4 Spiritual Path

A brief comparison between Zen and Pure Land Buddhism, both of these are very popular amongst the Vietnamese community. The word Zen has been used many times in the West, due to the hard work of Japanese culture; Zen Buddhism does not have a strong influence as that of the Pure Land Buddhism. Also in the school of Zen, "they reject claims of scriptural authority and embrace many different practices". Zen Buddhism rests on claims to an exclusive lineage that has been passed down from teacher to disciple in a succession from "Shakyamuni", or the historical "Buddha", all the way to the present day.

The topic of Zen Buddhism and understanding how it fits into a framework that was designed to

It's all well and good to explain Zen Buddhist doctrine, but Zen is a much more abstract idea. A British researcher and Buddhist, Christmas Humphreys, says it is hard to relate Zen within time and space also, “[f]or Zen is not a new thing but a new way of looking at things. It is a new vision with the old eyes.” (Humphreys 99) Zen is best seen through the actions of those who practice for those who wish to gain a basic understanding, and Matthew is my nearest and dearest example of a practicing Buddhist.

This yoga is centered around total “devotion through love” to God. It stresses the expression of this devotion through actions such as dancing, singing, shouting, and the use of objects such candles and incense. In the Islam religion, all these aspects are depicted. Observance of just one service at a Mosque would prove this.

A Japanese philosopher we have studies extensively is Dogen. He is a 13th century Japanese’s Buddhist priest who founded the Sōtō School of Zen in Japan. Dogen focused on the importance of the sitting meditation of zazen as a method of achieving Zen and enlightenment though not thinking/ thinking beyond. Dogen’s ideas differed to that of the Sixth Patriarch in The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch. This Buddhist script that was composed in China during the 8th to 13th century focused on teachings and stories of śīla (conduct), dhyāna (meditation) and prajñā (wisdom). The interesting points of discussion between these two different approaches to Zen teaching are the Buddha nature, method of attaining enlightenment, self and other,

In the Yoga Sutras, Yoga is defined as "union" of mind, body and spirit. Classically, Yoga is understood as the science of the mind. [1] These days it is assuming importance in improving mental health and quality of life in the treatment of a number of disorders. [2]

The goal of Zen Buddhism is to look towards the future, searching to attain satori (awakening). Through jiriki nembutsu (self-power chanting) the person is hakarai (calculating) their spiritual and material profit. Thus, Zen is an individual practice. Ultimately, Zen places a strong importance on embodying emptiness and not becoming attached to words said by the masters. For instance, in the koan, master Yanmen’s story shows that Zen is both verbal and actional, teaching his students that instead of getting attached to words, one must embody them. This was seen when one of his disciples asked if the dog has a Buddha nature, and the master replied: “no because he has the nature of karmic delusions” (Li 18 March 2016). In this example, the master was mocking the disciple’s lack of discipline because he got attached to the words. The master’s iconoclastic approach teaches its practitioners that one must embody the koan and zazen meditation. As in Zen, it is through embodiment that one reaches the Mahayana level of emptiness in order to reach their final goal- satori.

Zen, also known as Ch’an Buddhism in China, is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that was established in China about 1500 years ago. Zen is a form of religious practice of mainly concentrating the mind to a single point in which then results in self-realization and/or enlightenment. Zen philosophy is interpreted that all humans are capable of reaching enlightenment, which is generally blocked by ignorance. The idea emphasizes enlightened masters over forms of scriptures, and is the least “academic” of all the Buddhist schools.

Zen’s school of thought in the context of language is seen through jiriki (self-power).The koan, one of the foundation of zen learning, uses its approach by believing that one must embody and realize the koan (Shinran PG#). Realizing the koan means to comprehend and embody Zen meditation completely. The goal of Zen Buddhism is to look towards the future, searching to attain satori (awakening). Through jiriki nembutsu (self-power chanting) the person is hakarai (calculating) their spiritual and material

Zen is not a religion. Zen does not tell you what to do. Zen is an approach that has been refined through many years that can be practiced everyday by anyone. The main aim of Zen is to develop self-awareness and an understanding of everything around you. Through the course of one's life, people are conditioned into believing things without thinking about them too deeply. Zen encourages you to

My previous perceptions and stereotypes of the Zen culture was totally wrong. In my misguided illusion, I had envisioned a rigid and closed pseudo philosophy, limited to just Asian culture and martial arts; shrouded in mystery. I guess this was my first impression, especially since I grew up watching a lot of martial arts movies during the early 80’s (Kung Fu theater, channel 5). In fact, the only thing similar to

You state that “Pure Land [Buddhism] makes itself more accessible to all”, but Zen is a very accessible school, as it believes that everyone is a Buddha – they just need to be willing to find the truths of life. Perhaps the Zen path is much more complex and vigorous, but the skills it builds are essential to the creation of a meaningful life. Patience and discipline are very strong qualities for a person to have, although it may be difficult at time – Zen offers a great reward for those who are willing to wait.

Karma Yoga is the third of four paths to the divine. Karma Yoga is usually the chosen by people who have an active life that consider Karma Yoga, the divine view. According to Huston Smith in his book, “The World’s Religion”, this path is “the path to God through work (Smith 37).” His writings also describe how each part of the body supports another part of the body, for example, “the brain envisions movements… Moreover, the spinal nervous system executes them (Smith).” From these writings, I understand, just as the parts of the body are dependent on each other, so we are dependent on our bodies to interact correctly. Instead of becoming stagnant, we must work to keep the body fresh and alive to attain closeness with God. Karma Yoga’s goal is to rise above the limitations we have set ourselves. How does one achieve the goal of Karma Yoga is best described by Philip Novak in his book, “The World’s Wisdom”, “doing without seeking recognition, not becoming lethargic because of worry, and working without concern for the outcome ( Novak 31).” Novak also writes, “Working for oneself will restrict the path to God, free-will can be a blessing and detrimental to the goal of Karma Yoga, and complete faith will allow the follower to act without

First of all I will discuss the mystic tradition of Zen Buddhism and its various components. I have never thoroughly researched Zen Buddhism before engaging in the Spirituality and Research Methods class that is being taught by Professor Scott at Texas Tech University. Therefore a formal definition of Zen is a “: Japanese sect of Mahayana Buddhism that aims at enlightenment by direct intuition through meditation” (Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, 2017). Additionally an article I examined articulated that Zen is the most recognized form of Buddhism that has been used in the Western world. There are about 9.6 million Zen Buddhists who live in the country of Japan and this form of mysticism has spread to other Western countries over

This is an assessment of Zen meditation which focuses on its capability to help relieve stress and possibly anxiety. The history of Zen meditation is a long and ancient one with its origins dating back to the 6th century in China. The word Zen is actually the Japanese form of the Sanskrit word dhyana, which when translated into English means "meditation". Zen meditation is an integral part of Zen Buddhism. Practicing Zen Buddhists are required to meditate at least once every day. Although Zen meditation is a cherished component of Zen Buddhism, Buddhists and Non-Buddhists alike are permitted to take part in Zen meditation. Zen has its origins in Chan or Chinese Buddhism, which itself has its origins in Mahayana Buddhism, and was eventually exported to Japan, there it gained a unique Japanese culture and gradually became endogenous to Japan, this creating Zen Buddhism. It wasn’t until the 12th century that Zen Buddhism was recognised to be different from Chan. The person responsible for creating Chan (Ch'an) and therefore Zen Buddhism is the Indian Scholar/Monk Bodhidharma. The ultimate teachings of Bodhidharma are that one does not need to study sacred texts, worship deities, or do elaborate religious rituals to achieve enlightenment. Instead a person needs to break through the boundaries of conventional thought using meditation and experience the