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Are there any Zen meditations other than Zazen?

TheEccentricTheEccentric Hampshire, UK Veteran
in Meditation
Just wondering...

Comments

  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    There are different methods I am not sure if they are different *types of* Zazen or else different *from* Zazen.

    I base this on three experiences in Zen, all different. One I meditated on the breath. Two I asked myself the question : "is this me?" on the inbreath and on the outbreath gave an answer. Over and over. The third was a guided meditation which would require a very long explanation for what we did.
  • taiyakitaiyaki Veteran
    Zazen is everything.

    And there is no solid one zazen, nor are there solid many zazen.

    Each instant of zazen is a new zazen.

    And each sitting of zazen is a new zazen.

    Zazen, zazen, zazen.
    relaysovaskullchinInvincible_summer
  • zenffzenff Veteran
    edited November 2012
    Walking meditation or kinhin is usually seen as being part of formal meditation.
    http://www.dailybuddhism.com/archives/183

    But of course taiyaki is right. There is no such thing as a beginning or an ending in meditation.
  • howhow Veteran Veteran
    There are countless variations of Zen meditation that folks call zazen.

  • taiyakitaiyaki Veteran
    "Sometimes I take away the person and do not take away the surroundings; sometimes I take away the surroundings and do not take away the person; sometimes I take away both the person and the surroundings; sometimes I take away neither the person nor the surroundings."

    -Lin-Chi
    Floriansova
  • ZengoZengo
    Yes! There are three dominant methods of zen meditative practices. The three are shikantaza (silent illumination or just sitting), koan contemplation (practiced in Japan), and huatou method (practiced in China and Korea). The huatou is a critical phrase or question one recites in order to cut through the conceptualizing tendency of the mind. Some examples of huatou are "What is Wu?", "What is my original face?", and "Who is dragging this corpse around?". It is important to note that the huatou should not be associated with a particular part of the body, and should be not forced. Before engaging in huatou, practicioners are first advice to just relax and harmonize body and mind. The huatou is a very difficult method so I advise consulting an authentic spiritual teacher before practicing it.
    As for Vietnamese zen I am not sure what sort of practices they have.
    skullchinCinorjer
  • CinorjerCinorjer Veteran
    The huatou I use is "What am I?" Very common in Korean zen.

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