Health & Fitness Blog

Though it is one of many, Zen Buddhism is likely the best known branch of Buddhism, at least in the West. It’s a simple practice which concentrates on meditation as the way to reach enlightenment. Other Zen Buddhism practices do exist, though.

The main sects of Zen Buddhism are Soto and Rinzai, with Soto being the most well known outside of Japan. As with all Zen, their principal focus is on meditation. Actually, the term Zen comes from the Sanskrit term denoting meditation. In Zen beliefs, enlightenment is reached by looking within, and meditation is thought to be the perfect approach to do this.

When you meditate according to the Soto style, you face the wall. You sit in this posture and let yourself be aware of your thoughts without holding onto them. In the Rinzai tradition, you sit looking toward the center of the room. This technique focuses more on the breath.

Anything you do throughout the day can be turned into zazen, the name for Zen Buddhist meditation techniques. By focusing your entire attention on one activity at a time, and only that activity, it becomes zazen. Nevertheless, one should still meditate every day, for a minimum of 5 minutes. Regular, everyday practice is of the highest magnitude.

As you would expect, monks will sit and meditate for a great deal longer. Periods of sitting meditation will often be relieved by periods of walking meditation. This will provide the legs an opportunity to stretch. Sesshins are meditation retreats for a few days which lay students participate in. They will meditate for hours every day, along with doing some work around the grounds and attending lectures.

Chanting is not a principal Zen practice, but it is included in the everyday activities of many temples. Several main sutras will be chanted, such as the Lotus and the Heart sutras, as well as some mantras. There will normally be altars that have statues of Buddhas. At home, the altar is often utilized to talk to and honor the ancestors.

Meditation on Koans is largely used by the Rinzai branch of Zen. These are phrases or anecdotes that the practitioner must meditate on to uncover the hidden meaning. Lacking a higher level of understanding, it’s hopeless to know the meaning of the Koan.

As with the practices of other types of Buddhism, Zen Buddhism practices are intended to bring you nearer to Satori, or enlightenment. If you can attain Satori, you won’t have to be reincarnated into this world again, which is seen as a place of suffering.

With the unprecedented levels of stress that are part of normal life these days, learning to meditate should be made compulsory! Learn more about the many health benefits of the ancient practice of meditation by visiting Meditation Techniques: Relax Your Mind, Reduce Your Stress.