Difference between revisions of "Glossary of Terms (Zen)"
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AIGO ([[Korean]]): [[word]] for responding to an incomprehensible situation, such as sudden [[death]], or [[grief]], or even surprise. | AIGO ([[Korean]]): [[word]] for responding to an incomprehensible situation, such as sudden [[death]], or [[grief]], or even surprise. | ||
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[[Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi]] ([[Sanskrit]]): “perfect [[universal]] [[samadhi]]”; the [[enlightenment]] [[experience]] in which a [[person]] becomes a [[Buddha]]. | [[Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi]] ([[Sanskrit]]): “perfect [[universal]] [[samadhi]]”; the [[enlightenment]] [[experience]] in which a [[person]] becomes a [[Buddha]]. | ||
| − | [[Avalokitesvara]] ([[Sanskrit]]): [[bodhisattva of compassion]] (see Kwan Seum Bosal). | + | [[Avalokitesvara]] ([[Sanskrit]]): [[bodhisattva of compassion]] (see [[Kwan Seum Bosal]]). |
beads: a string of beads resembling a bracelet or necklace, used for counting bows or repetitions of a [[mantra]] in various sects of [[Buddhism]]. Also known as a “[[mala]].” | beads: a string of beads resembling a bracelet or necklace, used for counting bows or repetitions of a [[mantra]] in various sects of [[Buddhism]]. Also known as a “[[mala]].” | ||
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[[Bhikshuni]] ([[Sanskrit]]): a [[fully ordained nun]]. | [[Bhikshuni]] ([[Sanskrit]]): a [[fully ordained nun]]. | ||
| − | [[Blue Cliff Record]] ({{Wiki|Chinese}}: Pi-Ye-Lu; [[Japanese]]: Hekigan Roku): compiled in 1125 CE, one of the most important collections of kong-ans, still in use today. | + | [[Blue Cliff Record]] ({{Wiki|Chinese}}: Pi-Ye-Lu; [[Japanese]]: [[Hekigan Roku]]): compiled in 1125 CE, one of the most important collections of [[kong-ans]], still in use today. |
[[bodhi]] ([[Sanskrit]]): “[[awakening]]”; [[enlightenment]]. | [[bodhi]] ([[Sanskrit]]): “[[awakening]]”; [[enlightenment]]. | ||
| − | [[Bodhidharma]] ([[Sanskrit]]): the | + | [[Bodhidharma]] ([[Sanskrit]]): the [[first Zen patriarch]]; he reputedly came to [[China]] in 520 CE. and sat for nine years facing a wall at [[Shao-Lin temple]]. |
[[bodhisattva]] ([[Sanskrit]]): a being whose [[actions]] promote {{Wiki|unity}} or [[harmony]]; one who [[vows]] to postpone one’s own [[enlightenment]] in order to help all [[sentient beings]] realize [[liberation]]; one who seeks [[enlightenment]] not only for oneself but for others. The [[bodhisattva ideal]] is at the [[heart]] of [[Mahayana]] and [[Zen Buddhism]]. | [[bodhisattva]] ([[Sanskrit]]): a being whose [[actions]] promote {{Wiki|unity}} or [[harmony]]; one who [[vows]] to postpone one’s own [[enlightenment]] in order to help all [[sentient beings]] realize [[liberation]]; one who seeks [[enlightenment]] not only for oneself but for others. The [[bodhisattva ideal]] is at the [[heart]] of [[Mahayana]] and [[Zen Buddhism]]. | ||
| − | [[bodhisattva]] [[teacher]]: in the [[Kwan Um School of Zen]], one who has met certain training requirements, usually over at least ten years, and has taken sixty-four | + | [[bodhisattva]] [[teacher]]: in the [[Kwan Um School of Zen]], one who has met certain training requirements, usually over at least ten years, and has taken [[sixty-four precepts]]. |
| − | bosalnim ([[Korean]]): in [[Korea]], a lay woman who helps at a [[temple]] | + | [[bosalnim]] ([[Korean]]): in [[Korea]], a lay woman who helps at a [[temple]] |
[[Buddha]] ([[Sanskrit]]): an [[awakened one]]; refers usually to [[Siddhartha Gautama]] (sixth century BCE), historic founder of [[Buddhism]]. | [[Buddha]] ([[Sanskrit]]): an [[awakened one]]; refers usually to [[Siddhartha Gautama]] (sixth century BCE), historic founder of [[Buddhism]]. | ||
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center: the [[vital]] [[energy]] center of the {{Wiki|abdomen}}; in many [[Zen]] [[traditions]] it is considered to be the seat of the heart-body-mind. Focusing one’s [[attention]] on the [[hara]] is a technique used in some [[forms]] of [[Zen]] practice for centering and developing [[samadhi]] power. | center: the [[vital]] [[energy]] center of the {{Wiki|abdomen}}; in many [[Zen]] [[traditions]] it is considered to be the seat of the heart-body-mind. Focusing one’s [[attention]] on the [[hara]] is a technique used in some [[forms]] of [[Zen]] practice for centering and developing [[samadhi]] power. | ||
| − | ch’i ({{Wiki|Chinese}}): [[life force]]. | + | [[ch’i]] ({{Wiki|Chinese}}): [[life force]]. |
| − | Chogye order: the major order in [[Korean Buddhism]], formed in 1356 by the unification of the | + | [[Chogye order]]: the major order in [[Korean Buddhism]], formed in 1356 by the unification of the [[Nine Mountains Schools of Zen]]. |
| − | + | [[Dae Soen Sa Nim]] ([[Korean]]): title used by [[Zen Master]] [[Seung Sahn’s]] students in referring to him; “great honored [[Zen Master]].” In the [[Korea]] [[tradition]], all [[Zen]] [[Masters]] are referred to as “[[Soen Sa Nim]].” “[[Dae]]” (great) is added to their title when a [[teacher]] turns sixty. | |
[[dharani]] ([[Sanskrit]]): a long, [[mystical]] [[chant]] supposed to have innate power to induce various kinds of [[insights]] or [[magical]] [[powers]]. | [[dharani]] ([[Sanskrit]]): a long, [[mystical]] [[chant]] supposed to have innate power to induce various kinds of [[insights]] or [[magical]] [[powers]]. | ||
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[[dharma]] ([[Sanskrit]]): the way or law; the [[path]]; basically, [[Buddhist teaching]], but in a wider [[sense]] any [[teaching]] or [[truth]]. | [[dharma]] ([[Sanskrit]]): the way or law; the [[path]]; basically, [[Buddhist teaching]], but in a wider [[sense]] any [[teaching]] or [[truth]]. | ||
| − | [[dharma]] room: in [[Zen Master]] Seung | + | [[dharma]] room: in [[Zen Master]] [[Seung Sahn]]’s centers, the meditation/ceremony hall. |
[[dharma]] [[teacher]]: in the [[Kwan Um School of Zen]], one who has met certain training requirements, usually over at least four years, and has taken [[ten precepts]]. | [[dharma]] [[teacher]]: in the [[Kwan Um School of Zen]], one who has met certain training requirements, usually over at least four years, and has taken [[ten precepts]]. | ||
| − | DOL ([[Korean]]): shout to cut off discriminative [[thinking]]. | + | [[DOL]] ([[Korean]]): shout to cut off discriminative [[thinking]]. |
| − | Dok Sahn, Duk Sahn (780-865 CE) ([[Korean]]; {{Wiki|Chinese}}: Te-shan): one of the greatest [[Zen]] [[Masters]] in history; trained for forty years studying the [[Diamond Sutra]], then was stumped by a simple question from a tea-vending woman and converted to [[Zen]]. | + | [[Dok Sahn]], [[Duk Sahn]] (780-865 CE) ([[Korean]]; {{Wiki|Chinese}}: [[Te-shan]]): one of the greatest [[Zen]] [[Masters]] in history; trained for forty years studying the [[Diamond Sutra]], then was stumped by a simple question from a tea-vending woman and converted to [[Zen]]. |
[[dukkha]] ([[Pali]]): [[suffering]]. | [[dukkha]] ([[Pali]]): [[suffering]]. | ||
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I [[vow]] to abstain from [[intoxicants]], taken to induce heedlessness. | I [[vow]] to abstain from [[intoxicants]], taken to induce heedlessness. | ||
| − | great freedom: freedom from all {{Wiki|conceptual}} [[understanding]] and bondage that comes in the wake of [[enlightenment]]. | + | [[great freedom]]: freedom from all {{Wiki|conceptual}} [[understanding]] and bondage that comes in the wake of [[enlightenment]]. |
| − | + | [[great path]]: the [[path of liberation]] towards which a [[practitioner]] strives, or the [[path]] tread by a [[bodhisattva]]. | |
| − | hapchang ([[Korean]]; [[Japanese]]: [[gassho]]): the gesture of placing the hands palm to palm before the {{Wiki|chest}} to indicate [[respect]], [[gratitude]], and {{Wiki|humility}}. | + | [[hapchang ([[Korean]]; [[Japanese]]: [[gassho]]): the gesture of placing the hands palm to palm before the {{Wiki|chest}} to indicate [[respect]], [[gratitude]], and {{Wiki|humility}}. |
[[hara]] ([[Japanese]]): see center | [[hara]] ([[Japanese]]): see center | ||
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HIT: the [[sound]] of a palm or stick hitting a table or floor; used to cut off discriminative [[thinking]]. | HIT: the [[sound]] of a palm or stick hitting a table or floor; used to cut off discriminative [[thinking]]. | ||
| − | [[inka]] ([[Korean]]): “public seal;” certification of a student’s completion of, or breakthrough in, kong-an practice. | + | [[inka]] ([[Korean]]): “public seal;” certification of a student’s completion of, or breakthrough in, [[kong-an]] practice. |
| − | interview: a formal, private meeting between a [[Zen]] [[teacher]] and a student in which kong-ans are used to test and stimulate the student’s practice; may also occasion informal questions and instruction. | + | interview: a formal, private meeting between a [[Zen]] [[teacher]] and a student in which [[kong-ans]] are used to test and stimulate the student’s practice; may also occasion informal questions and instruction. |
| − | [[Ji Do Poep Sa Nim]] (JDPSN) ([[Korean]]): “[[dharma master]]”; a student who has been authorized to teach kong-an practice and lead [[retreats]]. The title is “Ji Do Poep Sa” for [[teachers]] who are [[monks]] or [[nuns]]. | + | [[Ji Do Poep Sa Nim]] (JDPSN) ([[Korean]]): “[[dharma master]]”; a student who has been authorized to teach [[kong-an practice]] and lead [[retreats]]. The title is “Ji Do Poep Sa” for [[teachers]] who are [[monks]] or [[nuns]]. |
| − | Joju (778-897 CE) ([[Korean]]; {{Wiki|Chinese}}: Chao Chou; [[Japanese]]: Joshu): his {{Wiki|Chinese}} [[name]] is from the town in northern [[China]] where he lived and taught for the last forty years of his [[life]]; one of the most famous [[Zen]] [[Masters]] in history; prominent during the golden age of [[Zen]] in [[T’ang Dynasty]] [[China]] (618-907 CE). | + | [[Joju]] (778-897 CE) ([[Korean]]; {{Wiki|Chinese}}: [[Chao Chou]]; [[Japanese]]: Joshu): his {{Wiki|Chinese}} [[name]] is from the town in northern [[China]] where he lived and taught for the last forty years of his [[life]]; one of the most famous [[Zen]] [[Masters]] in history; prominent during the golden age of [[Zen]] in [[T’ang Dynasty]] [[China]] (618-907 CE). |
[[kalpa]] ([[Sanskrit]]): an [[eon]]; the [[time]] period during which the [[physical]] [[universe]] is formed and destroyed. An unimaginably long period of [[time]]. | [[kalpa]] ([[Sanskrit]]): an [[eon]]; the [[time]] period during which the [[physical]] [[universe]] is formed and destroyed. An unimaginably long period of [[time]]. | ||
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[[karma]] ([[Sanskrit]]): “[[cause and effect]],” and the continuing process of [[action]] and {{Wiki|reaction}}, accounting for the interpenetration of all [[phenomena]]. Thus our {{Wiki|present}} [[thoughts]], [[actions]], and situations are the result of what we have done in the {{Wiki|past}}, and our {{Wiki|future}} [[thoughts]], [[actions]], and situations will be the product of what we are doing now. {{Wiki|Individual}} [[karma]] results from this process. | [[karma]] ([[Sanskrit]]): “[[cause and effect]],” and the continuing process of [[action]] and {{Wiki|reaction}}, accounting for the interpenetration of all [[phenomena]]. Thus our {{Wiki|present}} [[thoughts]], [[actions]], and situations are the result of what we have done in the {{Wiki|past}}, and our {{Wiki|future}} [[thoughts]], [[actions]], and situations will be the product of what we are doing now. {{Wiki|Individual}} [[karma]] results from this process. | ||
| − | kasa ([[Korean]]): brown piece of cloth worn around the neck or over the shoulders, [[symbolic]] of [[Buddhist]] [[vows]] and [[precepts]]. | + | [[kasa]] ([[Korean]]): brown piece of cloth worn around the neck or over the shoulders, [[symbolic]] of [[Buddhist]] [[vows]] and [[precepts]]. |
KATZ! ([[Korean]]): [[traditional]] [[Zen]] belly shout; used to cut off discriminative [[thinking]]. | KATZ! ([[Korean]]): [[traditional]] [[Zen]] belly shout; used to cut off discriminative [[thinking]]. | ||
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[[kensho]] ([[Japanese]]): [[seeing]] one’s own [[true nature]]; an [[experience]] of [[awakening]]. | [[kensho]] ([[Japanese]]): [[seeing]] one’s own [[true nature]]; an [[experience]] of [[awakening]]. | ||
| − | Kido ([[Korean]]): “[[energy]] | + | [[Kido]] ([[Korean]]): “[[energy way]]”; a [[chanting]] [[retreat]]. |
| − | kimchee ([[Korean]]): spicy pickled cabbage. | + | [[kimchee]] ([[Korean]]): spicy pickled cabbage. |
| − | kong-an ([[Korean]]; [[Japanese]]: [[koan]]): a {{Wiki|paradoxical}} or irrational statement used by [[Zen]] [[teachers]] to cut through students’ [[thinking]] and bring them to [[realization]]. | + | [[kong-an]] ([[Korean]]; [[Japanese]]: [[koan]]): a {{Wiki|paradoxical}} or irrational statement used by [[Zen]] [[teachers]] to cut through students’ [[thinking]] and bring them to [[realization]]. |
| − | Kwan Seum Bosal ([[Korean]]; [[Sanskrit]]: [[Avalokitesvara]]; {{Wiki|Chinese}}: [[Kwan Yin]]; [[Korean]]: [[Kwan Um]]; [[Japanese]]: [[Kanzeon]]): “one who [[perceives]] the {{Wiki|cries}} of the [[world]]” and responds with [[compassionate]] aid; the [[bodhisattva of compassion]]. | + | [[Kwan Seum Bosal]] ([[Korean]]; [[Sanskrit]]: [[Avalokitesvara]]; {{Wiki|Chinese}}: [[Kwan Yin]]; [[Korean]]: [[Kwan Um]]; [[Japanese]]: [[Kanzeon]]): “one who [[perceives]] the {{Wiki|cries}} of the [[world]]” and responds with [[compassionate]] aid; the [[bodhisattva of compassion]]. |
| − | Kyol Che ([[Korean]]): “tight [[dharma]]”; in [[Korean]] [[Zen]] [[tradition]], an intensive [[retreat]] of 21 to 90 days. | + | [[Kyol Che]] ([[Korean]]): “tight [[dharma]]”; in [[Korean]] [[Zen]] [[tradition]], an intensive [[retreat]] of 21 to 90 days. |
| − | + | [[Lin Chi]] (d. 866 CE) ({{Wiki|Chinese}}): [[Chinese Zen]] [[Master]]; founder of the [[Lin-chi]] ([[Rinzai]]) school of [[Zen]], one of the two schools still active in [[Japan]]. | |
[[Mahakashyapa]] ([[Sanskrit]]): outstanding student of the [[Buddha]]. [[Buddha’s]] successor in leading the [[sangha]]. | [[Mahakashyapa]] ([[Sanskrit]]): outstanding student of the [[Buddha]]. [[Buddha’s]] successor in leading the [[sangha]]. | ||
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[[Mahayana]] ([[Sanskrit]]) [[Buddhism]]: the [[Buddhism]] practiced in northern {{Wiki|Asia}}; encompasses schools in [[China]], [[Korea]], [[Japan]], and [[Tibet]]. | [[Mahayana]] ([[Sanskrit]]) [[Buddhism]]: the [[Buddhism]] practiced in northern {{Wiki|Asia}}; encompasses schools in [[China]], [[Korea]], [[Japan]], and [[Tibet]]. | ||
| − | Ma Jo (709-788 CE) ([[Korean]]; {{Wiki|Chinese}}: [[Ma-tsu]]): the great [[patriarch]] of [[Chinese Zen]] during the early T’ang period. | + | [[Ma Jo]] (709-788 CE) ([[Korean]]; {{Wiki|Chinese}}: [[Ma-tsu]]): the great [[patriarch]] of [[Chinese Zen]] during the early [[T’ang period]]. |
[[mala]]: see beads | [[mala]]: see beads | ||
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[[mantra]] ([[Sanskrit]]): {{Wiki|sounds}} or words used in [[meditation]] to cut through discriminating [[thoughts]] so the [[mind]] can become clear. | [[mantra]] ([[Sanskrit]]): {{Wiki|sounds}} or words used in [[meditation]] to cut through discriminating [[thoughts]] so the [[mind]] can become clear. | ||
| − | moktak ([[Korean]]): fish-shaped wooden instrument used as a [[drum]] to set the rhythm for [[chanting]]. | + | [[moktak]] ([[Korean]]): fish-shaped wooden instrument used as a [[drum]] to set the rhythm for [[chanting]]. |
| − | mu ([[Japanese]]): nothing, not, [[nothingness]]. | + | [[mu]] ([[Japanese]]): nothing, not, [[nothingness]]. |
| − | Mu Mun Kwan ([[Korean]]): “The [[Gateless Gate]]”; a collection of forty-eight [[traditional]] kong-an cases composed in 1228 by the [[monk]] Mu Mun Ekai (1184-1260); usually studied before the [[Blue Cliff Record]]. | + | [[Mu Mun Kwan]] ([[Korean]]): “The [[Gateless Gate]]”; a collection of forty-eight [[traditional]] [[kong-an]] cases composed in 1228 by the [[monk]] [[Mu Mun Ekai]] (1184-1260); usually studied before the [[Blue Cliff Record]]. |
[[nirvana]] ([[Sanskrit]]): a state of perfect inner stillness and [[peace]]; complete [[extinction]] of {{Wiki|individual}} [[existence]]; [[cessation]] of [[rebirth]]; entry into [[bliss]]. | [[nirvana]] ([[Sanskrit]]): a state of perfect inner stillness and [[peace]]; complete [[extinction]] of {{Wiki|individual}} [[existence]]; [[cessation]] of [[rebirth]]; entry into [[bliss]]. | ||
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[[satori]] ([[Japanese]]): the [[experience]] of [[awakening]], [[enlightenment]]. | [[satori]] ([[Japanese]]): the [[experience]] of [[awakening]], [[enlightenment]]. | ||
| − | + | [[senior dharma teacher]]: in the [[Kwan Um School of Zen]], one who has met certain training requirements, usually over at least nine years, and has taken sixteen [[precepts]]. | |
[[sesshin]] ([[Japanese]]): see Yong Maeng Jong Jin. | [[sesshin]] ([[Japanese]]): see Yong Maeng Jong Jin. | ||
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[[Theravada]] ([[Sanskrit]]): the [[southern school]] of [[Buddhism]], including [[Sri Lanka]], [[Thailand]] and [[Burma]]. | [[Theravada]] ([[Sanskrit]]): the [[southern school]] of [[Buddhism]], including [[Sri Lanka]], [[Thailand]] and [[Burma]]. | ||
| − | TOK: the [[sound]] of the moktak. | + | [[TOK]]: the [[sound]] of the [[moktak]]. |
[[transmission]]: formal handing over of the [[lineage]] succession from [[teacher]] to student. What one receives when one becomes a [[Zen Master]] | [[transmission]]: formal handing over of the [[lineage]] succession from [[teacher]] to student. What one receives when one becomes a [[Zen Master]] | ||
| − | Un Mun ([[Korean]]; {{Wiki|Chinese}}: [[Yun Men]]; [[Japanese]]: [[Ummon]]): [[Zen Master]] during the golden age of [[Zen]] in [[T’ang Dynasty]] [[China]] (618-907 CE). | + | [[Un Mun]] ([[Korean]]; {{Wiki|Chinese}}: [[Yun Men]]; [[Japanese]]: [[Ummon]]): [[Zen Master]] during the golden age of [[Zen]] in [[T’ang Dynasty]] [[China]] (618-907 CE). |
| − | Yong Maeng Jong Jin ([[Korean]]): literally, “valorous or intrepid [[concentration]],” paraphrased “to leap like a [[tiger]] while sitting.” In the [[west]] it is a short [[silent]] [[retreat]] of two to seven days involving thirteen hours of formal [[meditation]] practice a day. Participants follow a schedule of bowing, sitting, [[chanting]], eating, and working, with an emphasis on sitting [[meditation]]. During the [[retreat]] each participant has interviews with a [[Zen Master]] or [[Ji Do Poep Sa Nim]]. | + | [[Yong Maeng Jong Jin]] ([[Korean]]): literally, “valorous or intrepid [[concentration]],” paraphrased “to leap like a [[tiger]] while sitting.” In the [[west]] it is a short [[silent]] [[retreat]] of two to seven days involving thirteen hours of formal [[meditation]] practice a day. Participants follow a schedule of bowing, sitting, [[chanting]], eating, and working, with an emphasis on sitting [[meditation]]. During the [[retreat]] each participant has interviews with a [[Zen Master]] or [[Ji Do Poep Sa Nim]]. |
[[zafu]] ([[Japanese]]): a round [[meditation]] cushion. | [[zafu]] ([[Japanese]]): a round [[meditation]] cushion. | ||
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[[Zen Center]]: [[meditation]] communities which may include a residence. All the [[Zen]] Centers in the [[Kwan Um School of Zen]] are under the [[spiritual]] [[direction]] of [[Zen Master]] [[Seung Sahn]], and each offers regular practice and periodic [[retreats]]. | [[Zen Center]]: [[meditation]] communities which may include a residence. All the [[Zen]] Centers in the [[Kwan Um School of Zen]] are under the [[spiritual]] [[direction]] of [[Zen Master]] [[Seung Sahn]], and each offers regular practice and periodic [[retreats]]. | ||
| + | |||
[[zendo]] ([[Japanese]]): “[[Zen]] hall;” [[dharma]] room, [[meditation]] hall. | [[zendo]] ([[Japanese]]): “[[Zen]] hall;” [[dharma]] room, [[meditation]] hall. | ||
</poem> | </poem> | ||
Latest revision as of 12:38, 2 March 2014
AIGO (Korean): word for responding to an incomprehensible situation, such as sudden death, or grief, or even surprise.
Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi (Sanskrit): “perfect universal samadhi”; the enlightenment experience in which a person becomes a Buddha.
Avalokitesvara (Sanskrit): bodhisattva of compassion (see Kwan Seum Bosal).
beads: a string of beads resembling a bracelet or necklace, used for counting bows or repetitions of a mantra in various sects of Buddhism. Also known as a “mala.”
Bhikshu (Sanskrit): a fully ordained monk.
Bhikshuni (Sanskrit): a fully ordained nun.
Blue Cliff Record (Chinese: Pi-Ye-Lu; Japanese: Hekigan Roku): compiled in 1125 CE, one of the most important collections of kong-ans, still in use today.
bodhi (Sanskrit): “awakening”; enlightenment.
Bodhidharma (Sanskrit): the first Zen patriarch; he reputedly came to China in 520 CE. and sat for nine years facing a wall at Shao-Lin temple.
bodhisattva (Sanskrit): a being whose actions promote unity or harmony; one who vows to postpone one’s own enlightenment in order to help all sentient beings realize liberation; one who seeks enlightenment not only for oneself but for others. The bodhisattva ideal is at the heart of Mahayana and Zen Buddhism.
bodhisattva teacher: in the Kwan Um School of Zen, one who has met certain training requirements, usually over at least ten years, and has taken sixty-four precepts.
bosalnim (Korean): in Korea, a lay woman who helps at a temple
Buddha (Sanskrit): an awakened one; refers usually to Siddhartha Gautama (sixth century BCE), historic founder of Buddhism.
Buddha-nature: that which all sentient beings share and manifest through their particular form; according to Zen, the Buddha said that all things have Buddha-nature and therefore have the innate potential to become Buddha.
center: the vital energy center of the abdomen; in many Zen traditions it is considered to be the seat of the heart-body-mind. Focusing one’s attention on the hara is a technique used in some forms of Zen practice for centering and developing samadhi power.
ch’i (Chinese): life force.
Chogye order: the major order in Korean Buddhism, formed in 1356 by the unification of the Nine Mountains Schools of Zen.
Dae Soen Sa Nim (Korean): title used by Zen Master Seung Sahn’s students in referring to him; “great honored Zen Master.” In the Korea tradition, all Zen Masters are referred to as “Soen Sa Nim.” “Dae” (great) is added to their title when a teacher turns sixty.
dharani (Sanskrit): a long, mystical chant supposed to have innate power to induce various kinds of insights or magical powers.
dharma (Sanskrit): the way or law; the path; basically, Buddhist teaching, but in a wider sense any teaching or truth.
dharma room: in Zen Master Seung Sahn’s centers, the meditation/ceremony hall.
dharma teacher: in the Kwan Um School of Zen, one who has met certain training requirements, usually over at least four years, and has taken ten precepts.
DOL (Korean): shout to cut off discriminative thinking.
Dok Sahn, Duk Sahn (780-865 CE) (Korean; Chinese: Te-shan): one of the greatest Zen Masters in history; trained for forty years studying the Diamond Sutra, then was stumped by a simple question from a tea-vending woman and converted to Zen.
dukkha (Pali): suffering.
enlightenment: awakening.
five precepts: the first five lay vows of Buddhism:
I vow to abstain from taking life.
I vow to abstain from taking things not given.
I vow to abstain from lying.
I vow to abstain from misconduct done in lust.
I vow to abstain from intoxicants, taken to induce heedlessness.
great freedom: freedom from all conceptual understanding and bondage that comes in the wake of enlightenment.
great path: the path of liberation towards which a practitioner strives, or the path tread by a bodhisattva.
[[hapchang (Korean; Japanese: gassho): the gesture of placing the hands palm to palm before the chest to indicate respect, gratitude, and humility.
hara (Japanese): see center
HIT: the sound of a palm or stick hitting a table or floor; used to cut off discriminative thinking.
inka (Korean): “public seal;” certification of a student’s completion of, or breakthrough in, kong-an practice.
interview: a formal, private meeting between a Zen teacher and a student in which kong-ans are used to test and stimulate the student’s practice; may also occasion informal questions and instruction.
Ji Do Poep Sa Nim (JDPSN) (Korean): “dharma master”; a student who has been authorized to teach kong-an practice and lead retreats. The title is “Ji Do Poep Sa” for teachers who are monks or nuns.
Joju (778-897 CE) (Korean; Chinese: Chao Chou; Japanese: Joshu): his Chinese name is from the town in northern China where he lived and taught for the last forty years of his life; one of the most famous Zen Masters in history; prominent during the golden age of Zen in T’ang Dynasty China (618-907 CE).
kalpa (Sanskrit): an eon; the time period during which the physical universe is formed and destroyed. An unimaginably long period of time.
karma (Sanskrit): “cause and effect,” and the continuing process of action and reaction, accounting for the interpenetration of all phenomena. Thus our present thoughts, actions, and situations are the result of what we have done in the past, and our future thoughts, actions, and situations will be the product of what we are doing now. Individual karma results from this process.
kasa (Korean): brown piece of cloth worn around the neck or over the shoulders, symbolic of Buddhist vows and precepts.
KATZ! (Korean): traditional Zen belly shout; used to cut off discriminative thinking.
kensho (Japanese): seeing one’s own true nature; an experience of awakening.
Kido (Korean): “energy way”; a chanting retreat.
kimchee (Korean): spicy pickled cabbage.
kong-an (Korean; Japanese: koan): a paradoxical or irrational statement used by Zen teachers to cut through students’ thinking and bring them to realization.
Kwan Seum Bosal (Korean; Sanskrit: Avalokitesvara; Chinese: Kwan Yin; Korean: Kwan Um; Japanese: Kanzeon): “one who perceives the cries of the world” and responds with compassionate aid; the bodhisattva of compassion.
Kyol Che (Korean): “tight dharma”; in Korean Zen tradition, an intensive retreat of 21 to 90 days.
Lin Chi (d. 866 CE) (Chinese): Chinese Zen Master; founder of the Lin-chi (Rinzai) school of Zen, one of the two schools still active in Japan.
Mahakashyapa (Sanskrit): outstanding student of the Buddha. Buddha’s successor in leading the sangha.
Mahayana (Sanskrit) Buddhism: the Buddhism practiced in northern Asia; encompasses schools in China, Korea, Japan, and Tibet.
Ma Jo (709-788 CE) (Korean; Chinese: Ma-tsu): the great patriarch of Chinese Zen during the early T’ang period.
mala: see beads
mantra (Sanskrit): sounds or words used in meditation to cut through discriminating thoughts so the mind can become clear.
moktak (Korean): fish-shaped wooden instrument used as a drum to set the rhythm for chanting.
mu (Japanese): nothing, not, nothingness.
Mu Mun Kwan (Korean): “The Gateless Gate”; a collection of forty-eight traditional kong-an cases composed in 1228 by the monk Mu Mun Ekai (1184-1260); usually studied before the Blue Cliff Record.
nirvana (Sanskrit): a state of perfect inner stillness and peace; complete extinction of individual existence; cessation of rebirth; entry into bliss.
paramita (Sanskrit): virtues or “perfections” of a Buddha. In Mahayana Buddhism, these are the six paramitas: dana (generosity), sila (restraint or morality), shanti (patience), vigor (energy or effort), dhyana (meditation), prajna (wisdom).
patriarch: the founder of a school and his successors in the transmission of its teaching.
prajna (Sanskrit): wisdom.
roshi (Japanese): “venerable (spiritual) teacher”; a Zen Master.
samadhi (Sanskrit): a state of intense concentration.
samsara (Sanskrit): the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.
sangha (Sanskrit): in the Mahayana and Zen traditions, the community of all practitioners; may refer to a family of students under a particular master.
sarira (Sanskrit): “body”; in Korean Buddhism, small crystals sometimes found among cremated remains of monks, and regarded as sacred relics.
satori (Japanese): the experience of awakening, enlightenment.
senior dharma teacher: in the Kwan Um School of Zen, one who has met certain training requirements, usually over at least nine years, and has taken sixteen precepts.
sesshin (Japanese): see Yong Maeng Jong Jin.
Shakyamuni Buddha (Sanskrit): “sage of the Shakya clan,” the historical Buddha.
shikantaza (Japanese): “just sitting”; a state of attention that is free from thoughts, directed to no object, and attached to no particular content.
skandhas (Sanskrit): the five aggregates which make up human existence: form, feelings, perceptions, impulses, consciousness.
Soen Sa Nim (Korean): “honored Zen teacher,” a Zen Master.
sutra (Sanskrit): Buddhist scriptures, consisting of discourses by the Buddha and his disciples.
Sunim (Korean): Honorific used in addressing or referring to a monk or nun.
ten directions: Buddhist cosmological concept; north, south, east, west, up, down, northwest, northeast, southeast, southwest.
Theravada (Sanskrit): the southern school of Buddhism, including Sri Lanka, Thailand and Burma.
TOK: the sound of the moktak.
transmission: formal handing over of the lineage succession from teacher to student. What one receives when one becomes a Zen Master
Un Mun (Korean; Chinese: Yun Men; Japanese: Ummon): Zen Master during the golden age of Zen in T’ang Dynasty China (618-907 CE).
Yong Maeng Jong Jin (Korean): literally, “valorous or intrepid concentration,” paraphrased “to leap like a tiger while sitting.” In the west it is a short silent retreat of two to seven days involving thirteen hours of formal meditation practice a day. Participants follow a schedule of bowing, sitting, chanting, eating, and working, with an emphasis on sitting meditation. During the retreat each participant has interviews with a Zen Master or Ji Do Poep Sa Nim.
zafu (Japanese): a round meditation cushion.
Zen (Japanese; Korean: Son; Chinese: Ch’an; Sanskrit: Dhyana): meditation practice.
Zen Center: meditation communities which may include a residence. All the Zen Centers in the Kwan Um School of Zen are under the spiritual direction of Zen Master Seung Sahn, and each offers regular practice and periodic retreats.
zendo (Japanese): “Zen hall;” dharma room, meditation hall.
