Refers popularly to a tradition of Buddhism and, more literally, to the meditation practiced in this tradition as the primary means of attaining enlightenment, which is the objective shared by all traditions of Buddhism. Although all schools and traditions of Buddhism value introspection and spirituality, the Zen school is unique in the unusual emphasis that it places on meditation. Zen Buddhists generally believe that a Buddha- nature resides within each person. There is no need, consequently, to seek enlightenment outside oneself. To disclose one’s own Buddha-nature, one need only focus one’s attention inward, through the meditation techniques prescribed and/or perfected by a Zen master. Meditation enables the Zen practitioner to escape the cage of discursive thinking and to explode the conventional boundaries of egoconsciousness.
The meditation practiced by Zen Buddhists comprises a rigorous regimen of mind-body discipline, which is intended to concentrate and focus the mind. As a means of helping their disciples to refine their meditation techniques, Zen Masters often prescribe koans, which are short, epigrammatic parables in which seemingly important questions about the meaning of life are typically answered with illogical, nonsensical replies. The paradoxical “teachings” dispensed by these koans are intended to assist the Zen practitioner in transcending the limitations of binary logic and discursive thinking. Many Zen Masters believe that intense meditation upon a single koan can precipitate a sudden flash of intuition, thereby delivering the Zen practitioner to an abrupt awakening or enlightenment.