Glossary of Basic Zen Terms

abbot – Administrator of a temple, monastery or order.

aggregates – “Skandas;” the five ever-changing aspects that constitute a sentient being. How we experience the world: form, sensation, perception, mental formation, consciousness.

bodhisattva – enlightened being who foregoes nirvana until all others have been liberated.

Buddha – the historical Buddha, Shakiyamuni; Siddhartha Gautama. A man who lived 2,600 years ago during the Axial Age in the northern region of South Asia. Born a prince, he later left his royal life to find an end to human suffering as a mendicant monk until his enlightenment. After which he spent his life teaching what became known as The Dharma.

buddha – awakening, enlightenment manifested

cosmic mudra – hand position, used in zazen, in which left hand is cradled in right, thumbs lightly touching, forming an oval.

dana – the expression of generosity with no expectation of return. Donations from the heart given to support one’s zendo, priest, teachers.

Dharma – the teachings of the historical Buddha.

dharma – absolute reality, truth, phenomena.

dokusan – a formal, private interview between a teacher and a student.

Doshi – an ordained person who leads the liturgical service.

Enlightenment – seeing reality as it is; seeing through one’s dualistic perceptions based on conditioning; being awake and present in the moment; realizing one’s True Nature. The experience of oneness, manifested.

gassho – hand position (mudra) - palms pressed together with fingers pointing upward, held at the level of the tip of the nose and about a fist’s width from the nose to the fingertips. The position expresses oneness with all things, and an attitude of gratitude, reverence and respect.

gassho bow – a ten degree bow from the hips with hands in gassho position as above.

han – a solid wooden board with a mallet used to announce various events occurring within the zendo or temple. Generally struck by the Ino.

inkan – small bell with striker used to begin and end zazen periods.

Ino – the person who maintains the discipline of the zendo during liturgical services. The Ino strikes the han, leads the chanting, invites bells, gongs and mokugyo to sound, leads kinhin, keeps time during meditation, may appoint a jikido to help with specific tasks, and sits facing the group during zazen.

Jikido – a zendo role that is appointed by the Ino. The jikido may keep time during zazen periods, lead kinhin, tend to the tasks of the altar as needed, as well as other duties requested by the Ino.

Jukai – ceremony in which one sews a rakusu and accepts the 10 Grave Precepts.

kalpa – a really long time. Described as the time it takes the wings of one butterfly grazing a mountain top once a year to wear the mountain down to nothing.

Kannon – Kwan-Yin in Chinese, Avalokiteshvara in Sanskrit - the Bodhisattva who symbolizes mercy and compassion and “hears the cries of the world.” Like all other Bodhisattvas, Kannon renounces attaining higher levels of enlightenment until all beings have attained enlightenment first.

kesa – Okesa; a large, rectangular vestment hung on the left shoulder, worn by monks and priests. Modeled after the Buddha’s robe, the kesa is made of panels of cloth patterned after rice fields and represents the teachings of the Buddha. As Buddhism spread to China and Japan, it became more ceremonial in nature while smaller, more compact versions such as the rakusu or wagessa were favored.

Kie Sanbo – ceremony in which one takes the Three Refuges and vows to do good, stop doing evil and dedicates oneself to doing good for all beings.

kinhin – walking meditation done between periods of zazen. The same meditative heart/mind is carried seamlessly into kinhin. It is both an individual practice and one that is performed with the group.

koan – a paradoxical phrase, question or story that forces transcendence of logic. Used minimally in Soto Zen practice, but has a much larger focus in Rinzai Zen sects.

kyosaku – awakening stick; long wooden stick employed by a priest, when needed, to improve practitioner’s posture, refocus attention, and relieve tense muscles during zazen.

mahasattva – a great being; a bodhisattva who has reached a high level of awakening.

Manjushri – a Bodhisattva whose statue is often seen in a zendo that symbolizes wisdom and is depicted as a man holding a sword in his right hand which cuts through delusion and a blooming lotus flower supporting the Prajnaparamita sutra in the middle. Some statues may depict Manjushri riding a tiger symbolizing using wisdom to tame the wild mind.

mokugyo – a wooden drum in the shape of a fish head used to keep the rhythm while chanting.

Nirvana – a permanent awakened state of complete peace; relief from all suffering.

oryoki – taking “just enough” to nourish the body with food as medicine. A form of highly ritualized ceremonial eating meditation that emphasizes mindfulness. Typically done during intensive practice retreats.

Paramita – a perfection of virtues as manifested by a Bodhisattva: generosity, moral discipline, patience/forbearance, diligence, focus/concentration, meditation.

Prajna – wisdom that embodies the realization of the Dharma. The ultimate essence of manifestation of emptiness (the ever-changing and interconnected nature of everything).

precept – a moral guideline for practitioners of the Way.

priest – a practitioner who has taken the 16 great vows of Shukke Tokudo, has been authorized to teach others, and perform ceremonies and rituals associated with the role (house blessings, weddings, funerals, etc… ). By taking Shukke Tokudo a priest commits their life to the service of others.

rakusu – small, rectangular patchwork bib symbolizing the Buddha’s robe.

Roshi – old teacher, zen master.

Sangha – our spiritual community.

sangha – the community of all sentient beings.

sanpai – “three prostrations” performed at the beginning of a liturgical service.

seiza bench – a small kneeling bench sometimes used in zazen to aid sitting in seiza (kneeling position with shins on the floor and weight resting on the heels) position.

Sensei – teacher.

sesshin – intensive practice retreat incorporating multiple contemplative practices, usually lasting several days. Generally held around the four major Zen Buddhist holidays.

shashu – hand position (mudra) used in kinhin and when walking in the zendo. The left hand forms a fist around the thumb and the right palm covers the top of the fist, forearms horizontal to the floor with fist at heart level.

Sotoshu – the main governing body organization for the Soto sect of Zen Buddhism. Its main temples are Shojiji and Eiheiji. Soto Zen was founded by Dogen-zenji and Kaizen-zenji and consists of over fourteen thousand affiliated temples worldwide. Much of the ritual and temple structure follows that set forth by the Sotoshu.

Soto Zen– a Japanese Zen tradition employing great reverence for form and emphasizing shikantaza-“wholeheartedly just sitting,” as opposed to the Rinzai sect whose emphasis is on koan practice.

taku – wooden clappers used to signal the beginning and end of kinhin periods during the service.

tan – wooden platform topped by zabuton and zafu in the zendo. Used during zazen and oryoki.

Tathagata – “one who comes thusly.” In the Pali Canon the Buddha refers to himself as the Tathagata. Someone who has transcended the human condition.

Three Refuges/Jewels/Treasures – Buddha, Dharma, Sangha.

wagessa – Japanese-inspired abbreviated, mini version of the okesa, sewn by a practitioner, in our Order, for presentation at Kie Sanbo ceremony.

zabuton – cushioned mat placed under a zafu.

zagu – a rectangular cloth used by monks and priests while performing prostrations.

zazen – seated meditation.

zazenkai – intensive practice period, usually lasting most of a day or two.

Zen – meditation; awakening as life itself.

Zen Buddhism – a Japanese sect of Mahayana Buddhism that aims at enlightenment by direct experience using seated meditation as its primary practice.

zendo – room used for practicing zazen, and more commonly for providing Zen liturgical services and other ceremonies for practitioners.