Zen originated in China, after having penetrated Buddhism in said past the 1st century of the Christian era. It was born from the first moment as a way of mental liberation and self-realization, where great importance is attached to the development of a wisdom that reports enlightenment; that according to the Zen system occurs suddenly and abruptly, even if it takes years for such an event to take place. This abrupt awakening is known as Satori, an illuminating experience that escapes any conceptual description, since it is itself superconscious and, therefore, irreducible to words and logic.
For Zen in every human mind there is an innate wisdom that can be recovered by working on oneself and putting into practice the teachings and methods for that purpose.Zen encourages us to search within an illuminated nature and discover our original face, the one that was already before birth.
That is the goal of Zen, and all Zen meditations try to lead us to the Buddha nature that resides in oneself, but cannot be found through intellectual understanding. For Zen, the moment has to be fully perceived so that it becomes a supreme moment and the Gerda has to be carried out in daily life.
Except for the Koan Method, all Zen meditation techniques are taken from yoga, but incorporated into Zen doctrine, which is based on the teachings of the Buddha.
What is Zazen?
Zazen is a meditation discipline that is part of the Zen Buddhist tradition. The literal meaning of Zazen is to sit in meditation. You might think this is very easy. The concept of Zazen is very simple, but there are various types of Zazen and different ways of practicing them. Furthermore, the inner growth that you can achieve through the practice of Zazen and Zen meditation in general is infinite.
Although in the West we still talk about Zen meditation, I must say that Zazen is not really meditation at all. Both practices begin with the adoption of a certain posture such as the lotus position. Later, when meditating, one switches to controlled breathing or visualizes or focuses on certain thoughts.
… Peace in the world starts with peace in oneself. If everyone lives mindfully, everyone will be more healthy, feel more fulfilled in their daily lives and there will be more peace.
PHILOSOPHERS AND MASTERS OF ZEN
With Zazen, according to the Soto Zen school, this is not the case, once the correct posture is adopted, nothing is added. Zazen in its purest form revolves around adopting and maintaining correct posture and nothing else. So with zazen your body and your mind form a whole. One stands still, stops mental activity, and concentrates on experiencing. One does not sit in a certain meditation position and then actively engage in mental activities.
The koans originally studied in Zazen are stories that raise important questions. The Rinzai Zen school still makes extensive use of Koans, but the popular Soto Zen school has abandoned the use of Koans since the late 18th century. Today, the Soto Zen school prefers to completely empty the mind while practicing Zazen in order to gain insight into existence.
