Learning Zen Meditation
How To Meditate In The Style Of Zen
Jul 15, 2009 Janis Masyk-Jackson
Zen is an offshoot of Buddhism. Siddharta Gautama, (who became known as Buddha,) became enlightened after a lengthy meditation under a Bodhi tree. He spent the rest of his life teaching and amassed many followers. Over time, Buddhism branched out and Zen is one of the forms that was founded.
History Of Zen
Zen first originated in India. In the 6th century, it traveled to China and during the 12th century took root in Japan. The word Zen is the Japanese term for dhyana, which is the Sanskrit word for meditation. Today, it is a popular form of meditation in the United States. It is also practiced by monks for enlightenment.
Practicing Zen
The basics of Zen are very simple. Just sit and breathe. Begin by sitting down on a chair or the floor. If sitting on the floor, for comfort, a meditation cushion is recommended. Keep the back straight, the head balanced and fold your hands on your lap with the thumbs touching.
Begin to take deep breaths. Focus all of your attention on inhaling and exhaling. Although this is a very simple form of meditation, it's not as easy as is sounds as all too often, the mind wonders. When it does, simply bring it back to focusing on breathing and keeping the mind clear.
The idea is to become one with the breath. Rather than seeing yourself and your breath as separate, the idea of Zen is to have the two merge together. This allows for both focus and relaxation. For experienced Zen practitioners, they are able to do this while walking. In fact, some practitioners can accomplish this throughout the day.
Koans
One of the goals of Zen is to awaken an individual to the innate wisdom that exists in everyone. Koans are riddles that are asked that seemingly have no answers, which makes people look deep inside themselves for answers.
Two of the most commons koans are "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" and "What did your face look like before you were born?"
How Long To Meditate
When beginning Zen, start by meditating ten minutes a day. Gradually increase this amount as it feels comfortable. This could be adding two minutes a day. There are some people who meditate for hours and at meditation retreats, even for days! Just be sure you are comfortable and stay focused in order to have the most successful meditation possible.
Readers may also enjoy The Origins Of Meditation , along with Breathing Meditation and Tools for Meditation
Sources:
- Meditation The Complete Guide, Patricia Monaghan & Eleanor G. Viereck, (New World Library,) 1999.
- The Best guide To Meditation, Victor N. Davich, (Renaissance Media, Inc.) 1998.
- Meditation For Dummies, Stephan Bodian, (Wiley Publishing,) 2006.
Learning Zen Meditation
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