Zazen

Seated meditation practiced within Zen Buddhism.

Reach for it when naming the actual Zen practice rather than using it as a generic calmness label

Morning zazen helped the retreat settle into attentive silence.

• everyday

  Zen meditation

  when the religious setting should be explicit for newcomers

  not when Zen meditation includes context and instruction not conveyed by a generic label.

• warm

  sitting practice

  when practitioners use an accessible community phrase

  not when Sitting practice can refer to non-Zen contemplative methods.

• professional

  mindfulness meditation

  when present-moment awareness is the taught method

  not when Modern mindfulness programs and zazen are not interchangeable traditions.

• professional

  seated meditation

  when posture and general practice need a plain description

  not when Many traditions use seated meditation, so the phrase is broader than zazen.

• formal

  shikantaza

  when the specific practice of just sitting is meant

  not when Shikantaza is one form associated with particular Zen schools, not every zazen session.

• literary

  contemplation

  when quiet reflective attention is the broad idea

  not when Contemplation may involve discursive thought rather than Zen sitting.

• distraction
• agitation
• heedlessness

• practice zazen

  Visitors learned how to practice zazen from an authorized teacher.

• period of zazen

  A short period of zazen opened the morning schedule.

• zazen posture

  The instructor adapted the zazen posture for several knees and backs.

Zazen belongs to living Zen traditions. Posture, method, and meaning vary, so generic wellness language is not a full account.

• Wiktionary, English noun sense: seated meditation in Zen Buddhism ↗opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.