Is Isha similar to Zen Buddhism? Sadhguru

See...now, first of all, you said "whatever they do in Zen Buddhism

that's what we are doing here". First I want you to get this.

As it is, Buddhist way of life is just about 2400 years old.

Zen is just about probably somewhere between 8 to 1200 years old.

The word "Zen".

Dhyan. You know what's Dhyan? Dhyan means generally...

See the english word "meditation" doesn't mean anything, this must be understood.

You can close your eyes and sit and that's called meditation.

You can close your eyes and sit and do many things.

You can do japa, tapa, dharana, dhyana, samadhi, pratyahara.

Any number of possibilities are there.

Or you might have just mastered the art of sleeping in vertical postures.

So the word "Dhyan" indicates a particular dimension.

Dhyan was taken on.. to.. outside the country,

to China where it became "Chan".

"Chan" somewhere down when it flowed down to far eastern countries it became "Zen".

So..what became "Zen" is just a mispronunciation of the word "Dhyan".

Or a language transmutation that happened as it travelled from culture to culture.

So they are talking about Dhyan.

Dhyan is of various aspects.

I cannot go into all the details now.

Now they are teaching you 'watching of the breath'... which is...

which Buddha called as "sathipathana"

but for ages Yoga called it Anapana sathiyoga.

So these are not new to Buddhism.

These have been always there.

One of the simplest ways to become meditative is to watch the breath.

It's very simple.

If you're just watching the process of breath as probably

I don't know what type you have been exposed to but

generally they are teaching you to watch the sensations that are created by the breath.

You don't see the breath

you only see the sensations that are caused by the movement of the breath

That is the most rudimentary way of doing it.

There are other ways of doing the breath, which are completely different.

In yoga, breath is known as the Koorma Nadi.

If you follow the breath

not by watching sensations

there are other ways to follow the breath itself, not the sensations.

If you follow the breath, it will take you to that point where you are tied to the body.

See if I take away your breath now, your body will fall away from you, isn't it?

Isn't it so?

Right now it's your breath which is tying you to the body.

So, not by watching the sensations, if you follow the very breath

right now, you have no way of knowing the breath,

you only know the sensations caused by the breath.

Is it so? Do you understand what I am saying?

So, if you follow the very breath

if you follow the Koorma Nadi, it will take you to that point

where you are in touch with your body.

Now you can make that point into a conscious process

that is you are holding, now if I hold this, I hold this consciously.

Like this you can hold your body consciously,

if you want you can drop it any moment

to get that freedom.

So, whatever is being taught as Zen is just...I am not saying it's inferior..

it's a beautiful way,

it is very beautiful way, there is no question about that, if it's properly being transmitted.

I don't know what kind of Zen you are doing in Chicago, but...

if you receive Zen properly, it's a wonderful way

and it's not just about meditation, it's about changing your whole life.

The very way you move, the very way you keep the body, the very way you do things

Everything has to be integrated. Just watching the breath won't do it.

Just watching the breath won't do it.

Zen monasteries, you need to understand - Zen was fundamentally for the monks.

It's a 24 hour practice.

it's a 24 hour practice. Every aspect - the way you cook,

the way you cut the vegetables, the way you keep your garden,

the way you keep the place - everything is part of the system.

Only then, Zen is truly an effective system.

You just do Zen for half an hour or one hour, it doesn't mean much.

It may have its benefits, but it doesn't mean much as a spiritual process.

You must transform your whole life, only then it has an overall impact on the system.