ZEN BUDDHISM

•Called Ch’an in Chinese which means “meditation”, from India – “dhyana”. THE FLOWER SERMON - LOTUS FLOWER - PEACEFUL MEDITATION 

• 6th century Indian monk who taught a type of meditation that aimed to create a direct access to the truth, available to everyone
• Thought more important to look into ones mind than become attached to scripture.
• Basis in Dhammapada where it is pointed out that self-conquest is the greatest victory of all.
• ABOVE POINTS DESCRIBE THE BODHIDHARMA 
• DOGEN IS THE MASTER OF ZEN BUDDHISM 

•Introduced Soto Zen to Japan from China

• •The importance of correct posture and breathing during meditation •Directing thoughts inwards •Zazen practice enables realisation of Buddhahood- zazen means sitting 

•paradoxical statement used as a practice in Zen traditions •Actually means “public notice or notification”. •Associated with Rinzai Zen but also Dogen(less popular in Soto) •As well as short paradoxical riddles can include slightly longer stories in which the listener may be given two answers, neither of which is acceptable •It is not possible to solve the riddle by intellect/logical thought/conceptualized thought processes "As surely as the meaning and purpose of life cannot be resolved by use of the intellect, neither is it possible to solve the riddle of the koan by this means.” - Fowler

•Disrupts the process of logical thought •Logical thought is not going to bring enlightenment •Koan enables altered state of mind/consciousness •One of the means of achieving satori •Helps reveal the Buddha nature (tathagatagarba) within •Part of the guidance offered by the master to the pupil with the aim of awakening them •Some Rinzai masters ignore koans •HakuinEkaku (1685-1768) classified koans into a system and made them popular again •Used in the 1960’s when zen became popular with hippies/beatniks

•Meditation •No dependence on scripture although precepts help practice •Emphasis on zazen – just sitting, with attention to correct posture and breathing. •Meditation may involve focus on a key word e.g. “mu” (“not”/ “nothing”). •“The practictioner who uses this technique transcends dualities in terms of subject-object differentiation” and “becomes one with nothing” like a chick tapping from an egg.

SATORI 

•Enlightenment, state of bliss; outside of self – linked to concept of “no I” (compare with anatta). •Some zen practitioners equate satori with samadhi (deep meditative state) •Described as “pure experience” and evident in gardens, martial arts,

tea ceremonies, flower arranging, haiku

•D T Suzuki •Makes links with shunyata and the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras •

“If I am asked then, what Zen teaches, I would answer Zen teaches nothing. Whatever teachings there are in Zen, they come out one’s mind. We teach ourselves; Zen merely points the way.”

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“Zen claims to be Buddhism, but all the Buddhist teachings as propounded in the sutras and the sastras are treated by Zen as mere waste paper whose utility consists in wiping off the dirt of intellect and nothing more.”

"Despite Suzuki’s affirmations to the contrary, and his preoccupations with the paradoxical and irrational, meditation is the heart of Zen.” Fowler

• ZEN is a school part of Mahayana Buddhism