{"id":6211,"date":"2025-10-21T17:14:50","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T15:14:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/domicilium.de\/sanbo-zendo\/?page_id=6211"},"modified":"2025-10-21T18:02:21","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T16:02:21","slug":"zen-glossar","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/domicilium.de\/sanbo-zendo\/en\/zen-glossar\/","title":{"rendered":"Zen glossary"},"content":{"rendered":"
Would you like to know what a term relating to Zen means? Burmese sitting,<\/strong><\/em> \u30d3\u30eb\u30de\u5750\u2003way of sitting in which both feet are released forward resting on the mat; can be helpful if your legs hurt considerably after sitting for a long period<\/p> Ch\u00f4shin,<\/strong><\/em> \u8abf\u5fc3\u2003inner posture\u200a\u2014\u200aone of the three main elements of zazen (besides bodily posture and breathing)<\/p> Ch\u00f4shin,<\/em><\/strong> \u8abf\u8eab\u2003bodily posture\u200a\u2014\u200aone of the three main elements of zazen (besides breathing and inner posture)<\/p> Ch\u00f4soku,<\/em><\/strong> \u8abf\u606f\u2003breathing\u200a\u2014\u200aone of the three main elements of zazen (besides bodily posture and inner posture)<\/p> Daigo-tettei,<\/em><\/strong> \u5927\u609f\u5fb9\u5e95\u2003great enlightenment, thoroughly penetrated (down to the bottom)\u200a\u2014\u200athe completion of enlightenment is usually expressed this way<\/p> Daij\u00f4-zen,<\/em><\/strong> \u5927\u4e57\u7985\u2003Great Vehicle Zen\u200a\u2014\u200aone of the five categories of zazen (see goshuzen); corresponds to Enlightenment Zen in this Introduction<\/p> Dharma,<\/em><\/strong> \u6cd5\u2003Indian and Buddhist term for doctrine, law, or truth; it also means \u201c(a phenomenal) thing\u201d<\/p> Dokusan,<\/em><\/strong> \u72ec\u53c2\u2003literally: going alone (to the master)\u200a\u2014\u200apersonal guidance by a master<\/p> Dokuza,<\/em><\/strong> \u72ec\u5750\u2003sitting alone<\/p> Ga-zen,<\/em><\/strong> \u81e5\u7985\u2003Zen lying down<\/p> Gassh\u00f4,<\/em><\/strong> \u5408\u638c\u2003gesture in and outside of the zend\u00f4 as a sign of respect\u200a\u2014\u200athe palms of both hands are brought together so that the tips of the middle fingers are level with the tip of the nose<\/p> Gogo no shugy\u00f4,<\/em><\/strong> \u609f\u5f8c\u306e\u4fee\u884c\u2003practice which a Zen student consciously goes through after the initial experience of enlightenment<\/p> G\u00f4ma-za,<\/em><\/strong> \u964d\u9b54\u5750\u2003the demon-controlling sitting\u200a\u2014\u200aorder of interlacing the legs, known as the standard form, in which the left leg rests on top of the right leg<\/p> Goshuzen,<\/em><\/strong> \u4e94\u7a2e\u7985\u2003five kinds of zazen\u200a\u2014\u200athe ancient Zen Master Keih\u00f4 Sh\u00fbmitsu (\u572d\u5cf0\u5b97\u5bc6, 780\u2013841) divided zazen into five categories: ged\u00f4-zen (Non-Buddhist Zen), bompu-zen (Ordinary Zen), sh\u00f4j\u00f4-zen (Small Vehicle Zen), daij\u00f4-zen (Great Vehicle Zen), and saij\u00f4j\u00f4-zen (Supreme Vehicle Zen); as far as the content is concerned, the last three are noteworthy; this Introduction proposes a different type of categorizing in which sh\u00f4go-zen and shid\u00f4-zen correspond to the last two kinds of zazen by Master Sh\u00fbmitsu<\/p> Ha,<\/em><\/strong> \u7834\u2003break\u200a\u2014\u200athe second one of the three principles (shu, ha, ri), taught in the world of art and martial arts outside of Zen in Japan; the stage of \u201cbursting\u201d into your own dimension<\/p> Hai,<\/em><\/strong> \u62dd\u2003prostration\u200a\u2014\u200aritual gesture of the highest respect and gratitude; often \u201cthreefold prostration\u201d (named sampai, \u4e09\u62dd, san: three, pai = hai: prostration)<\/p> Hanka-fuza,<\/em><\/strong> \u534a\u8dcf\u8dba\u5750\u2003half-lotus sitting\u200a\u2014\u200atype of sitting in which (only) one foot is placed under the thigh of the other leg, thereby avoiding the complete crossing of the legs<\/p> Hokkaij\u00f4in,<\/em><\/strong>\u6cd5\u754c\u5b9a\u5370\u2003formal hand posture in zazen\u200a\u2014\u200a you place the back of your right hand on one leg, while the back of your left hand comes to rest on the right hand; the tips of the thumbs, supporting each other, are directed toward your chin to form a gentle hill<\/p> Hokk\u00fb,<\/em><\/strong> \u6cd5\u7a7a\u2003emptiness of objective things\u200a\u2014\u200athe material and objective world as a whole is empty and without substance; counterpart to nink\u00fb<\/p> Inkin,<\/em><\/strong> \u5f15\u78ec\u2003small hand bell used e.\u2009g. as primary cue for communal threefold prostration<\/p> Isuza,<\/em><\/strong> \u6905\u5b50\u5750\u2003chair sitting or stool sitting\u200a\u2014\u200atype of sitting adopted when you have trouble sitting on a zafu or bench due to age or physical difficulties<\/p> Ittch\u00fb,<\/em><\/strong> \u4e00\u70b7\u2003one sitting unit\u200a\u2014\u200aoriginally the length of time it takes to burn an incense stick; 25 to 30 minutes, the time recommended as one sitting unit<\/p> Jikid\u00f4,<\/em><\/strong> \u76f4\u5802\u2003person responsible for time management etc. in the Zen hall<\/p> J\u00f4riki,<\/em><\/strong> \u5b9a\u529b\u2003power\/powers of samadhi\u200a\u2014\u200athe j\u00f4 in j\u00f4riki means absorption, the riki means power or powers; j\u00f4riki signifies certain spiritual qualities arising as the result of repeated experience of the samadhi state<\/p> J\u00f4riki-zen,<\/em><\/strong> \u5b9a\u529b\u7985\u2003zazen practice, which tries to (only) strengthen j\u00f4riki<\/p> Kanki-issoku,<\/em><\/strong> \u6b20\u6c17\u4e00\u606f\u2003deep breathing immediately before starting zazen<\/p> Kanshoba,<\/em><\/strong> \u559a\u9418\u5834\u2003waiting place for dokusan<\/p> Kekka-fuza,<\/em><\/strong> \u7d50\u8dcf\u8dba\u5750\u2003full-lotus sitting\u200a\u2014\u200atype of sitting with crossed legs; in the standard form the right foot is placed on the left thigh and the left foot on the right thigh, but it can be done the other way around<\/p> Kensh\u00f4,<\/em><\/strong> \u898b\u6027\u2003seeing one\u2019s own nature\u200a\u2014\u200aexperiencing our own deepest Essence, experiencing the true or the original Self, often called Enlightenment, satori, shogo, etc.<\/p> Kesshu,<\/em><\/strong> \u7d50\u624b\u2003alternative hand posture (besides hokkaij\u00f4in) in zazen\u200a\u2014\u200athe left hand clasps the four fingers of the right hand; very popular among Rinzai followers<\/p> Kikai-tanden,<\/em><\/strong> \u6c17\u6d77\u4e39\u7530\u2003lower abdomen\u200a\u2014\u200atraditionally considered to be the center of bodily-spiritual energy<\/p> Kinhin,<\/em><\/strong> \u7d4c\u884c\u2003Zen in walking or walking meditation (hok\u00f4-zen, \u6b69\u884c\u7985, or kinhin, \u7d4c\u884c)\u200a\u2014\u200apracticed between periods of sitting<\/p> Kissh\u00f4-za,<\/em><\/strong> \u5409\u7965\u5750\u2003auspicious sitting\u200a\u2014\u200athe full-lotus sitting in which the left foot is placed on the right thigh and the right foot on the left thigh; the common way of sitting for almost all Buddha statues<\/p> K\u00f4an,<\/em><\/strong> \u516c\u6848\u2003saying, usually formed as a \u201cchreia,\u201d mostly concerning by a well-known Zen master, almost always paradoxical in content; k\u00f4ans are used by Zen teachers in order to bring the student to enlightenment or to deepen their enlightenment<\/p> Ky\u00f4saku \/ Keisaku,<\/em><\/strong> \u8b66\u7b56\u2003warning stick\u200a\u2014\u200arefers to the stick or to the strikes given with the stick; strikes are delivered to the shoulders of the student for the purpose of encouragement or for soothing stiff shoulders<\/p> Ky\u00fbhai,<\/em><\/strong> \u4e5d\u62dd\u2003a highly formal sequence of nine prostrations (as in the case of a sh\u00f4ken)<\/p> Maky\u00f4,<\/em><\/strong> \u9b54\u5883\u2003non-existent sensory phenomena that can occur during zazen<\/p> Mempeki,<\/em><\/strong> \u9762\u58c1\u2003(sitting) facing the wall\u200a\u2014\u200azazen has always been performed in this way; today, it is practiced differently only in the Rinzai School in which the people always sit facing each other<\/p> Monjin,<\/em><\/strong> \u554f\u8a0a\u2003gassh\u00f4 with teizu (bow)\u200a\u2014\u200athe more polite form of greeting; it is performed, e.\u2009g., whenever entering or leaving a zend\u00f4, facing the altar<\/p> Muj\u00f4kan,<\/em><\/strong> \u7121\u5e38\u611f\u2003impermanence\u200a\u2014\u200arefers to a strong feeling of hopeless despair on account of the sheer meaninglessness or fragility of being<\/p> Nink\u00fb,<\/em><\/strong> \u4eba\u7a7a\u2003emptiness of self\u200a\u2014\u200athere is \u201cno self\u201d, which means, that your Self is completely empty; counterpart to hokk\u00fb<\/p> Ri,<\/em><\/strong> \u96e2\u2003go away, leave\u200a\u2014\u200athe last one of the three principles (shu, ha, ri) taught in the world of art and martial arts outside of Zen in Japan; it means to be independent and to leave your teacher<\/p> Rin'i-monjin,<\/em><\/strong> \u96a3\u4f4d\u554f\u8a0a\u2003greeting your neighbors\u200a\u2014\u200aa monjin greeting to the neighbors on both sides of your seat, followed by taiza-monjin; a necessary ritual before you start your zazen sitting<\/p> Rinzai School,<\/em><\/strong> \u81e8\u6e08\u5b97\u2003one of the main schools of Zen in Japan, which arrived there from China in the 12th century; the Rinzai School is characterized, e.\u2009g., by its work with k\u00f4ans<\/p> Ritsu-zen,<\/em><\/strong> \u7acb\u7985\u2003standing Zen<\/p> Saij\u00f4j\u00f4-zen,<\/em><\/strong> \u6700\u4e0a\u4e57\u7985\u2003Supreme Vehicle Zen\u200a\u2014\u200athe highest of the five categories of zazen (see goshuzen), it is equivalent to the \u201eZen of the Supreme Way\u201c<\/p> Samadhi,<\/em><\/strong> \u4e09\u6627\u3001\u5b9a\u2003absorption\u200a\u2014\u200adeep state of absorption during zazen in which the consciousness is radically unified; phonetically transcribed as zammai (\u4e09\u6627), freely translated as j\u00f4 (\u5b9a)<\/p> Sanb\u00f4 Zen,<\/em><\/strong> \u4e09\u5b9d\u7985\u2003Zen school, officially recognized lay community of Zen in Japan since 1954<\/p> Sanzen,<\/em><\/strong> \u53c2\u7985\u2003formal Zen practice with one\u2019s own masterr<\/p> Satori,<\/em><\/strong> \u609f\u308a\u2003see kensho<\/p> Say\u00fb-y\u00f4shin,<\/em><\/strong> \u5de6\u53f3\u63fa\u632f\u2003left-right swaying\u200a\u2014\u200aat the beginning of the zazen session, you sway your body from side to side a few times and gradually decrease the swaying until it stops; at the end of the session (before getting up) the same movement is performed (in the reverse order: the swaying gradually gets bigger), which is necessary to protect your back<\/p> Seiza-isuza,<\/em><\/strong> \u6b63\u5ea7\u6905\u5b50\u5750\u2003bench sitting\u200a\u2014\u200atype of sitting in which you sit on a small personal bench of some sort<\/p> Sesshin,<\/em><\/strong> \u63a5\u5fc3\u30fb\u6442\u5fc3\u2003a practice in which a group of people focus on zazen for several days under the guidance of a teacher; the core form of practice for zazen<\/p> Shashu-t\u00f4ky\u00f4,<\/em><\/strong> \u53c9\u624b\u5f53\u80f8\u2003hand and arm posture during the walking meditation in order to keep inner concentration<\/p> Shid\u00f4-zen,<\/em><\/strong> \u81f3\u9053\u7985\u2003Zen of the Supreme Way, which encompasses sh\u00f4go-zen and transcends it<\/p> Shihanka-fuza,<\/em><\/strong> \u56db\u534a\u8dcf\u8dba\u5750\u2003quarter-lotus position\u200a\u2014\u200atype of sitting in which one foot is placed on the calf of the other leg without reaching the thigh<\/p> Shij\u00f4,<\/em><\/strong> \u6b62\u9759 \u2003(communal) sitting in silence\u200a\u2014\u200abegins with the jikid\u00f4 ringing the bell or inkin three times<\/p> Shikan-taza,<\/em><\/strong> \u53ea\u7ba1\u6253\u5750\u2003just sitting\u200a\u2014\u200athe highest form of the inner posture in zazen, in which you radically surrender everything to pure presence; the kind of zazen Master Dogen emphasized most<\/p> Sh\u00f4go-zen,<\/em><\/strong> \u8a3c\u609f\u7985\u2003Enlightenment Zen\u200a\u2014\u200athe zazen that you practice in order to attain enlightenment<\/p> Sh\u00f4j\u00f4-zen,<\/em><\/strong> \u5c0f\u4e57\u7985\u2003Small Vehicle Zen\u200a\u2014\u200aone of the five categories of zazen (see goshuzen), in which you set the goal of arriving at the radical state of samadhi<\/p> Sh\u00f4ken,<\/em><\/strong> \u76f8\u898b\u2003literally: seeing each other (for the first time)\u200a\u2014\u200athe formal opportunity to enter into a master-disciple relationship, accompanied by a certain ritual<\/p> Shu,<\/em><\/strong> \u5b88\u2003keep\u200a\u2014\u200athe first one of the three principles (shu, ha, ri) taught in the world of art and martial arts outside of Zen in Japan; it means to learn and keep\u200a\/\u200aguard<\/p> S\u00f4t\u00f4 School,<\/em><\/strong> \u66f9\u6d1e\u5b97\u2003one of the main currents of Zen in Japan, which arrived there from China with Master Dogen in the 13th century; it emphasizes pure \u201cjust sitting\u201d (shikan-taza)<\/p> Susoku-kan,<\/em><\/strong> \u6570\u606f\u89b3\u2003breath counting<\/p> Taiza-monjin,<\/em><\/strong> \u5bfe\u5ea7\u554f\u8a0a\u2003greeting the other side\u200a\u2014\u200aafter the rin\u2019i-monjin greeting, the people sitting on the opposite side of the zend\u00f4 are greeted with monjin immediately before you start sitting in zazen<\/p> Taku,<\/em><\/strong> \u67dd\u2003wooden clappers which, when struck against each other, announce the next step, such as the imminent beginning of zazen, the beginning and the end of kinhin, etc.<\/p> Teisho,<\/em><\/strong> \u63d0\u5531\u2003dharma talk\u200a\u2014\u200aa presentation of the core matter of Zen by the leader of the Zen group<\/p> Teizu,<\/em><\/strong> \u4f4e\u982d\u2003bow<\/p> Tongo,<\/em><\/strong> \u9813\u609f\u2003sudden enlightenment\u200a\u2014\u200athe kind of the authentic experience of enlightenment<\/p> Waza,<\/em><\/strong> \u548c\u5750\u2003Japanese sitting\u200a\u2014\u200atype of sitting in which you kneel and then bring the buttocks down onto the soles of your feet, your knees are a hand\u2019s width apart, the soles of the feet overlap<\/p> Zafu,<\/em><\/strong> \u5750\u84b2\u2003round cushion upon which you sit in zazen<\/p> Zammai,<\/em><\/strong> \u4e09\u6627\u2003absorption, phonetical transcription of samadhi (Sanskrit)\u200a\u2014\u200ayour consciousness becomes fully unified in deep inner absorption<\/p> Zazen,<\/em><\/strong> \u5750\u7985\u2003means sitting Zen (za, \u5750: sitting)<\/p> Zazengi,<\/em><\/strong> \u5750\u7985\u5100\u2003Introduction to Zazen\u200a\u2014\u200aa book Master Ch\u00f4ro S\u00f4saku wrote in China in about 1102\u20131106, the standard teaching for the present-day Rinzai School in Japan<\/p> Zazenkai,<\/em><\/strong> \u5750\u7985\u4f1a\u2003zazen meeting\u200a\u2014\u200aevent for sitting in a group<\/p> Zen,<\/em><\/strong> \u7985\u2003abbreviation of the Japanese word zenna (\u7985\u90a3; in Chinese: channa)\u200a\u2014\u200aoriginally a sound rendering of dhy\u00e2na (Sanskrit) using Chinese characters which means meditative absorption within yourself<\/p> Zend\u00f4,<\/em><\/strong> \u7985\u5802\u2003Zen hall<\/p>
Look up over 70 terms in our glossary.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t