Zen Meditation And Meditation

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.

Zen Buddhism and Pure Land Buddhism are considered as two popular schools in Mahayana Buddhism. The two are regarded as polar opposites. In this paper, I argue that Zen Buddhism and Pure Land Buddhism are not entirely different, they still have underlying similarities instead.

The aspiration of all sentient beings is to reach enlightenment; to realize their Buddha-nature and ascend to Buddhahood. The path and method to reach enlightenment, however, differs depending on the perspective from which one views Buddhism. Dogen, in his teachings on Zen Buddhism, promotes the practice of zazen to reach enlightenment. Shinran and the Pure Land sect are devoted to Amida Buddha, who they believe will bring them to the Pure Land, and enlightenment. The ways espoused by Dogen and Shinran are similar in some aspects, but differing enough in others to warrant the separate sects of Buddhism in Japan. For the purposes of this examination, the two sects can be summarized by how they look at reaching enlightenment: Zen Buddhism focuses inwardly, while Pure Land focuses outwardly. By examining their own words on how one is to reach enlightenment, the similarities and differences in their methods can be seen, allowing a better understanding of the teachings of their respective sects.

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,

The first aspect of becoming a Zen Buddhist Monk is to live a life of humility. The way they teach the young monks humility is as follows:

We, as people, generally view the world through lenses of separation. We view ourselves as separate from animals, air separate from water, fire separate from earth, etc… However, this outlook causes us to give different values to things and people. This, at least in our own minds, serves as a justification for why we treat them wrongly. How many times have we been guilty of saying this to ourselves “They’re mean to me, so I’ll be mean to them”? We allow their behavior to shape our perspective of the situation and react accordingly. Suzuki, a Zen Buddhist in the 1900’s, would argue that this reaction towards the situation is unnecessary and poisonous for those who want to experience enlightenment. In “Zen’s Mind, Beginner’s Mind”, he shows that

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.

What is Zen? Zen is something that can not be put into words. There are a few things that come close to attempting to describe what Zen is, but still do not fully reach the teachings of Zen. One attempt by Tao translator and philosophy author Derek Lin at defining what Zen is: “Zen means being free of the distractions and illusory conflicts of the material world.” “Being free of the distractions and illusory conflicts of the material world.”

There is a large quantity of research regarding the physical and psychological health benefits of mindfulness and mindfulness training or meditation. Mindfulness meditation positively influences aspects of physical health including improved immune function, reduced blood pressure and cortisol levels, and increased activity in telomerase enzymes which act as an anti-aging enzyme (Holzel et al., 2011). Many of these physical benefits in turn help reduce stress and fatigue, which in the long run may improve psychological well-being and cognition. Mindfulness meditation has also been found to improve mood as well as emotional regulation, and Zeidan et al. (2010) points out that this may be due to MM decreasing stress and improving immune functioning. Furthermore, there is a large body of research documenting the efficacy of mindfulness and mindfulness-based practices

Zen can be a difficult concept to understand. Translated by many as meaning "meditation" or "a state of mind", Zen can be perceived as a new understanding on how to live one's life. Demanding persistence, patience and discipline, living a life of Zen everyday is not an easy process but can ultimately prove to be extremely meaningful and worthwhile.

Zen Buddhists attempted to gain “zazen”, which is using perfect meditation methods. In modern times, Chan Buddhism is the most popular school of

his actions and the effects they will have on the reactions of his fellow monks, Zen is

Later on, the Japanese adapted another religion, Buddhism. Like Shinto, Buddhism is also a polytheistic religion. Moreover, because Shinto does not explain the afterlife while Buddhism does, these two religions co-existed in Japanese culture. Many people adapt to both religions' belief system at the same time. Zen Buddhism became widely adapted by the samurais later on during the Warrior Period. Zen Buddhism focuses on the discipline of individuals, one of the many reasons why samurais are seen as very refined warriors. They are often portrayed as being able to sense an enemy's attacks before they actually happen. This is an exaggeration of a samurai's ability to concentrate and focus on a goal. The samurais often use a Zen Buddhism technique called "Za Zen" to help clear their mind. A practical religion, Zen Buddhism helps to enhance self-discipline and improve one's self-concentration. One of the teachings of Zen Buddhism is "Bushin," meaning the clarification of the mind. A cleared mind allows the samurais to concentrate better on the task at hand and respond faster to enemies' attacks, make Zen Buddhism a very attractive religion to these warriors. Martial arts in Japan today also stress the importance of concentration. However, Bushin no longer applies to solely concentration in combat, but to all forms of concentration. For example, practicing martial arts is said to effective for improving one's performance at work due to better concentration

The purpose is to investigate the following statement; “Meditation in Christianity and Buddhism are different pathways leading to the same destination.” Meditation is an act of calming the brain to spend more time in thoughts for relaxation and to reflect. Buddhism is a philosophy than a religion because they believe in Karma, meaning good or superfluous depending on individual actions. It was originated about 2,500 years ago in India and about 376 million followers worldwide. Prince Siddhartha Gotama (Buddha) worshipped for many years to enlighten himself and found a “middle way” between his two lives. This means finding moderation and balancing life’s extremes.

If you stress seems anxious, tense and worried, consider that you start to meditate. Just a few minutes of meditation during the day you can soothe and reduce stress levels.