Zen

Zen Buddhists believe that the path to enlightenment exists through meditation and intuition rather than adhering to a particular scripture.

Zen Buddhism is a form of Mahayana Buddhism and is quite prevalent in Japan.

The word Zen is actually derived from the Sanskrit word Dhyana, which means sitting or meditation and Zen Buddhists believe that all humans have a Buddha nature inside themselves that can be realized. The way to realize this Buddha nature is through self-knowledge, which is gained through exploring one’s inner self through meditation.

Zen meditation is known as ”zazen” and during this practice the person meditating is usually required to assume a sitting posture (typically lotus posture, which is a cross-legged position) and concentrate completely on this posture and proper breathing.

During Zen meditation the mind must be made sharp and attentive in order to intuit from itself the Truth of Buddhahood. This practice involves waking up the mind and making the mind aware of the things around it.