Foundations of Zazen: Understanding Zen Meditation and the Zen Buddhist Tradition

Zazen looks deceptively simple: sit still, don't fall asleep, don't chase thoughts. Yet this apparent simplicity conceals a sophisticated understanding of mind, effort, and awakening that has been developed over fifteen centuries in Chinese and Japanese Buddhist monasteries. Without understanding the context, Zazen practice often becomes either strained effortfulness or passive daydreaming. The foundation matters. By the end of this course you will be able to explain the historical origins of Zen and its development from Dhyana Buddhism in India through Chan in China to Zen in Japan, describe the central role of Zazen in Zen practice and why it differs from other meditation methods, explain the concept of shikantaza (just sitting) as taught in the Soto school, describe the role of koan study in Rinzai practice, and place Zen in the broader context of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy including the concept of Buddha-nature. What you will learn: - The transmission story of Bodhidharma and what it represents theologically rather than historically - How Chan Buddhism developed in Tang Dynasty China and adapted to Chinese cultural and Daoist influences - The historical split between Soto and Rinzai schools and what distinguishes their approaches to practice - Shikantaza: Dogen's teaching of "just sitting" as a complete expression of awakening, not a means toward it - Koan study: what a koan is, why it is not a logical puzzle, and how it functions in Rinzai practice - The concept of Buddha-nature (busso) and its implications for how Zen understands the relationship between practice and awakening - Posture as teaching: why precise physical alignment is considered spiritually significant in Zazen, not merely ergonomically useful - How Zen has been transmitted to the West and the adaptations and distortions that process has involved This course is built around careful readings from primary sources — selected texts from Dogen's Shobogenzo and Rinzai masters — alongside historical and philosophical commentary. Reflection prompts ask you to engage with the conceptual content before moving forward. A comparative worksheet maps Zazen against Vipassana and Tibetan visualization practice to clarify what is distinct about the Zen approach. This course is designed for beginners with no prior background in Zen or Buddhism, as well as meditators seeking a deeper conceptual grounding in a practice they have already begun. No prior knowledge of Japanese or Buddhist philosophy is required.