Instruction is provided in sitting meditation, posture, breathing techniques, walking meditation, and Ko-an meditation, to concentrate and awaken the mind.
According to Zen tradition, Shakyamuni Buddha gathered his disciples, and probed their understanding about the ultimate goal of his teaching by holding a flower aloft before the assembly. Among the thousand assembled there, only Mahakasyapa is said to have understood the gesture and acknowledged it with a smile. Thereupon, the Enlightened One acknowledged the transmission of the right Dharma eye, the blissful mind of Nirvana, and the ultimate reality to the Venerable Mahakasyapa.
The transmission is outside of the scriptures. It aims at the direct pointing at the mind for the perception of self-nature and attainment of enlightenment.
The Zen teaching traces its origin from this transmission. It remains a living tradition, passed on from master to disciple.
From the great traditions of Asia, Zen has found a new home in the hearts of many in North America and Europe.
Zen opens a whole world of possibilities for improving and appreciating one's day-to-day life through mindfulness and awareness of the moment.