
Let your ego and your unconscious mind melt away, merge with the universe. Focus just on your Zazen posture and your breathing. In the silence of the dojo or temple, quietly sit down, stop moving, and let go your thoughts. It is so simple, in fact, that it's very difficult to grasp. Zen is not interested in metaphysical theories and rituals and focuses entirely on the mindful practice of Zazen. It is not a belief, a dogma, or a religion.

Zen is not a theory, an idea, or a piece of knowledge.
ZEN MEDITATION HOW TO
A true spiritual path does not tell people what to believe in rather it shows them how to think or, in the case of Zen - what not to think. We cannot intellectually grasp Zen because human intelligence and wisdom are too limited - the dojo (the hall where Zazen is practiced) is different from the university.īased on the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, Zen is not a moral teaching, and as it is without dogma, it does not require one to believe in anything. It is not a belief, dogma, or religion but rather, it is a practical experience (read our Buddhism FAQ for more details). Zazen is an attitude of spiritual awakening, which when practiced, can become the source from which all the actions of daily life flow - eating, sleeping, breathing, walking, working, talking, thinking, and so on. It is through the practice of Zazen that Gautama got enlightened and became the Buddha. It is the experience of living from moment to moment, in the here and now. About Kannon Do and Zen Buddhism Meditation Exploration of Buddhist teachings Discovering ways that Zen practice can be expressed in the activities of daily. Zen meditation, is a way of vigilance and self-discovery which is practiced while sitting on a meditation cushion. The practice of Zen meditation or Zazen (座禅 - za meaning sitting, and Zen meaning meditation in Japanese), is the core of Zen Buddhism: without it, there is no Zen. Zen is, first and foremost, a practice that was uninterruptedly transmitted from master to disciple, and that goes back to the spiritual Enlightenment of a man named Siddhārtha Gautama (Shakyamuni Gotama in Japanese) - The Buddha - 2500 years ago in India.

The information that we'll give here won't cover all of what of Zen is, but is a starting point to the Zen experience.Īt the heart of the Japanese culture lies Zen, a school of Mahayana Buddhism. BZC news about BZC our meditation schedule. The same goes with Zen because Zen Buddhism is a practice that needs to be experienced, not a concept that you can intellectualize or understand with your brain. From the BZC August Newsletter, by Weishin Huang: Highlights from the 2022 Future of American. However, honey is honey! As long as you have not tasted it, you are in the illusion of what honey is. You can try to explain the texture and scent of honey, or you can try to compare and correlate it with similar foods.

Instead, it freezes Zen in time and space, thereby weakening its meaning.ĭefining Zen (禅) is like trying to describe the taste of honey to someone who has never tasted it before. What is Zen Buddhism? Trying to explain or define Zen Buddhism, by reducing it to a book, to a few definitions, or to a website is impossible.
