Is the zen philosophy a religion?

Question

I am a devout roman-catholic although recently while reading a book a came across the zen philosophy which i later looked up. I found it quite intriguing (spelling) and would like to try and persue it to an extent. Is it alright to follow both of these?

Answer 1

Zen buddhism is all about mindfulness, learning how to observe your thoughts and not attach to them, to watch and let them go. That's a really useful skill to have, regardless of what else you believe or practice.

My Zen master was delighted that I was sitting meditation as a Jewish practice and asked lots of questions. We decided that G-d was probably meditating on the seventh day. It works with the text and the tradition and we liked the story.

Go for it, just be careful who you tell. A lot of people will misunderstand.

Answer 2

Zen is a great philosophy ie it teaches how to realise the truth.
If u find any real zen master u r lucky.
If u can understand zen, then u can understand catholic and all religions in a better way.

Answer 3

Good question, because Zen is pretty vague in its nature to begin with. I can accept non-theistic religions like Theravada Buddhism still being religions because they do have ceremony and dogma, which distinguish religion from philosophies. But Zen is even more ambiguous in those departments.

Anyway, I've known Christians and others who were able to borrow and incorporate parts of Zen, so I don't see what the problem is.

Answer 4

There's Zen Buddhism and Zen Philosophy.
It's goal is to free the mind so as to be more spiritual.
If your idea of spirituality is the roman-catholic belief system
It will make you a better roman-catholic.

Answer 5

Zen teachings and practices


In Zen, philosophical teachings and textual study are given less emphasis than in other forms of Buddhism. Nonetheless, Zen is deeply rooted in both the teachings of the Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama and Mahāyāna Buddhist thought.


A Chinese Tang Dynasty image of the Buddha seated in meditationThe fundamental Zen practice of zazen, or seated meditation, recalls both the posture in which the Buddha is said to have achieved enlightenment under the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya, and the elements of mindfulness and concentration which are part of the Eightfold Path as taught by the Buddha. All of the Buddha's fundamental teachings—among them the Eightfold Path, the Four Noble Truths, the idea of dependent origination, the five precepts, the five aggregates, and the three marks of existence—also make up important elements of Zen. Certain other elements emerging from Theravāda Buddhist thought, such as the perfections, also have a place in Zen.

Additionally, as a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism, Zen draws many of its basic driving concepts, particularly the bodhisattva ideal, from that branch. Uniquely Mahāyāna figures such as Guānyīn, Mañjuśrī, Samantabhadra, and Amitābha are venerated alongside the historical Buddha. Despite Zen's lack of emphasis on textual study, it has drawn heavily on the Mahāyāna sūtras, particularly the Heart of Perfect Wisdom Sūtra, the Sūtra of the Perfection of Wisdom of the Diamond that Cuts through Illusion, the Lankavatara Sūtra, and the "Samantamukha Parivarta" section of the Lotus Sūtra.

Zen has also itself produced a rich corpus of written literature which has become a part of its practice and teaching. Among the earliest and most widely studied of the specifically Zen texts, dating back to at least the 9th century CE, is the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch, sometimes attributed to Huìnéng. Others include the various collections of kōans and the Shōbōgenzō of Dōgen Zenji.

Zen training emphasizes daily life practice, along with intensive periods of meditation. Practicing with others is an integral part of Zen practice. In explaining Zen Buddhism, Japanese Zen teachers have made the point that Zen is a "way of life"[citation needed]. D.T. Suzuki wrote that aspects of this life are: a life of humility; a life of labor; a life of service; a life of prayer and gratitude; and a life of meditation[citation needed]. The Chinese Chan master Baizhang (720–814 CE) left behind a famous saying which had been the guiding principle of his life, "A day without work is a day without food."[2]

D.T. Suzuki asserted that satori (awakening) has always been the goal of every school of Buddhism, but that which distinguished the Zen tradition as it developed in China, Korea, and Japan was a way of life radically different from that of Indian Buddhists. In India, the tradition of the mendicant (bhikkhu) prevailed, but in China social circumstances led to the development of a temple and training-center system in which the abbot and the monks all performed mundane tasks. These included food gardening or farming, carpentry, architecture, housekeeping, administration, and the practice of folk medicine. Consequently, the enlightenment sought in Zen had to stand up well to the demands and potential frustrations of everyday life

Answer 6

My (Soto) Zen Buddhism isn't really a religion for me.....yet.

If you want a good book Suzuki's "Zen mind, beginners mind" is a good book & good to keep coming back to.

If nothing else, the sitting (meditation) has helped me quit drinking last year & to let go of my obsessions.

Answer 7

Zen is an offshoot of Buddhism which many consider a philosophy. I see no reason not to explore it.

Answer 8

Zen is pretty open about what other beliefs you practice, but Christianity may not like it... ask your priest. Since it's more of a personal growth project than worship, I personally think there's nothing wrong with it... but then I'm not Catholic ;-)

Answer 9

Zen is a way of life and has nothing to do with religion.zen cuts through to thr heart of the matter and reveals life as it really is.

Answer 10

Zen is an aspect of Mahayana Buddhism, which is a religion. Buddhists reject the belief in God, the soul, sin, and other relevant Christian teachings.

As a free-will agent, you can pretty much do as you please, but God's Word makes it clear that you cannot practice Buddhism and still be a Christian.