12/24/2023 0 Comments Define zen![]() ![]() What confuses people about Zen is that there is no formal practice or set routine that people must practice to achieve the enlightenment that Zen presents as a possibility. If you sincerely free yourself from the tangible and illusory bonds of the physical world, you can tap into the unseen fabric of life, and be fully satisfied with your place in it. It is both intensely personal, while also accessible to anyone willing to embrace the wisdom of oneness with the world around them. It is both the acceptance of everything and nothing, the realization that Zen encompasses everything in the world, and is similarly encompassed by every minute element of existence. “Being Zen” is essentially a state of being at peace with your own thoughts, and being self-aware of your place within the universe, inconsequential (and simultaneously essential).Īs mentioned earlier, trying to define Zen is nearly impossible, as it is based in the concept of paradox. It centers on a personal relationship with your own mind, and a higher, undefined entity outside of yourself. Zen is not taken directly from the written word, nor religious transcriptions. The word Zen is derived from the Chinese word Ch’an, which is directly taken from Indian sanskrit word dhayana, which means meditation, as you might expect from the explanation above. Putting the concept and wisdom of Zen into words is difficult, as it is largely based on intuition and personal interpretation. Today, Zen is a popular catch-all term in certain areas of the western world, although there are traditional centers and areas for serious Zen study across America and Europe. Most people in the west have only been aware of the concept for a century, whereas the places where it is widely practiced have more than a millennia of history with this mysterious concept. The ideas of Zen didn’t reach the western world, namely Europe and North America, until late in the 19th century, which is why the idea often seems so ancient to modern minds. Each country has established its own definitions and methods of practice, but all are based on the original ideas of the Ch’an School, which is why the most colloquial term around the world for following a Zen lifestyle is “Zen Buddhism”. The concept of Zen reached Vietnam (known there as Thiền) roughly 1,300 years ago, and it appeared in Korea (known there are Seon) even before that. Although intense Buddhist meditation was being practiced prior to the Ch’an school, largely influenced by Tao beliefs, its official beginnings are marked in the 6th century. In the 12th century C.E., the concept was exported to Japan where it was quickly accepted and became a highly influential path of study. Nearly 1500 years ago, in 6th century China, the Ch’an school of Buddhism was first founded, and for nearly 600 years, it was restricted to that country, developing and ingraining itself within the culture.
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