IST 605: Zen Buddhism: For Beginners' Minds

Buddhism is widely referred to as a religion, philosophy, or set of beliefs and practices. Originating from the teachings of “the Buddha,” Siddhartha Gautama (Gautama Buddha), in 5th century Nepal/Northern India, Buddhism is now a widely practiced religion in both the East and the West.

The core teachings of Buddhism lie in the Four Noble Truths, which also contains the Eightfold Path. These teachings, which are Siddartha Gautama's first teachings, direct Buddhist practitioners to follow the middle path. While there are multitudes of schools within the umbrella term 'Buddhism,' every school of Buddhism follows the middle path.

The middle path avoids dualism, such as right/wrong, happiness/sadness, subject/object, and so forth. By following the middle path, practitioners of Buddhism aim to eliminate suffering, break away from the cycle of samsara, and achieve nirvana (enlightenment). While there are many intricacies that further explicate the various teachings of the Buddha, the core beliefs lie in the Four Noble Truths and The Eightfold Path. For more general information on Buddhism, check out the Tricycle magazine’s Buddhism for Beginners (2023), listed at the bottom of this page. 

Zen is a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China as ‘Chan’ and spread to Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. Known as the ‘meditation school,’ the term Zen directly translates to meditation (Nagatomo, 2024). Zazen, also known as ‘seated meditation,’ is the foundational practice of Zen Buddhism. For more information on zazen, refer to Zazen & Meditation. Nonetheless, Zen is rather esoteric; Shunryu Suzuki (2020), author of Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, writes:

There is no need to have a deep understanding of Zen. Even though you read much Zen literature, you must read each sentence with a fresh mind. You should not say, ‘I know what Zen is,’ or ‘I have attained enlightenment.’ This is also the real secret of the arts: always be a beginner (p. 23).

Certainly, Zen has a rich history, with many spiritual leaders, practitioners, beliefs, and practices, but the most important aspect of Zen is meditation.

2,600 years ago, Siddhartha Gautama was born a prince of the kingdom of the Sakyas, which is now modern-day Nepal/northern India. After living a sheltered life inside of a place, marrying, and having children, Gautama left home at the age of twenty-nine and realized the suffering of mankind. Troubled by the vast suffering of the world, Gautama roamed the Himalayas as an ascetic following spiritual teachers and religious practices in search of an answer to humanity’s suffering. 

Unsatisfied, Gautama abandoned his ascetic and religious practices and went on his own. At the age of thirty-five, Gautama sat underneath the Bodhi tree (‘the Tree of Wisdom’) and attained enlightenment. From here, he became known as ‘The Buddha,’ which translates to ‘The Enlightened One.’ He spent the rest of his life offering teachings to people of all kinds. The heart of the Buddha’s teachings is the Four Noble Truths, which expound the basis of Buddhist beliefs.

The Four Noble Truths are the basis of the Buddha’s teachings. These truths are the only fundamental, unchanging truths of all existence. The four noble truths are the following:

1. Dukkha, a Pali word that translates to ‘suffering’ 

The first noble truth refers to the Pali word dukkha, which loosely translates to suffering, pain, sorrow, or misery. Rahula (1974) describes the suffering of life to be “birth, old age, sickness, death, association with unpleasant persons and conditions, separation from beloved ones and pleasant conditions, not getting what one desires, grief, lamentation, distress—all such forms of physical and mental suffering” (p. 19). 

Tricycle (2023) magazine defines the first noble truth as “There is suffering.” 

2. Samudaya; the arising or origin of dukkha

The second noble truth points to the origin of dukkha. The origin of suffering comes from our “thirst, desire, greed, craving, manifesting itself in various ways, that gives rise to all forms of suffering and the continuity of beings” (Rahula, 2023, p. 29). In other words, suffering arises from our desires and attachments to things, ideas, views, options, beliefs, and so forth. 

Tricycle (2023) magazine defines the second noble truth as “There is a cause of suffering.”

3. Nirodha; the cessation of dukkha

The third noble truth refers to our ability to be emancipated from suffering. According to Dr. Rahula (2023), to cease suffering, one must get rid of the root of suffering, which is our desires and attachments (p. 35). 

Tricycle (2023) magazine defines the third noble truth as “There is an end to suffering.”

4. Magga; the way leading to the cessation of dukkha; also known as the Eightfold Path

The fourth noble truth is the path one must take to attain Nirvana, also known as enlightenment. The eighth divisions of the Eightfold path are the following:

1. Right Understanding

2. Right Thought

3. Right Speech

4. Right Action

5. Right Livelihood

6. Right Effort

7. Right Mindfulness

8. Right Concentration

Each division of the Eightfold path is essentially the entirety of Buddhism and the teachings of the Buddha. The most important qualities of each division are Upaya (skillful means), Metta (loving-kindness), and Prajna (wisdom) for all sentient and non-sentient beings. 

Tricycle (2023) magazine defines the fourth noble truth as “The way out is the Eightfold path.”