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Zazen

World Religion
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Seated meditation practice central to Zen Buddhism, emphasizing posture, breath, and non-attachment to thoughts.

Detailed Definition
Zazen is “just sitting”—a radical simplicity that embodies enlightenment itself. In Zen poetry, it appears as mountain stillness, winter trees, or empty rooms—expressing presence without striving. Poets use zazen to cut through conceptual clutter, pointing directly to the suchness of this moment, here and now.
Example
Example in poetry:
Zen poetry captures "zazen at dawn, sitting like a mountain while thoughts pass as clouds"; A meditation poem describes "in zazen I count breaths, one to ten, beginning again with each drift"; Contemporary Buddhist verse explores "zazen is not achieving emptiness but recognizing emptiness was always here"; Traditional poetry uses "zazen in the cold hall, legs aching into stillness"; A poet reflecting on practice writes "forty minutes of zazen daily, doing nothing as spiritual discipline"; Minimalist verse depicts "zazen, just this, spine straight, eyes lowered, breathing"
Additional Notes
Zazen, or "seated meditation," is the core practice of Zen Buddhism. It is not a means to an end but an expression of one's inherent Buddha-nature. The practice emphasizes strict attention to posture (often the full-lotus or half-lotus position), breath awareness, and a non-grasping attitude toward thoughts (Shikantaza, or "just sitting"). It is practiced in a meditation hall (Zendo) often facing a wall. For poets, Zazen embodies the essence of Zen: direct experience, simplicity, and the profound realization that can be found in absolute stillness and present-moment awareness.
Also Known As
Seated Meditation Zen Meditation
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