It is from the influence of Japanese teachers arriving in the United States that we know it today by its Japanese name, Zen. Zen stresses the importance of self-realization through direct pointing to one's fundamental nature. It avoids ritual practices and rejects the scholarly study of scripture as a path to realization. Zen uses very disciplined forms of meditation as the central method of training to develop the student's powers of concentration and of awareness. The practice of meditation goes beyond its application as a training tool, however.
Practitioners find it to be a lifelong source of centering and revitalization.
Meditation, with or without Buddhist trappings, is now commonly taught in programs for stress reduction and chronic pain management. Such common recognition and acceptance of meditation has led to an increase in the numbers of Zen Centers in the United States, and the West as a whole. The Huntsville Times . Used with permission.