zen

name

1. A school of Mahayana Buddhism characterized by sudden enlightenment achieved by indirect means and principally associated with China and Japan.

   “For Orientals these mysterious formulae are clear and familiar truths, but for us they are completely bewildering... Dhyana Buddhism, which is known in Japan as "Zen"... is not speculation at all but immediate experience of what, as the bottomless ground of Being, cannot be apprehended by intellectual means, and cannot be conceived or interpreted even after the most unequivocal and incontestable experiences: one knows it by not knowing it.”

   “Philosophical mysticism, the idea that truth is indefinable and can be apprehended only by nonrational means, has been with us since the beginning of history. It's the basis of Zen practice.”

   “While Christianity teaches that man was expelled from the Garden of Eden, Zen teaches that we are living in paradise right now, even amid all the shit that's going down. This world is the Pure Land. This world is paradise. In fact, this world is better than paradise—but all we can do is piss and moan, and look around for something better.”

noun

1. (alt-of, uncountable)Alternative letter-case form of zen: (religion) enlightenment and (informal) mindful action, instruction, or behavior considered similar to Zen.

   “Hōyen... used to produce his own hand and ask his disciples, why it was called a hand? When we know the reason, there is satori and we have Zen.”

2. (uncountable)Synonym of enlightenment, particularly the kind acquired through Zen meditation.
3. (uncountable)An approach to instruction, understanding, or an activity similarly emphasizing simplicity and intuition rather than conventional thinking or fixation on goals.

   “the zen of cooking”

   “the zen of passing the bar exam”

   “the zen of C++”

adj

1. Of or related to Zen Buddhism.

   “Zen meditation”

   “Zen monk”

   “Zen master”

2. (alt-of, colloquial)Alternative letter-case form of zen.

   “"It sounds very Zen," I said. "A log cabin with no logs."”

   “Part of him is still so much the newbie, amazed to find this place of sand and sun stuck onto the ass end of the greatest city in the world, but the rest of him has relaxed into acceptance already. He's Zen like that.”

3. (alt-of)Alternative letter-case form of Zen: of or related to Zen Buddhism, particularly its focus on indirect teaching of wisdom through riddles and stories.

   “Greggs: You hung over? Just sayin', you look like shit. Moreland: You know what you need at a crime scene? Greggs: Rubber glove? Moreland: Soft eyes. Greggs: Like I'm s'posed to cry an' shit? Moreland: You got soft eyes, you can see the whole thing. You got hard eyes? You starin' at the same tree, missin' the forest. Greggs: Ah. Zen shit. Moreland: Soft eyes, grasshopper.”

4. (colloquial)Wise, displaying enlightenment or similar wisdom, insightful, unburdened and free of worries, extremely relaxed and capable.