FILE: docs/getting-started/glossary.md
title: "Zen Practice Glossary" summary: "Essential terms and concepts for understanding Zen meditation practice and philosophy." tags: [meta:reference, skill:terminology, theme:understanding]
Zen Practice Glossary 
Understanding key terms enhances your practice and appreciation of Zen's rich tradition. Japanese terms are italicized with pronunciation guides.
🧘♂️ Core Practice Terms
- Zazen (zah-zen) - 座禅
- "Just sitting" meditation. The fundamental practice of Zen, involving upright posture and present-moment awareness without trying to achieve any particular state.
- Kinhin (keen-heen) - 経行
- Walking meditation practiced between periods of sitting. Very slow, mindful movement that maintains the same awareness as sitting practice.
- Shikantaza (shee-kahn-tah-zah) - 只管打坐
- "Just sitting" or "nothing but sitting." The Sōtō approach emphasizing pure sitting without objects of concentration or goals to achieve.
- Kōan (koh-ahn) - 公案
- Traditional stories, questions, or paradoxes used in Rinzai Zen to provoke enlightenment. Examples include "What is the sound of one hand clapping?"
- Dōgen (doh-gen) - 道元
- 13th-century Japanese monk who founded Sōtō Zen in Japan. Emphasized that practice itself is enlightenment.
🏛️ Posture & Form
- Seiza (say-zah) - 正座
- Traditional Japanese kneeling posture, sitting on heels. Can be used for meditation with or without a cushion.
- Burmese Position
- Cross-legged sitting with both feet on the floor in front of you, rather than on opposite thighs.
- Half Lotus
- One foot on opposite thigh, other foot on floor or cushion. More accessible than full lotus.
- Full Lotus
- Both feet on opposite thighs. Advanced posture requiring significant flexibility.
- Mudra (moo-drah) - 印
- Hand positions during meditation. Common Zen mudra: oval formed by thumbs and fingers, resting in lap.
- Zabuton (zah-boo-tohn) - 座布団
- Large, flat cushion placed under a zafu for floor sitting meditation.
- Zafu (zah-foo) - 座蒲
- Round meditation cushion that elevates hips and supports proper spinal alignment.
Zen Philosophy
- Buddha Nature (Busshō) - 仏性
- The inherent potential for awakening present in all beings. Not a thing to attain but our essential nature to realize.
- Shoshin (show-sheen) - 初心
- "Beginner's mind." Approaching practice with openness, eagerness, and freedom from preconceptions.
- Satori (sah-toh-ree) - 悟り
- Sudden enlightenment or awakening. In Zen, both gradual cultivation and sudden insight are valued.
- Mu (moo) - 無
- "No" or "nothing." Famous kōan answer meaning emptiness or the absence of independent existence.
- Emptiness (Kū) - 空
- Not nihilistic void, but the lack of fixed, independent existence. All phenomena arise through interconnected causes.
- Impermanence (Mujō) - 無常
- The universal characteristic that all things are constantly changing and nothing remains static.
- Non-Self (Muga) - 無我
- The understanding that there is no fixed, permanent self or ego. Experience arises without a central controller.
Zen Schools
- Sōtō (soh-toh) - 曹洞
- Zen school emphasizing "just sitting" (shikantaza) and gradual cultivation. Founded in Japan by Dōgen.
- Rinzai (reen-zah-ee) - 臨済
- Zen school emphasizing kōan study and dynamic meditation methods. Often associated with sudden enlightenment.
- Ōbaku (oh-bah-koo) - 黄檗
- Smaller Japanese Zen school combining Zen with Pure Land elements. Uses both sitting meditation and nembutsu chanting.
- Sesshin (sess-sheen) - 接心
- Intensive meditation retreat, typically lasting several days with long periods of sitting and minimal talking.
Mindfulness & Awareness
- Mindfulness (Sati in Pali, Nen in Japanese) - 念
- Present-moment awareness without judgment. Paying attention to what is happening now.
- Concentration (Samādhi) - 三昧
- Focused, undistracted awareness. The mind's natural settling when not chasing thoughts.
- Wisdom (Prajñā) - 般若
- Direct insight into the nature of reality. Not intellectual knowledge but experiential understanding.
- Compassion (Karuṇā) - 慈悲
- Loving-kindness extended to all beings, including oneself. Natural expression of wisdom.
- Equanimity (Upekkhā) - 捨
- Balanced awareness that neither grasps pleasant experiences nor pushes away unpleasant ones.
Daily Practice
- Gassho (gah-show) - 合掌
- Placing palms together in front of chest as greeting, gratitude, or respect. Common at beginning/end of practice.
- Bowing (Rei) - 礼
- Physical expression of respect, gratitude, and letting go of ego. Can be standing bow or full prostration.
- Chanting (Fujumon) - 諷誦文
- Rhythmic recitation of sutras or verses. Unifies body, speech, and mind in practice.
- Oryoki (oh-ree-oh-kee) - 応量器
- Formal eating practice using nested bowls. Eating with mindfulness and gratitude.
- Samu (sah-moo) - 作務
- Work practice. Ordinary activities (cleaning, cooking, gardening) performed with meditation mind.
Advanced Concepts
- Dharma (dahr-mah) - 法
- Buddhist teachings; also refers to phenomena or the natural law of existence.
- Sangha (sahn-gah) - 僧伽
- Community of practitioners. Can refer to monks/nuns specifically or all practitioners generally.
- Precepts (Kai) - 戒
- Ethical guidelines for beneficial living. Basic five precepts: not killing, not stealing, not sexual misconduct, not lying, not intoxicating substances.
- Bodhisattva (boh-dee-saht-vah) - 菩薩
- One who vows to help all beings achieve liberation before entering final nirvana themselves.
- Tathata (taht-hah-tah) - 如
- "Suchness" or "thusness." Things as they truly are, without mental elaboration or judgment.
Common Questions
- Am I doing it right?
- If you're sitting with sincere intention and awareness, you're doing it right. There's no perfect meditation.
- Should I stop my thoughts?
- No. Observe thoughts without judgment. Trying to stop thoughts creates more thinking.
- What if I feel nothing special?
- Perfect. Zen is about ordinary mind. Seeking special experiences creates attachment and suffering.
- How long until I see benefits?
- Benefits often appear gradually. Some notice changes in weeks, others in months. Trust the process.
Need more clarification? Check our FAQ or continue to Posture & Breath for practical guidance.
May understanding support your practice.