Zen

Zen  (zn)

n.

A school of Mahayana Buddhism that asserts that enlightenment can be attained through meditation, self-contemplation, and intuition rather than through faith and devotion and that is practiced mainly in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Also called Zen Buddhism.

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[Japanese zen, from Chinese (Mandarin) chán, meditation, from Pali jhna, from Sanskrit dhynam, from dhyti, he meditates.]

Word History: It is hard to believe that a word as Asian as Zen is ultimately an Indo-European word. Zen, which has been in English since 1727, is the Japanese pronunciation of Chinese chán, "quietude." Chán comes from Pali jhna, from Sanskrit dhynam, "meditation," from the Sanskrit root dhy-, dh-, "to see, observe." The Indo-European root behind the Sanskrit is *dhei-, *dhy-, "to see, look at." This root also shows up in Greek, where *dhy- developed into s-, as in Common Greek *sma, "sign, distinguishing mark." This became sma in Attic Greek, the source of English semantic.

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Zen

Noun

a Japanese form of Buddhism that concentrates on learning through meditation and intuition

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	Zen - school of Mahayana Buddhism asserting that enlightenment can come through meditation and intuition rather than faith; China and Japan Zen Buddhism Buddhism - a religion represented by the many groups (especially in Asia) that profess various forms of the Buddhist doctrine and that venerate Buddha Zen Buddhist - an adherent of the doctrines of Zen Buddhism
	2.	Zen - a Buddhist doctrine that enlightenment can be attained through direct intuitive insight Zen Buddhism satori - (Zen Buddhism) a state of sudden spiritual enlightenment Buddhism - the teaching of Buddha that life is permeated with suffering caused by desire, that suffering ceases when desire ceases, and that enlightenment obtained through right conduct and wisdom and meditation releases one from desire and suffering and rebirth
	3.	Zen - street name for lysergic acid diethylamide back breaker, battery-acid, Elvis, loony toons, Lucy in the sky with diamonds, window pane, acid, superman, pane, dose, dot LSD, lysergic acid diethylamide - a powerful hallucinogenic drug manufactured from lysergic acid