...Zen is the Japanese form of the Sanskrit word dhyana, "meditation," and is a school of Buddhism which has had significant impact in Japan and Europe and America. Founded in China in the 6th century C.E. as the Ch'an school of Mahayana Buddhism, it was exported to Japan in the 12th century C.E. and gradually developed its own unique, indigenous character. The Indian scholar/monk Bodhidharma is traditionally attributed with transferring the tradition from India to China. The essence of Bodhidharma's teachings is that one does not need to study sacred texts, worship deities, or do elaborate religious rituals to achieve enlightenment. Rather, one needs to break through the boundaries of conventional thought using meditation and experience the world as it truly is in the moment. Zen maintains that this was the way the Buddha himself attained enlightenment. Zen teaches that all humans have the capacity to attain enlightenment because we all have an inherent Buddha-nature; indeed, we are all already enlightened beings, but our true potential has been clouded by ignorance. According to some Zen traditions, this ignorance is overcome through a sudden breakthrough — called satori — during meditation in which the true nature of reality, and our experience of it, is revealed. Different Zen sects, of which Rinzai and Soto are the major two, have developed various methods to achieve this enlightenment, including the practice of zazen ("just sitting" meditation). Despite the apparent simplicity...
Words: 327 - Pages: 2
...In Zen Buddhism, the goal of transformation cannot be named because it has “no particular purpose or goal” (Suzuki 75). It is understood that if students of Zen had a particular goal they were trying to achieve that it will not always work, therefore in response to this possibility there is no goal (Suzuki 75). However, as straightforward as this sounds it can be somewhat misleading as there is a sort of goal that we might detail in this framework. That goal might be described as the goal of not having a goal to strive for but rather the goal of limiting yourself to the current moment; the goal being your already current state, a state which is also the Buddha state (Suzuki 75). The means of transformation in Zen Buddhism is zazen. However,...
Words: 1077 - Pages: 5
...Relation between Koan and Zen Meditation Because koan is the Way which leads a person to mindfulness, koan is essential to Zen Buddhism. Zen Buddhism has had such great influence on the life and culture of Japan. Zen Buddhism is a “just sitting” style of Japanese Buddhism that has been influenced by Chinese Zen. The person who discovered or revised this technique was Tendai monk Eisai. “Eisai went to Mountain Tiantai in China and practiced by eliminating all traditional aspects of Chinese Zen Buddhism except for shikantaza (just sitting) and the meditation of koans (puzzles aimed at overcoming dualistic thoughts) and returned to Japan with Zen” (Koller 278). As Eisai returned, he forcefully headed to Kamakura to establish new temple. At Kamakura, Samurais recognized the importance of Zen in mental detachment and practices of daily life, they allowed Eisai to flourish the temple and after his death, Samurais built Rinzai school of Zen which exercised great influence in Japanese culture, thoughts, and philosophy. The origin of Japanese tea culture is also from Rinzai. Similar to original Buddhism, Zen Buddhism is not a theory or a conception of the world but it is practical experience. A person who meditates is already a Buddhist. One cannot truly understand or comprehend Zen Buddhism until experiencing it. “While intellectual understanding and thinking only grasp the subjects of representation of things, experiencing not only grasps subjects but also does not have distinction...
Words: 3157 - Pages: 13
...non-believers and a couple that are Zen Buddhists. A majority of my family are Christians while the remaining minor are non-believers. It seems that my social group is not very diverse in religious aspects. Of course this may change with my online friends but I decided to leave them out for this project as it may be hard to attend a religious event with them. The two religions I choose to write about were almost chosen by default, Christianity and Zen Buddhism. As I said previously my social group is shallow in the...
Words: 1362 - Pages: 6
...Man’s Best Friend (and Master) Mark Doty’s poem, “Golden Retrievals,” shows the reader more than just the thoughts of a dog going for a walk. Through various poetic techniques, Doty is able to express the basis for a very serious human ailment which is present in (nearly) all of us. This chronic crisis of which we are guilty of is literally expressed in words better than any human could say. In this poem, Doty is showing us that dogs, even though they are much more simple-minded creatures than us, possess profound wisdom which we would do well to take heed. Not only that, but the situation is taken to a whole different level in the final two lines. The most basic element of this poem to understand is that the speaker is a dog (presumably a golden retriever). The thoughts of this dog quickly rattle by as the reader tries to keep up: “Fetch? Balls and sticks capture my attention / seconds at a time” (1-2). And for the preceding four lines the dog stays true to this, and each idea he (we’ll assume the dog here is male) presents us truly lasts no long than a second each. The above lines also serve as an excellent example of Doty’s use of enjambment in this poem to help represent the dog’s never-ending train of thought. The transition from the first to the second stanza flow better than any of the lines surrounding them: “Sniff the wind, then / I’m off again” (4-5). By putting the break one syllable before the end of the line instead of at the end of it denies the...
Words: 1714 - Pages: 7
...Zen Buddhism Zen Buddhism Zen comes from a form of the word dhyana “meditation” and is the school of Buddhism which has a strong effect on countries like Japan, America and Europe. “An exceptional communication outside the scriptures; that does not lean on words and letters; candidly dealing with man’s mind; Looking into one’s personality and reaching Buddhahood.” (Bodhidharma’s definition, 2010) Zen is the school of Mahayana Buddhism which started in China in the 6th century C.E. It was also taught at the Shaolin Monastery of China. It is also Japanese’s name which came from the Chinese “Ch’an.” This is the Chinese translation Sanskrit word dhyana that is a mind consumed in meditation. The most well known practice of Zen is zazen, which is a type of meditation where one sits down. History of Buddhism Buddhism was formed in the 5th century B.C.E. and began in India. This religion started about 2500 years ago when Suddhartha Gotama, or the Buddha was liberated at 35 years old. This religion currently has about 350,000,000 followers and does not have a formal headquarters. Its sacred texts are Pali Tipitika, Mahayana, and Vajrayana Canons. The word originates from “budhi”, which means to awaken. Many followers, Buddhism is more than Religion it is away of living their lives. They feel it is a philosophy, in that this word means love of wisdom. Buddhism is a practice that leads to moral living, being mindful and being familiar with ones way of thinking and what they do...
Words: 849 - Pages: 4
...Brief History of Buddhism: Buddhism basis its principles and practices on the virtues of peace, loving kindness and wisdom. One of the basic beliefs of Buddhists is the conviction that happiness and good fortune are attainable to all, regardless of age, race or background. They believe that all negative mental states can be overcome through the practice of meditation and by learning how to meditate; humans can develop peaceful and positive states of “virtue” and be able to solve the problems associated with their daily lives. Reincarnation is another belief of Buddhists. They believe that humans are reborn after dying and adhere to the notion that most humans go through many cycles of birth, life, death and rebirth. These cycles will end when the attachment to desire and the self is released. Once this achieved, a state of freedom from suffering is accomplished. This is the state of Nirvana and the desired destination for believers. Zen Buddhism: Both the words “Zen” (Japanese) and Ch’an (Chinese) derive from the Sanskrit word Dhyana, meaning “meditation”. Zen Buddhists focus on attaining enlightenment (bodhi) through meditation as Siddharta Gautama did. It teaches that all human beings have a Buddha- nature or the potential to attain enlightenment, within them, but the Buddha – nature has been clouded by ignorance. To overcome this ignorance, Zen rejects the study of scriptures, religious rights, devotional practices and good works in favor of meditation leading...
Words: 736 - Pages: 3
...Japanese Zen is a distinct form of Buddhism from the Pure Land and Lotus movements, but it is arguably similar as well. Nembutsu Buddhism is, in fact, the most different of the three. It argued that all other practices were useless and that this path was the only one that led to salvation. Since they were in the mappoo period, or the beginning of the end of times, one could only chant “Namu Amida Butsu” to get into the Pure Land. The Pure Land was the only way because enlightenment couldn’t be achieved during the mappoo period. Honen’s one-page testament, Selecting the Nembutsu of the Original Vow Collection, basically claimed that one didn’t have to understand the teachings of Amida but merely recite them to be accepted into the Pure Land. Nichiren and Zen Buddhism are a lot more similar to each other in that they believe enlightenment can still be reached. They believe in sutras, Nichiren in particular claimed the Lotus sutra to be of highest regard, and bodily being able to become a Buddha. Nichiren Buddhists and Zen Buddhists both believe that afflictions and sufferings in birth and death are a form of liberation and that Buddhahood must be expressed in one’s daily life. The biggest difference between the two is that Zen Buddhism values silent meditation and Nichiren Buddhists chant. Japanese Zen would not exist without its Chinese roots. Zen originated in China, and even the name Zen itself is derived from a Chinese word that was derived a Sanskrit word meaning...
Words: 1058 - Pages: 5
...Initially an assemblage of monks in a Zen temple silently meditating appear vastly unrelated to that of a group of fitness-goers holding erratic poses in a yoga studio. At the surface level, it is easy to examine the differences between the practice of Zen Buddhism/zazen meditation and modern day yoga. However, when examined more deeply both groups have comparable audiences, techniques, applications and ultimate objectives in each practice. Although seemingly different in geographical origin and purpose, the practice of silent seated meditation and yoga are notably similar. In this paper, I aim to elucidate the conceptual parallels of zazen meditation that originated in the East, compared to the popularized practice of contemporary Vinyasa...
Words: 1569 - Pages: 7
...world often construed as inscrutable and mysterious", which makes it more interesting for the West (Low).Unlike other western disciplines,Japanese aesthetics is not only limited to fine arts. Traditionally, Japanese aesthetics existed in different art forms such as tea garden, tea ceremony, Noh theatre. Today, itis widely practiced in daily activities such as cooking, packaging, behaviors and etiquette (Encyclopedia).As Japanese aesthetics is firmly rooted in everyday life, it is very unique to the world. The ideals and philosophies of Japanese aesthetics are highly influenced by Shinto, Zen Buddhism and China (Walkup). Japanese aesthetics has a wide range of philosophies, which are narrowed down to two main ideas: acknowledging the basic reality of constant change and connecting it to the practices of self-cultivation experienced in daily life (Parkes). Influence of Shinto, Zen Buddhism and China Japanese aesthetics understanding is developed by indigenous Japanese religion, Shinto and China. The inspiration of exaltation of nature became an essence to Japanese aesthetics through Shinto (Andrijauskas, 201). Japanese learned to celebrate the beauty of ever changing natural phenomena from mythologies of Shinto, which became an essential component of Japanese aesthetics. According to Shinto, every object has a dynamic spirit, kami,for which it...
Words: 1629 - Pages: 7
...A Comparison of Eastern Philosophy Asia, the world’s largest continent, consists of over one third of Earths total land are and approximately 60% of the world’s population. Further, a large percentage of Asia’s 4.3 billion people live in the countries of China, Japan, and India (Exploredia, 2011). Out of these densely populated countries three eastern schools of philosophy were born between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, and it is these same ancient philosophies that flourish throughout Asia today. Confucianism, Buddhism, and Hinduism are three major schools of thought that significantly have impacted the political, social and religious views of Asian culture. Confucianism, which was inspired by Confucius, has been followed by the Chinese people for more than two thousand years (Confucianism, 2012, pp.1). Because Confucianism is described as a way of life, it is sometimes viewed as a philosophy and sometimes viewed as a religion, although it does not share the aspect of organization that most other religions share. The idea behind Confucianism is that wisdom and knowledge can be obtained through study, ritual practices, and learning from experiences. Humans are perfectible by wisdom and the ultimate goal is to reach a state of superior wisdom. The first principle Confucius taught is called the principle of mean, which is the importance of seeking balance and moderation in life. Any circumstance of extreme should be avoided. The second principle Confucius...
Words: 1064 - Pages: 5
...Axia College Material Appendix A Meditation Worksheet Directions: Locate two resources on the Internet that explain meditation techniques. Copy and paste the Web address into the top of the matrix. After reviewing the Web site, provide a brief summary for each source. Below your summary, list two interesting facts you learned from each site. Try the techniques you located in your Internet search. Provide a brief description of what happened in your experience. Be sure to answer the two questions below the matrix also. |Web Address |http://www.healthandyoga.com/html/meditation/meditationtechniques.html |http://www.meditationsociety.com/what.html | |(URL): | | | | |Health and yoga teaches you the various styles of meditation, and give a full explanation of how the |Meditation society tells you what meditation is and walks you through | | |different styles work. The ultimate goal is to reach full relaxation and to let everything in your mind go |the fours steps of meditation and explains in detail what happens when | | |except the one thing that you are focusing on. |you are meditating. ...
Words: 526 - Pages: 3
...Tim Hardy Test Two Essay #3 Hum 342-01 November 5th, 2014 The Relationship of Suchness and Emptiness Even though the definitions for both words will cause some people trouble (and emptiness is probably the most easily misunderstood term from Buddhism), "emptiness" and "suchness" are very closely related, and are not as different as some might think. You can only find yourself in your suchness if you are first "emptied" of everything and all of your conditioning. Everything in nature is in its suchness; it is the way that it is, and in this suchness its emptiness, and the way that it connects with all other things, can be found in the same way as it can be found in human beings. In the beginning of The Heart of Understanding, Thich Nhat Hanh gives us the definition for a word, a word not yet in the dictionary. This word is “interbeing”. In his explanation of this word he describes how everything that we see here depends on something else to be what it is. To use his example: without the logger, the sunshine, or clouds, the paper upon which we read would not be able to exist. At the end of this description of the word “interbeing”, Thich Nhat Hanh states that “The Heart Sutra seems to say the opposite. Avalokiteshvara tells us that things are empty.” (p. 4) Thich Nhat Hanh continues to speaks of the piece of paper, and how if we only look at it from the outside, we are separate from it and we will not fully comprehend how everything is interconnected: “If we only look at...
Words: 1842 - Pages: 8
...Religions of the world Zen Buddhism Meditation Practice of selfless living, relaxation and controling the mind are some of the caracteristics that describe Zen. When you translate Zen it means meditation and it can't be explained, but it can be found by people through their practice. Many people all over the world use Zen Buddhism meditation for relaxation and clearing their minds from the daily responsibilities. I visited a group of people who were performing Zen Buddhism meditation. It was held in the private house of the Sensei Joan who gladly and with open doors is inviting people to join their group and to find the place in themselves where is peace, freedom and happiness. Sunday morning I went to the Sensei Joan house where the group had their usual meetings for meditation. First thing I did before I enter in the house I took off my shoes and I was asked to go in the instruction room together with the new people who were their first time meditating. Instructor told us how to sit because proper sitting improves meditation. We need to be well grounded and to make sure that our blood flows smoothly and evenly to prevent tiredness, creeping in and muscles aching. We used the kneeling position while sitting on a cushion and our hand stay free in our lap one over the other. The aim is to remain still, not rigid, but solid and steady. Other thing becides the right sitting was the breathing. While we meditate the instructor advised us to count...
Words: 880 - Pages: 4
...Every Step Paper Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, teacher, author, poet and peace activist. He lives in the Plum Village Monastery in the Dordogne region in the South of France, travelling internationally to give retreats and talks. He has published more than 100 books. He was born in central Vietnam in 1926; At the age of 16 he entered the monastery at a Temple near Hue, Vietnam, where his primary teacher was Dhyana Master Thanh Quy Chan That. A graduate of Bao Quoc Buddhist Academy in Central Vietnam, Thich Nhat Hanh received training in Zen and the Mahayana school of Buddhism and was ordained as a monk in 1949. He lived through the Vietnam War, seeing all of the terrors of war. Nhat Hanh taught Buddhist psychology and Prajnaparamita literature at the Van Hanh Buddhist University, a private institution that focused on Buddhist studies, Vietnamese culture, and languages. At a meeting in April 1965 Van Hanh Union students issued a Call for Peace statement. It declared: "It is time for North and South Vietnam to find a way to stop the war and help all Vietnamese people live peacefully and with mutual respect." Nhat Hanh left for the U.S. shortly afterwards. That’s just the beginning of Thich Nhat Hanh’s life story, his life is a very active and involved one. Nhat Hanh's novel "Peace is Every Step" is a work that centers on the concept of meditation and enlightenment. Hanh bases his discussion on Zen Buddhism, using anecdotes and personal testimonials to demonstrate...
Words: 659 - Pages: 3
