William,<br/><br/>I practice both Zen and Vipassana, but I'll leave others here, who are far more versed in Their practice than I, to give an account of Zen.<br/><br/>Vipassana simply means 'seeing things as they really are'. It follows closely to the Buddhas teachings, but is not 'Buddhism'. If anything, it's a scientific method of following the breath and noting changes within the body-mind organism leading to wisdom regarding impermanence, non-self and suffering.<br/><br/>Meditation in Vipassana is much more systematic and methodical than in Zen, but less ritualistic. Practitioners began by focusing on the breath (but not counting the breath - which acts more like a mantra) and the various sensations (physical and mental) that arise. We use these sensations because it is the most direct experience of reality and leads us to liberation from suffering. <br/><br/>There are also meditation practices in Vipassana that use concentration on particular objects of meditation to focus the mind which leads to a jhanic mind state (samadhi). This is simply for calming the mind (freeing it from meditation hindrances) and increasing the powers of concentration. It does not lead to wisdom by itself, but can be used in conjunction with the insight meditation of Vipassana proper.<br/><br/>Vipassana then, uses the Buddha's sutras as a guide and a path. Cause and effect (karma) plays a central role as does following a moral path (the 5 precepts). For me, both traditions (Zen and Vipassana) realise the Great Matter but from different approaches. To mix them tho, would be a mistake.<br/><br/>Mike<br/><br/>Mike<br/><br/><br/>Sent from Yahoo! Mail for iPhone
