Tradition Context
Zazen means seated Zen practice, a disciplined posture of attention and direct observation.

Just sit. Upright spine, open eyes, nowhere to go. Don't try to stop thinking — don't follow thoughts. Just sit. This is the whole of Zen practice.
YeshiAI Resource
Zazen focuses on just sit. Upright spine, open eyes, nowhere to go. Don't try to stop thinking — don't follow thoughts. Just sit. This is the whole of Zen practice.. It is written for the Zen Buddhism path so visitors can understand the topic without losing its tradition, context, or purpose.
Zazen means seated Zen practice, a disciplined posture of attention and direct observation.
Within Zen Buddhism, Zazen is approached through mindfulness, ethical practice, compassion, wisdom, and steady attention. The goal is not only to read about the topic, but to let it shape attention, character, and one faithful next step.
Read slowly, sit with one phrase, and bring it into a brief moment of mindfulness, compassion, or ethical intention.
YeshiAI keeps this public resource stable for learning and search, while members can return to the same topic for daily reflections, companion guidance, and practice prompts shaped around Zen Buddhism. This helps the resource remain reliable for visitors while still supporting a living daily rhythm for members.
Approach this resource as support for reflection and practice, while continuing to rely on qualified teachers, sangha, and established lineages for deeper guidance.
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Related Resources
Related resources stay close to this path first, then give you clean ways to explore the wider tradition.
Mumonkan (Gateless Gate)
48 koans with Mumon's commentary — each gate is the whole of Zen. Enter if you dare.
Dōgen's Shōbōgenzō
The master of Soto Zen — subtle, paradoxical, luminous. "To study the self is to forget the self."
Blue Cliff Record
100 koans with the most penetrating Zen commentary — the tiger's den of Zen study
Rinzai & Soto Schools
The two great Zen schools: Rinzai (koan-centered, sudden) and Soto (shikantaza — just sitting). Both are Zen.
Platform Sutra of Huineng
The foundational Zen scripture — sudden awakening, original purity
Mumonkan (Gateless Gate)
48 koans — the direct pointing of the Zen masters
Zazen is presented here as a Zen Buddhism resource for understanding its meaning and place in lived practice. This resource focuses on Just sit. Upright spine, open eyes, nowhere to go. Don't try to stop thinking — don't follow thoughts. Just sit. This is the whole of Zen practice.
Begin with the teaching and reflection on this page, choose one concrete step, and return tomorrow for a renewed Zen Buddhism practice. Consistency matters more than intensity.
This page connects Zazen with the language, priorities, and daily disciplines of Zen Buddhism, while linking back to the wider Buddhism resource path for deeper study.