Question

Explain the practices of “Zazen” and the “koan” described by Smith. To which Buddhist sect do these belong and what is their purpose?

Answer 1

Koan are method of training the mind, so that you can achieve enlightenment, or the capacity to gain and understanding reality, or you could say that koans are method of training the mind in order to achieve the state of Satori. Satori is a japanese buddhists term for awakening, or seeing into one's true nature.The main purpose of koans is to change person's thinking towards normal or habitual thought process which means to contradict one's usual thought process. Koan is particularly practised in the Rinzai sect, Rinzai is one of the two major zen buddhist sect in japan, the sect is traced back to china where it is known as Lin-Chi.

Zazen is the primary practice of zen buddhist tradition, where the state of mind is in deep contemplation, it is type of meditation where the disciple sits with legs fully crossed or half crossed in a quiet place, rhythmically breathing with spine and head erect. hands are folded with one palm above the other. The aim of zazen is to suspend all judgemental thinking and letting words, ideas, images and thoughts, pass by without getting involved. In the japanese rinzai school, zanzen is usually associated with study of koans, but the Soto school of japan, on the other hand rarely incorporate koans into zazen.