Zen is a branch of
Mahayana
Buddhism that particulary emphasizes the practice of
meditation. Because Zen is the name for this branch in Japanese as
well as in English, this article will concern itself with both traditional
Zen in Japan and with Zen as an international phenomenon. For information
specific to Asian countries other than Japan, please follow the
appropriate links below.
Zen is a modern English word derived from the Japanese name of the
tradition. However, the roots of the tradition are traced to
Indian Buddhism, where it was known as
dhyana, its
Sanskrit name. This name was transliterated into the Chinese
Chαn (禪). Chαn was later transliterated into Korean as
Seon, and then into Japanese as Zen. In all these languages, the
name means roughly "meditation".
The exemplar of the great Zen teachers was
Bodhidharma, the Indian monk who, according to tradition, founded Zen
Buddhism at China's
Shaolin Temple in the fifth century CE. Later,
Japanese monks studying in
China learned of Zen and brought it back to Japan around the seventh
century, where several divergent schools of thought emerged.
The following Zen traditions still exist in Japan:
Rinzai,
Soto, and
Obaku. Originally formulated by the eponymous Chinese master Linji (Rinzai
in Japanese), the Rinzai school was introduced to Japan in
1191 by
Eisai, whose disciple
Dogen went on to found the Soto Zen school. Obaku was introduced in
the 17th century by a
Ingen, a Chinese monk.
Influenced by
Taoism, Zen de-emphasizes study and worldly deeds, and concentrates
instead on meditation and a non-rational awareness of the world and the
way the mind reacts to it.
Zen tradition holds that the highest form of spiritual practice is
meditation, usually known as
zazen after its Japanese name. Zazen translates approximately to
sitting meditation, although it can be applied to practice in any
posture. During zazen, practitioners usually assume a
lotus, half-lotus, burmese, or seiza position. Rinzai practitioners
typically sit facing the center of the room, while Soto practitioners sit
facing a wall. Awareness is directed towards complete cognizance of one's
posture and breathing. In this way, practictioners seek to transcend
thought and be directly aware of the universe.
The Zen schools (especially but exclusively Rinzai) developed the
famous
koans, paradoxical "riddles" or "puzzles" designed to shock the mind
out of its rationalistic rut and into a non-discriminatory awareness.
Many modern students have made the mistake of thinking that since much
of Zen sounds like nonsense, then any clever nonsense is also Zen. This is
not the case, but see
Discordianism and the
Church of the SubGenius for modern semiserious religions influenced by
this idea.
Zen Buddhism stands in the Middle Way of
dialectics between
idealism and
materialism. In The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch of Zen in
China, Hui Neng instructs his accomplished disciples in the chapter on his
Final Instructions, "After my entering
Nirvana, each of you will be the Dhyana Master of a certain district.
I am, therefore, going to give you some hints on preaching, so that you
may keep up the tradition of our School."
"First mention the three categories of Dharmas, and then the thirty six
'pairs of opposites' in the activities of the Heart-Mind. Then teach how
to avoid the two extremes of 'coming in' and 'going out.' In all
preaching, stray not from the Heart-Mind. Whenever someone puts a question
to you, answer in the antonyms, so that a pair of opposites; will be
formed, such as coming and going. When the interdependence of the two is
entirely done away with there would be, in the absolute sense, neither
coming nor going. ... Whenever a question is put to you, answer it in the
negative if it is an affirmative one; and vice versa. If you are asked
about an ordinary man, tell the questioner something about a sage; and
vice versa. From the correlation or interdependence of the two opposites
the doctrine of the Middle Way may be grasped. If someone asks what is
darkness, answer thus: Light is the root condition and darkness is the
reciprocal condition. When light disappears, darkness appears. The two are
in contrast to each other. From the correlation or interdependence of the
two the Middle Way arises."
Esoteric meaning of Zen
From this point of view, Zen is, instead of a religion, rather an
undefinable origin, beyond all words and concepts, which can only be
experienced on an individual level. In Zen, Prajna, i.e., direct intuitive
wisdom, is to Buddhism what Gnosis is to Hellenism and Christianity. All
religions originated from more concrete expressions of Prajna, and as such
Zen is not bound to any materialist view of religion at all, even not
Buddhism. Zen is then the fundamental perfection of awareness in relation
to everything existing, and is known by all the great saints and sages of
all times. Zazen is then, both a method to bring people to liberation and
an expression and realization of the perfection already present in every
person.
Glossary of Terms used in Zen
- Dharma - The Law of Reality which is the Teaching
of All Buddhas.
- Doan - Term for person sounding the bell that marks
the beginning and end of Zazen
-
Dojo - "Place of the Way" in Japanese, used interchangeably
with Zendo
-
Dokusan - Private interview between student and teacher.
- Fukudo - Term for person who strikes the Han
-
Gassho - Position used for greeting, with palms together
and fingers pointing upwards in prayer position.
- Han - Wooden board that is struck announcing
sunrise, sunset and the end of the day
- Ino - One of the leaders of a sesshin
- Jisha - Roshi's attendant during sesshin or dokusan
-
Kensho - Enlightenment. Kensho has the same meaning as
satori, but is customary used for an initial awakening experience.
-
Kinhin - Walking meditation
-
Koan - An often paradoxical story used to move a student's
mind into awareness
-
Kyosaku (keisaku) - A flattened stick used to strike the
shoulders during zazen, to help overcome fatigue or reach satori.
- Makyo - Unpleasant or distracting thoughts or
illusions that occur during zazen.
-
Mokugyo - A wooden drum carved from one piece, usually in
the form of a fish.
- Mondo - A short dialogue between teacher and
student.
-
Rinzai - Zen sect emphasizing sudden enlightenment and koan
study
- Rohatsu - A day in December (usually 8th) that
marks the attainment of Nirvana by Buddha
- Roshi - Teacher
-
Satori - Enlightenment
-
Sesshin - A Zen retreat where practioners meditate, eat and
work together for several days.
-
Shikantaza - technique of meditation that emphasizes "just
sitting"
-
Soto - Major sect of Zen emphasizing gradual enlightenment
and
shikantaza
- Tanto - One of the main leaders of a sesshin.
-
Teisho - Lecture by Zen teacher
- Tenzo - Head cook for a sesshin
-
Zazen - Sitting meditation
-
Zendo - A hall where Zen (usually meaning zazen) is
practiced (see Dojo)
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