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Zen, Mindfulness, And Transcendental Meditation: Know About Them

zen mindfulness

Endorsed by several celebrities who have taken to it with an intention to achieve clarity and calm, meditation has turned into a popular fad of today owing to its multifarious benefits on the mental mechanisms. Meditation is of several types, and practiced as per the affinity and ability a person has, towards it. Out of these types, transcendental meditation, Zen and mindfulness are the popular buzzwords that we hear often during even inane conversations. Let us understand each of these types of meditation one by one to know which type suits us the best.

Transcendental Meditation:

Introduced by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to the meditation enthusiasts in the west, the transcendental meditation took over the western philosophic world by storm, Transcendental meditation (TM), was subsequently popularized by many practicing celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Hugh Jackman, and Jerry Seinfeld is a popular form of meditation who added momentum to the movement.

TM practice, which is essentially a passive process, requires a mantra to be repeated throughout the meditation session for the mind to cut across the figurative boundaries of thoughts. Mindful awareness requires taming of the truant mind that wanders away from the present moment. The mind needs to be always on alert and in focus to prevent the mind from slipping back into the realm of thoughts. Mindfulness process allow the mind to roam Scot free whereas TM subdues it along with the usage of a mantra, Mantra, on the other hand, helps the practitioner stay focused on the mediation. Mantra is a short set of syllables which is easy to repeat. It also enables him to soar beyond the linguistic shackles, realise their emptiness and stay focussed inside himself.

While TM needs to be taught by certified instructors or gurus, mindfulness practice can be picked up the instructions found in journals and books or by enrolling oneself to the meditation classes or courses.
Both are very popular practices that are followed in group therapies, as it is well liked by many yoga enthusiasts.

Zen Meditation:

The Zen meditation lets the practitioner to recognize his thoughts as they arise and banish them instantly and also helps to achieve the right perspective about body and mind. Zen monks practice zazen or sitting meditation where one sits and then focuses on the ongoing breathwork consistently,, especially its movement within the belly region.

Zen meditation insists on acquiring a knowledgeable world view. Disciplining the mind and controlling the focus. Is its primary goal. The goal of Zen meditation is to achieve emptiness, a thoughtless state, by transcending the limits of identity and enter the state of liberation or nirvana.
Zen meditation entails the process of banishing all thoughts and keep a clear and empty mind. It is the emptiness from which knowledge springs. Ignorance too is the result of an empty mind. But the difference is that this ignorant mind is still tied up in worldly shackles of ego and desires. Zen is practiced to gain an insight into reality that exists beyond logic and reasoning.
While the primary focus of Zen meditation is to 's focus on eliminating the self and reaching nirvana, the goal of mindfulness meditation is to cultivate the qualities of mindfulness in everyday life.

Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation is of a Buddhist origin that turned into an overnight fad due to the efforts of western writers such as Jon Kabat-Zinn . Mindfulness, the most recent modern fad, actually stemmed from the philosophy of Zen and modern vipassana meditation. Sati training, which is nothing but "following the current or present events moment to moment ", but also " Always remembering your awareness., is a pivotal to the practice of Mindfulness meditation. The mindfulness practitioner does not eliminate his sense of self but notices the ongoing thoughts that wander and focuses them back to the present. He is aware of the transience that is involved.

Although Zen and mindfulness share similar goals of stress relief and attainment of peace of mind, the technique and method involved in both these practices vary. In both Zen and mindfulness, the practitioner focuses on the presence of mind, which he preserves by bringing and merging his focus inside his own self. Zen is a general awareness of all ongoings inside you whereas the mindfulness is all about intently focusing on some object specifically. Both are very popular practices that are followed in group therapies, as it is well liked by many yoga enthusiasts.

Disclaimer: The information is based on assumptions and information available on the internet and the accuracy or reliability is not guaranteed. Boldsky does not confirm any inputs or information related to the article and our only purpose is to deliver information. Kindly consult the concerned expert before practising or implementing any information and assumption