Zen Buddhism
Zen Buddhism is a mixture of Indian Mahayana Buddhism and
Taoism and is sometimes seen as a religion and sometimes seen as a philosophy. The
essence of Zen is attempting to understand the meaning of life directly. It
promotes a strict ethics and morality, which reflects its concern with the
attainment of selflessness without being misled by logical thought or language.
Zen adherents believe that all sentient beings have a Buddha
nature, the universal nature of wisdom and virtue, and emphasise that Buddha
nature is nothing other than the nature of the mind itself. The aim of Zen
practice is to discover this Buddha nature within each person, through
meditation and mindfulness of daily experiences.
Zen techniques are compatible with other faiths and are
often used, for example, by Christians seeking a mystical understanding of
their faith.