Free Chinese & Japanese Online Dictionary

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Key:

Mandarin Chinese information.
Old Wade-Giles romanization used only in Taiwan.
Japanese information.
Buddhist definition. Note: May not apply to all sects.
 Definition may be different outside of Buddhism.

There are 36 total results for your zen buddhism search.

Characters Pronunciation
Romanization
Simple Dictionary Definition

see styles
 yuzuru
    ゆずる

More info & calligraphy:

Zen / Chan / Meditation
(1) (Buddhist term) dhyana (profound meditation); (2) (abbreviation) Zen (Buddhism); (female given name) Yuzuru


see styles
shàn
    shan4
shan
 yuzuri
    ゆずり

More info & calligraphy:

Zen / Chan / Meditation
to abdicate
(out-dated kanji) (1) (Buddhist term) dhyana (profound meditation); (2) (abbreviation) Zen (Buddhism); (surname) Yuzuri
To level a place for an altar, to sacrifice to the hills and fountains; to abdicate. Adopted by Buddhists for dhyāna, 禪 or 禪那, i.e. meditation, abstraction, trance. dhyāna is 'meditation, thought, reflection, especially profound and abstract religious contemplation'. M.W. It was intp. as 'getting rid of evil', etc., later as 靜慮 quiet meditation. It is a form of 定, but that word is more closely allied with samādhi, cf. 禪定. The term also connotes Buddhism and Buddhist things in general, but has special application to the 禪宗 q.v. It is one of the six pāramitās, cf. 波. There are numerous methods and subjects of meditation. The eighteen brahmalokas are divided into four dhyāna regions 'corresponding to certain frames of mind where individuals might be reborn in strict accordance with their spiritual state'. The first three are the first dhyāna, the second three the second dhyāna, the third three the third dhyāna, and the remaining nine the fourth dhyāna. See Eitel. According to Childers' Pali Dictionary, 'The four jhānas are four stages of mystic meditation, whereby the believer's mind is purged from all earthly emotions, and detached as it were from his body, which remains plunged in a profound trance.' Seated cross-legged, the practiser 'concentrates his mind upon a single thought. Gradually his soul becomes filled with a supernatural ecstasy and serenity', his mind still reasoning: this is the first jhāna. Concentrating his mind on the same subject, he frees it from reasoning, the ecstasy and serenity remaining, which is the second jhāna. Then he divests himself of ecstasy, reaching the third stage of serenity. Lastly, in the fourth stage the mind becomes indifferent to all emotions, being exalted above them and purified. There are differences in the Mahāyāna methods, but similarity of aim.

公案

see styles
gōng àn
    gong1 an4
kung an
 kouan / koan
    こうあん

More info & calligraphy:

Koan
judge's desk; complex legal case; contentious issue; koan (Zen Buddhism)
{Buddh} koan; kōan; Zen question for meditation (e.g. the sound of one hand clapping)
J. kōan; 因緣 A dossier, or case-record; a cause; public laws, regulations; case-law. Problems set by Zen masters, upon which thought is concentrated as a means to attain inner unity and illumination.

禅宗

see styles
 zenshuu / zenshu
    ぜんしゅう

More info & calligraphy:

Zen Buddhism
Zen (Buddhism)

禪宗


禅宗

see styles
chán zōng
    chan2 zong1
ch`an tsung
    chan tsung
 Zenshū

More info & calligraphy:

Zen Buddhism
Zen Buddhism
The Chan, meditative or intuitional, sect usually said to have been established in China by Bodhidharma, v. 達, the twenty-eighth patriarch, who brought the tradition of the Buddha-mind from India. Cf. 楞 13 Laṅkāvatāra sūtra. This sect, believing in direct enlightenment, disregarded ritual and sūtras and depended upon the inner light and personal influence for the propagation of its tenets, founding itself on the esoteric tradition supposed to have been imparted to Kāśyapa by the Buddha, who indicated his meaning by plucking a flower without further explanation. Kāśyapa smiled in apprehension and is supposed to have passed on this mystic method to the patriarchs. The successor of Bodhidharma was 慧可 Huike, and he was succeeded by 僧璨 Sengcan; 道信 Daoxin; 弘忍 Hongren; 慧能 Huineng, and 神秀 Shenxiu, the sect dividing under the two latter into the southern and northern schools: the southern school became prominent, producing 南嶽 Nanyue and 靑原 Qingyuan, the former succeeded by 馬祖 Mazu, the latter by 石頭 Shitou. From Mazu's school arose the five later schools, v. 禪門.

十宗

see styles
shí zōng
    shi2 zong1
shih tsung
 jūshū
The ten schools of Chinese Buddhism: I. The (1) 律宗 Vinaya-discipline, or 南山|; (2) 倶舍 Kośa, Abhidharma, or Reality (Sarvāstivādin) 有宗; (3) 成實宗 Satyasiddhi sect founded on this śāstra by Harivarman; (4) 三論宗 Mādhyamika or 性空宗; (5) 法華宗 Lotus, "Law-flower" or Tiantai 天台宗; (6) 華嚴Huayan or法性 or賢首宗; ( 7) 法相宗 Dharmalakṣana or 慈恩宗 founded on the唯識論 (8) 心宗 Ch'an or Zen, mind-only or intuitive, v. 禪宗 ; (9) 眞言宗 (Jap. Shingon) or esoteric 密宗 ; (10) 蓮宗 Amitābha-lotus or Pure Land (Jap. Jōdo) 淨士宗. The 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 9th are found in Japan rather than in China, where they have ceased to be of importance. II. The Hua-yen has also ten divisions into ten schools of thought: (1) 我法倶有 the reality of self (or soul) and things, e.g. mind and matter; (2) 法有我無 the reality of things but not of soul; (3) 法無去來 things have neither creation nor destruction; (4) 現通假實 present things are both apparent and real; (5) 俗妄眞實 common or phenomenal ideas are wrong, fundamental reality is the only truth; (6) things are merely names; (7) all things are unreal 空; (8) the bhūtatathatā is not unreal; (9) phenomena and their perception are to be got rid of; (10) the perfect, all-inclusive, and complete teaching of the One Vehicle. III. There are two old Japanese divisions: 大乘律宗, 倶舎宗 , 成實 宗 , 法和宗 , 三論宗 , 天台宗 , 華嚴宗 , 眞言宗 , 小乘律宗 , and 淨土宗 ; the second list adds 禪宗 and omits 大乘律宗. They are the Ritsu, Kusha, Jōjitsu, Hossō, Sanron, Tendai, Kegon, Shingon, (Hīnayāna) Ritsu, and Jōdo; the addition being Zen.

和尚

see styles
hé shang
    he2 shang5
ho shang
 wajou / wajo
    わじょう
Buddhist monk
(1) (honorific or respectful language) preceptor or high priest (in Shingon, Hosso, Ritsu or Shin Buddhism); (2) second highest priestly rank in Buddhism; (3) master (of one's art, trade, etc.); (1) (honorific or respectful language) preceptor or high priest (in Tendai or Kegon Buddhism); (2) second highest priestly rank in Buddhism; (3) monk (esp. the head monk of a temple); (4) master (of one's art, trade, etc.); (1) (honorific or respectful language) preceptor or high priest (esp. in Zen or Pure Land Buddhism); (2) second highest priestly rank in Buddhism; (3) monk (esp. the head monk of a temple); (4) master (of one's art, trade, etc.); (personal name) Wajō
A general term for a monk. It is said to be derived from Khotan in the form of 和闍 or 和社 (or 烏社) which might be a translit. of vandya (Tibetan and Khotani ban-de), 'reverend.' Later it took the form of 和尚 or 和上. The 律宗 use 和上, others generally 和尚. The Sanskrit term used in its interpretation is 鳥波陀耶 upādhyāya, a 'sub-teacher' of the Vedas, inferior to an ācārya; this is intp. as 力生 strong in producing (knowledge), or in begetting strength in his disciples; also by 知有罪知無罪 a discerner of sin from not-sin, or the sinful from the not-sinful. It has been used as a synonym for 法師 a teacher of doctrine, in distinction from 律師 a teacher of the vinaya, also from 禪師 a teacher of the Intuitive school.

宋音

see styles
 souon / soon
    そうおん
(See 唐音・とうおん,宋・そう・1) sō-on; Song reading; on reading of a kanji based on Song dynasty and later Chinese (esp. in words related to Zen Buddhism)

宗派

see styles
zōng pài
    zong1 pai4
tsung p`ai
    tsung pai
 shuuha / shuha
    しゅうは
sect
(1) sect; denomination; (2) school (e.g. of poetry)
Sects (of Buddhism). In India, according to Chinese accounts, the two schools of Hīnayāna became divided into twentysects. Mahāyāna had two main schools, the Mādhyamika, ascribed to Nāgārjunaand Āryadeva about the second century A. D., and the Yogācārya, ascribed toAsaṅga and Vasubandhu in the fourth century A. D. In China thirteen sectswere founded: (1) 倶舍宗 Abhidharma or Kośa sect, representing Hīnayāna,based upon the Abhidharma-kosa-śāstra or 倶舍論. (2) 成實宗 Satyasiddhi sect, based on the 成實論 Satyasiddhi-śāstra,tr. by Kumārajīva; no sect corresponds to it in India; in China and Japan itbecame incorporated in the 三論宗. (3) 律宗 Vinaya or Discipline sect, basedon 十誦律, 四分律, 僧祗律, etc. (4) 三論宗 The three śāstra sect, based on theMādhyamika-śāstra 中觀論 of Nāgārjuna, theSata-śāstra 百論 of Āryadeva, and theDvādasa-nikāya-śāstra 十二門論 of Nāgārjuna; this schooldates back to the translation of the three śāstras by Kumārajīva in A. D. 409. (5) 涅槃宗 Nirvāṇasect, based upon the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra 涅槃經 tr. byDharmaraksa in 423; later incorporated in Tiantai, with which it had much incommon. (6) 地論宗 Daśabhūmikā sect, based on Vasubandhu's work on the tenstages of the bodhisattva's path to Buddhahood, tr. by Bodhiruci 508,absorbed by the Avataṃsaka school, infra. (7) 淨土宗 Pure-land or Sukhāvatīsect, founded in China by Bodhiruci; its doctrine was salvation throughfaith in Amitābha into the Western Paradise. (8) 禪宗 dhyāna, meditative or intuitional sect, attributed toBodhidharma about A. D. 527, but it existed before he came to China. (9) 攝論宗, based upon the 攝大乘論 Mahāyāna-saṃparigraha-śāstra byAsaṅga, tr. by Paramārtha in 563, subsequently absorbed by the Avataṃsakasect. (10) 天台宗 Tiantai, based on the 法華經 SaddharmapuṇḍarīkaSūtra, or the Lotus of the Good Law; it is aconsummation of the Mādhyamika tradition. (11) 華嚴宗 Avataṃsaka sect, basedon the Buddhāvataṃsaka-sūtra, or Gandha-vyūha 華嚴經 tr. in 418. (12) 法相宗 Dharmalakṣaṇa sect, established after thereturn of Xuanzang from India and his trans. of the important Yogācāryaworks. (13) 眞言宗 Mantra sect, A. D. 716. In Japan twelve sects are named:Sanron, Hossō, Kegon, Kusha, Jōjitsu, Ritsu, Tendai, Shingon; these areknown as the ancient sects, the two last being styled mediaeval; therefollow the Zen and Jōdo; the remaining two are Shin and Nichiren; at presentthere are the Hossō, Kegon, Tendai, Shingon, Zen, Jōdo, Shin, and Nichirensects.

庭詰

see styles
 niwazume
    にわづめ
{Buddh} waiting in front of a temple to be accepted for training (in Zen Buddhism)

旦過


旦过

see styles
dàn guō
    dan4 guo1
tan kuo
 tanga
    たんが
(1) {Buddh} staying the night (of an itinerant priest in Zen Buddhism); itinerant priest's lodging; (2) {Buddh} providing a room for an itinerant priest so that he may meditate for a long period of time; (place-name, surname) Tanga
boarding hall

法眼

see styles
fǎ yǎn
    fa3 yan3
fa yen
 hougen / hogen
    ほうげん
discerning eye
(1) {Buddh} (See 五眼) the dharma eye; (2) (abbreviation) second highest priestly rank in Buddhism; (3) (archaism) title bestowed upon doctors, etc.; (surname) Hougen
The (bodhisattva) dharma-eye able to penetrate all things. Name of the founder of the法眼宗 Fayan sect, one of the five Chan (Zen) schools.

禅法

see styles
 zenpou; zenbou / zenpo; zenbo
    ぜんぽう; ぜんぼう
{Buddh} method of Buddhist study and practice that is based in meditative concentration; meditative methods used in Zen Buddhism

禅浄

see styles
 zenjou / zenjo
    ぜんじょう
(abbreviation) (from 禅宗 and 浄土宗) Zen Buddhism and Pure Land Buddhism

竹篦

see styles
zhú bì
    zhu2 bi4
chu pi
 chikuhei
    しっぺい
bamboo comb
(ateji / phonetic) (1) (Buddhist term) bamboo stick used to strike meditators into greater wakefulness (in Zen Buddhism); (2) (kana only) striking someone's wrist with one's index and middle finger
bamboo clapper

起龕

see styles
 kigan
    きがん
{Buddh} ceremonial removal of the coffin from the house (lay person) or temple (priest) (Zen Buddhism)

開枕


开枕

see styles
kāi zhěn
    kai1 zhen3
k`ai chen
    kai chen
 kaichin
    かいちん
{Buddh} bringing out the pillows and futon (in Zen Buddhism); sleeping
To display the pillows, i.e. retire to bed.

黄檗

see styles
 oubaku / obaku
    おうばく
(abbreviation) Obaku school of Zen Buddhism; (surname) Kiwada

仏心宗

see styles
 busshinshuu / busshinshu
    ぶっしんしゅう
(rare) (See 禅宗) Zen (Buddhism)

善知識


善知识

see styles
shàn zhī shì
    shan4 zhi1 shi4
shan chih shih
 zen chishiki
    ぜんぢしき
friend who guides one to Buddhism through teaching
A good friend or intimate, one well known and intimate.

如来禅

see styles
 nyoraizen
    にょらいぜん
(See 祖師禅) Zen Buddhism based on the original teachings of Buddha

普化宗

see styles
pǔ huà zōng
    pu3 hua4 zong1
p`u hua tsung
    pu hua tsung
 fukeshuu / fukeshu
    ふけしゅう
Fuke school (defunct sect of Zen Buddhism)
Fuke shū

曹洞宗

see styles
cáo dòng zōng
    cao2 dong4 zong1
ts`ao tung tsung
    tsao tung tsung
 soutoushuu / sotoshu
    そうとうしゅう
Soto school (of Zen Buddhism); (o) Soto school (of Zen Buddhism)
Caodong Zong

祖師禅

see styles
 soshizen
    そしぜん
(See 如来禅) Zen Buddhism based on the teachings of Bodhidharma

禪佛教


禅佛教

see styles
chán fó jiào
    chan2 fo2 jiao4
ch`an fo chiao
    chan fo chiao
 zen bukkyō
Seon Buddhism

臨済宗

see styles
 rinzaishuu / rinzaishu
    りんざいしゅう
Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism

達磨宗


达磨宗

see styles
dá mó zōng
    da2 mo2 zong1
ta mo tsung
 darumashuu / darumashu
    だるましゅう
(1) (rare) (See 禅宗) Zen (Buddhism); (2) (derogatory term) (archaism) (See 達磨歌) confusing style of middle-age Japanese poetry
The Damo, or Dharma sect, i.e. the 禪宗 Meditation, or Intuitional School.

黄檗宗

see styles
 oubakushuu / obakushu
    おうばくしゅう
Ōbaku school of Zen Buddhism

不立文字

see styles
bù lì wén zì
    bu4 li4 wen2 zi4
pu li wen tzu
 furyuumonji; furitsumonji / furyumonji; furitsumonji
    ふりゅうもんじ; ふりつもんじ
(expression) (yoji) Buddhist revelation through intuitive discernment; Spiritual awakening cannot be experienced with words and letters; Spiritual enlightenment can be attained only by means of communion of mind with mind (Zen Buddhism)
(不立文字教) The 禪 ch'an or intuitive School does 'not set up scriptures'; it lays stress on meditation and intuition rather than on books and other external aids: cf. Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra.

久松真一

see styles
 hisamatsushinichi
    ひさまつしんいち
(person) Hisamatsu Shin'ichi (1889-1980) - philosopher, scholar of Zen Buddhism and master of the Japanese tea ceremony

五燈會元


五灯会元

see styles
wǔ dēng huì yuán
    wu3 deng1 hui4 yuan2
wu teng hui yüan
Song Dynasty History of Zen Buddhism in China (1252), 20 scrolls

以心伝心

see styles
 ishindenshin
    いしんでんしん
(noun - becomes adjective with の) (1) (yoji) telepathy; tacit understanding; thought transference; communion of mind with mind; (2) (yoji) {Buddh} non-verbal Zen Buddhist transmission to a disciple of the central tenets of Buddhism

教外別伝

see styles
 kyougebetsuden / kyogebetsuden
    きょうげべつでん
(yoji) (in Zen Buddhism) (See 不立文字) Buddhist revelation through intuitive discernment; spiritual awakening cannot be experienced with words and letters; spiritual enlightenment can be attained only by means of communion of mind with mind

Variations:
和尚(P)
和上

see styles
 oshou(和尚)(p); kashou; wajou / osho(和尚)(p); kasho; wajo
    おしょう(和尚)(P); かしょう; わじょう
(1) (honorific or respectful language) {Buddh} (trad. pronounced おしょう in Zen and Pure Land, かしょう in Tendai and Kegon, わじょう in Shingon, Hosso, Ritsu and Shin Buddhism) priestly teacher; preceptor; (2) (おしょう, かしょう only) {Buddh} monk (esp. the head monk of a temple); priest; head priest; (3) {Buddh} (See 法眼・2) second highest priestly rank in Buddhism; (4) master (of one's art, trade, etc.)

Variations:
禅(P)
禪(oK)

see styles
 zen
    ぜん
(1) (abbreviation) {Buddh} (See 禅那・ぜんな) dhyana (profound meditation); (2) (abbreviation) (See 禅宗) Zen (Buddhism)

Variations:
竹箆(ateji)
竹篦(ateji)

see styles
 shippei; shippe / shippe; shippe
    しっぺい; しっぺ
(1) {Buddh} bamboo stick used to strike meditators into greater wakefulness (in Zen Buddhism); (2) (kana only) (esp. しっぺ) striking someone's wrist with one's index and middle finger

Entries with 2nd row of characters: The 2nd row is Simplified Chinese.

This page contains 36 results for "zen buddhism" in Chinese and/or Japanese.



Information about this dictionary:

Apparently, we were the first ones who were crazy enough to think that western people might want a combined Chinese, Japanese, and Buddhist dictionary.

A lot of westerners can't tell the difference between Chinese and Japanese - and there is a reason for that. Chinese characters and even whole words were borrowed by Japan from the Chinese language in the 5th century. Much of the time, if a word or character is used in both languages, it will have the same or a similar meaning. However, this is not always true. Language evolves, and meanings independently change in each language.

Example: The Chinese character 湯 for soup (hot water) has come to mean bath (hot water) in Japanese. They have the same root meaning of "hot water", but a 湯屋 sign on a bathhouse in Japan would lead a Chinese person to think it was a "soup house" or a place to get a bowl of soup. See this: Japanese Bath House

This dictionary uses the EDICT and CC-CEDICT dictionary files.
EDICT data is the property of the Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group, and is used in conformance with the Group's license.

Chinese Buddhist terms come from Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms by William Edward Soothill and Lewis Hodous. This is commonly referred to as "Soothill's'". It was first published in 1937 (and is now off copyright so we can use it here). Some of these definitions may be misleading, incomplete, or dated, but 95% of it is good information. Every professor who teaches Buddhism or Eastern Religion has a copy of this on their bookshelf. We incorporated these 16,850 entries into our dictionary database ourselves (it was lot of work).



Combined, these cover 1,007,753 Japanese, Chinese, and Buddhist characters, words, idioms, names, placenames, and short phrases.

Just because a word appears here does not mean it is appropriate for a tattoo, your business name, etc. Please consult a professional before doing anything stupid with this data.

We do offer Chinese and Japanese Tattoo Services. We'll also be happy to help you translate something for other purposes.

No warranty as to the correctness, potential vulgarity, or clarity is expressed or implied. We did not write any of these definitions (though we occasionally act as a contributor/editor to the CC-CEDICT project). You are using this dictionary for free, and you get what you pay for.

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Japanese Kanji Dictionary

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