What is zen & zen-meditation?
Zen (Chan, 禪) is a spiritual tradition that goes back to Bodhidarma (Da Mo, 菩提達摩). He is said to have sat in the lotus position facing a wall in a cave on the shaolin mountains (少林山) for 9 years without moving or speaking. Only when one of his disciples started mutilating himself, he began teaching verbally. The Zen philosophy shares many points with Daoism and is the theoretical background for many martial and cultural arts in Japan.
Zen is primarily known for its meditation in the lotus position, either facing a wall (Soto-Zen) or the center of a room (Rinzai-Zen). In contrast to its reputation it also emphasizes on practical work and exercise between the meditation sessions. The Soto-Zen tradition focuses on sitting without thought, an empty mind. The Rinzai-Zen tradition is well known for its koans (公案) – questions that can only be answered if the disciple has reached a certain understanding of Zen. Similar as for the Dao (道), the essence of Zen cannot be said, written or captured with the mind – it can only be practiced and understood.
In the western world many movements and groups practicing meditation techniques claim belonging to the Zen radition, but only few have a true understanding of the matter. As for the schools of Daoism, Zen schools usually declare the ancestral masters from which they descend and cultivate the virtue of modesty.
