Glossary of Zen Terms
Abbreviations: (Skt): Sanskrit. (Jap): Japanese.
Acharya – (Skt) Teacher.
Bodhisattva – (Skt) Lit. “enlightenment being, enlightened being, or enlightening being”; a being who vows not to enter nirvana or achieve full liberation until all beings have entered nirvana.
Buddha – (Skt) Either Shakyamuni Buddha, one who is awakened, or our enlightened or unconditioned nature.
Ch'an – The Chinese word for Zen. The word Ch'an predates the Japanese word Zen since Zen originated in China and came to Japan later.
Chiden – (Jap) The person who takes care of altars. The chiden cleans the incensors, makes sure that incense is available for service, and that altar candles are in working order.
Daiosho – (Jap) “Great teacher”, used specifically by students to refer to ascendant masters in their lineage.
Dana – (Skt) Giving. Generosity.
Dharani – (Skt) A chant to bring forth the energy of sound into the world; the meaning is not in the words.
Dharma – (Skt) Shakyamuni Buddha’s teachings, Buddhist teaching in general, or the path or practices that reveal our unconditioned nature. Reality.
Doan – (Jap) The person who rings the bells and keeps track of time during zazen and service.
Doanryo – (Jap) The group of people who serve in temple roles, including the doan, the kokyo, fukudo, and the chiden.
Dokusan – (Jap) A formal, private interview with the guiding teacher.
Doshi – (Jap) The priest who officiates for zazen and sutra chanting.
Eightfold Path – The fourth of the Four Noble Truths:
Upright View (or Understanding)
Upright Thought (or Resolve)
Upright Speech
Upright Conduct
Upright Livelihood
Upright Effort
Upright Mindfulness
Upright Concentration
Four Noble Truths – The Buddha's motivation for leaving his home and taking up a spiritual life was to understand suffering and the end of suffering. The Four Noble Truths are the answer that came to the Buddha as part of his enlightenment:
Suffering is a part of life.
The cause of suffering is craving and attachment.
There is a way through; craving can be ended and thus suffering can be ended.
The way to end craving is the Eightfold Path.
Fukudo – (Jap) The person who plays the mokugyo.
Gassho – (Jap) A position of the hands or mudra where the palms are joined so that the middle finger is at the height of the nose.
Han – (Jap) The wooden instrument that calls the sangha into the zendo. The message reads:
Great is the matter of birth and death
Life is fleeting, gone, gone
Awake, awake each one!
Do not waste this life
Hara - (Jap) The vital energy center of the lower abdomen; in many Zen traditions it is considered to be the seat of the heart-body-mind.
Heart sutra – The most widely recited scripture in Mahayana Buddhism. It is a text revered by millions of people and regarded as the most succinct presentation of the dharma. In its short form, the text summarizes the selfless experience of reality in meditation, and how this transcends our usual way of thinking.
Hinayana – (Skt) Lit. "Lesser Vehicle." One of the three main branches of Buddhism, the other two being Mahayana (great vehicle) and Vajrayana (indestructible vehicle). Considered by most to be the oldest form of Buddhism. Because “lesser vehicle” has at times been used as a derogatory term by other traditions, many followers prefer to use the term Theravada (Teaching of the Elders).
Ino – (Jap) The person in charge of the zendo (meditation hall). Lit. “bearer of joy”.
Jisha – (Jap) The attendant to the doshi during service. During daily service, the jisha presents an incense stick for the doshi’s offering at the altar.
Jukai – (Jap) Receiving the precepts, taking refuge in the precepts or taking up the way of the bodhisattva. A significant step marked by a ceremony of the same name, jukai signifies a serious commitment to Zen practice and the Sixteen Bodhisattva Precepts.
Kaisando – (Jap) The Founder’s Hall in a traditional Zen Temple.
Karma – (Skt) The Buddhist teaching of cause and effect. The effect of an action taken today (or thought or word spoken, etc.) might not occur today. The effect, whether good or bad, may come to pass many years from now or even in a subsequent lifetime. The important point to remember is that no actions are isolated and independent; all are tied together in cause and effect.
Kimono – (Jap) Worn under the black koromo. A white kimono is worn by priests for memorials and special ceremonies.
Kinhin – (Jap) Walking meditation which is done in the zendo, usually between two periods of zazen.
Koan – (Jap) Originally: a public record. A Zen paradox, question or episode from the past that defies logical explanation. Koans are sometimes thought of as Zen riddles, but this is not entirely accurate since most riddles are intended to be solved through reason. A student undertaking koan work is meant rather to exhaust the use of reason and conceptual understanding; finally making an intuitive leap. Koans were originally recorded and used by the Rinzai school of Zen, but the old distinctions have become less important so that today some teachers closer to the Soto school have also used koans.
Kokyo – (Jap) The person who announces the sutras during chanting service.
Koromo – (Jap) Black outer robe.
Kotsu – (Jap) Lit. "bone, relic." The teaching stick whose shape symbolizes the upright spine with its natural curve.
Lotus Position – Cross legged posture for seated meditation. Comes in full or half sizes.
Kwan Yin – (Chinese) The Bodhisattva of Compassion, also known as Avalokitesvara in Sanskrit, Kwan Um in Korean, and Kannon or Kanzeon in Japanese.
Mahayana – (Skt) Lit. "Great Vehicle." One of the three main branches of Buddhism, the other two being Hinayana (Lesser Vehicle) and Vajrayana (Indestructible Vehicle). Although this is the branch to which Zen belongs and Zen traces its origin back to the Buddha himself, generally Mahayana is considered to be a newer form than Hinayana. There is less emphasis placed on nirvana and individual salvation in this tradition and more emphasis placed on helping all sentient beings.
Mindfulness – Awareness; remembering that all things are interrelated; attending to the present moment. It would be difficult to overemphasize the importance of mindfulness in Zen and Buddhism.
Mokugyo – (Jap) The small drum used to regulate the speed of Japanese chants during service.
Mudra – (Skt) A formal hand position used in meditation or other activities in the zendo.
Nirvana – (Skt) Lit. “cessation or extinction.” An end to the thrashing.
Okesa – (Jap) Buddha’s robe: a patched-together cloth that is sewn in preparation for and received during the priest ordination that is worn around the body as the outer robe.
Oryoki – (Jap) Lit. “just enough.” A set of nesting eating bowls that are wrapped in cloth, used for formal meals in the zendo.
Precepts – Buddhist ethical code. The precepts are not rules or commandments, but guidelines for living an upright life.
Rakasu – (Jap) A patched piece of cloth worn around the neck that is sewn in preparation for and received when taking the precepts in lay ordination. It is a small version of Buddha’s robe.
Rinzai – (Jap) One of the two main schools of Zen in Japan, the other being Soto. Known as “samurai Zen”.
Robe Chant – A short verse chanted in Japanese and English after morning zazen when putting on Buddha’s robe:
Great robe of liberation
Field far beyond form and emptiness
Wearing the Tathagata’s teaching
Saving all beings
Rohatsu – (Jap) The day set aside to commemorate the enlightenment of the Buddha, which traditionally is celebrated on the eighth of December. Many Zen centers and sanghas will organize a rohatsu sesshin early in December.
Roshi – (Jap) Venerable master of Zen.
Samsara – (Skt) The continuing cycle of birth, death and rebirth.
Sangha – (Skt) Originally meant the disciples who practiced with the Buddha. Now the word is also used to refer to the community of practitioners.
Seiza – (Jap) A sitting position in which one kneels and sits on the heels of the feet, the position used by many people for service.
Service – Sutra chanting and bowing following zazen.
Sesshin – (Jap) Lit. “to gather the mind or touch mind.” An intensive meditation retreat in which zazen and kinhin are done all day for 1-9 days.
Shashu – (Jap) A mudra used in kinhin, where the left hand makes a fist around the thumb and is held against the body at the solar plexus with right hand covering the left fist.
Shikantaza – (Jap) Lit. "just sitting." Meditating in non-dual awareness with no particular technique such as visualisations, slogans, or mantras.
Shukke Tokudo – (Jap) Priest ordination. Lit. “leaving home and accomplishing the Way.” The ordainee’s head is shaven and the Sixteen Bodhisattva Precepts, Buddha’s Robe (okesa), Buddhist lineage papers, and a Buddhist name are given.
Shuso – (Jap) The head student for a practice period.
Soji – (Jap) A brief period of silent work; temple cleaning.
Soto – (Jap) One of the two main schools of Zen in Japan, the other being Rinzai. Known as “farmer Zen”.
Sutra – (Skt) A scripture usually attributed to Buddha.
Tathagata – (Skt) Lit. "thus come." An epithet which Buddha used primarily to refer to himself.
Ten directions – The eight main compass directions plus up and down. Everywhere.
Tenzo – (Jap) The head cook for a monastery or sesshin.
Theravada – (Skt) A branch of Buddhism generally regarded as the oldest, most orthodox, and most conservative form of Buddhism.
Three Refuges – Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha; also called the Three Treasures or Jewels.
Zabuton – (Jap) The large rectangular mat on which the zafu is placed.
Zafu – (Jap) The round cushion used for zazen.
Zagu - (Jap) The hand-sewn rectangular “bowing cloth,” used by priests during ceremonies at the time of ritual prostrations.
Zazen – (Jap) Sitting meditation.
Zen – (Jap) A school of Mahayana Buddhism that first appeared in China in the sixth century whose primary practice is zazen.
Zendo – (Jap) The meditation hall.
Zenji – (Jap) Lit. “Zen master.” Honorific title having the sense of great (or renowned) Zen master, generally conferred posthumously.