Zazen Wasan Explained

Zazen Wasan (Japanese: text=坐禅和讃) is a wasan, a type of Buddhist hymn written in Japanese, composed by Hakuin Ekaku, a Rōshi of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism. Zazen Wasan was written in or around the year 1760 (recorded as the 10th year of the Hōreki era),^[1] the topic of which is a praise of the virtues of Zazen, or "seated meditation". The Zazen Wasan also praises the virtues of original enlightenment and seeing one's own nature.^[2] Zazen Wasan is still chanted in Rinzai temples.

Zazen Wasan has been translated into English by several different authors and scholars,^[3] including a translation by D. T. Suzuki in 1935.^[4]

The name Zazen Wasan is most commonly translated into English as "Song of Zazen",^{[5] [6]} although it is sometimes also variously translated as "Hymn of Zazen",^[7] "Hymn in Praise of Zazen",^[8] or "Chant in Praise of Zazen".^[9]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Yoshizawa . Katsuhiro . October 30, 2005 . 坐禅和讃〔解説〕 . Zazen Wasan (Commentary) . August 29, 2022 . International Research Institute for Zen Buddhism . Japanese . いったい、『坐禅和讃』はいつごろ書かれたものであろうか。『禅籍目録』では「宝暦10年」の成立としているが、これは『坐禅和讃』が合冊されている『みかきもり』の成立が宝暦10年なのであって、『坐禅和讃』そのものの成立年次を示すものとはいえない。 . When exactly was Zazen Wasan written? Zenji Mokuroku states that it was completed in 'Horeki 10', but this is because 'Mikakimori', which includes 'Zazen Wasan', was completed in 'Horeki 10', not 'Zazen Wasan' itself. It cannot be said that it indicates the year of establishment. . December 23, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221223023323/http://iriz.hanazono.ac.jp/frame/k_room_f1c_18ex.html . live .
2. Book: Buswell . Robert E. . The Princeton dictionary of Buddhism . Lopez . Donald S. . 2017 . . 978-0-19-068115-9 . . 1003080564.
3. Web site: 白隠慧鶴 Hakuin Ekaku (1686-1769) . August 29, 2022 . Terebess.hu . April 30, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220430044051/https://terebess.hu/zen/mesterek/hakuin.html . live .
4. Web site: Suzuki . Daisetz Teitaro . 1935 . Manual of Zen Buddhism . August 29, 2022 . Buddhanet.net . October 24, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211024215714/https://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/manual_zen.pdf . live .
5. Martin . Rafe . 2010 . Past Lives: Entering the Buddhist Imagination . Storytelling, Self, Society . 6 . 3 . 212–222 . 41949134 . 1550-5340 . . 2022-08-30 . 2022-08-30 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220830000210/https://www.jstor.org/stable/41949134 . live .
6. Aitken . Robert . 1990 . The Dragon Who Never Sleeps: Verses for Zen Buddhist Practice . The Eastern Buddhist . 23 . 1 . 45–55 . 44361874 . 0012-8708 . . 2022-08-30 . 2022-08-30 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220830000212/https://www.jstor.org/stable/44361874 . live .
7. Shin'ichi . Hisamatsu . Gishin . Tokiwa . Ives . Christopher A. . 1987 . On the "Record of Rinzai": PART VII . The Eastern Buddhist . 20 . 1 . 120–135 . 44361807 . 0012-8708 . . 2022-08-30 . 2022-08-30 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220830000210/https://www.jstor.org/stable/44361807 . live .
8. Shin'ichi . Hisamatsu . Gishin . Tokiwa . Ives . Christopher A. . 1984 . On the "Record of Rinzai": PART FIVE . The Eastern Buddhist . 17 . 2 . 75–92 . 44361715 . 0012-8708 . . 2022-08-30 . 2022-08-30 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220830000211/https://www.jstor.org/stable/44361715 . live .
9. Kim . Hee-Jin . February 1989 . Zen: Tradition and Transition. Edited by Kenneth Kraft. New York.: Grove Press, 1988. x, 230 pp . The Journal of Asian Studies . en . 48 . 1 . 119–120 . 10.2307/2057672 . 2057672 . 146478675 . 1752-0401 . . 2022-08-30 . 2022-08-30 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220830000210/https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-asian-studies/article/abs/zen-tradition-and-transition-edited-by-kenneth-kraft-new-york-grove-press-1988-x-230-pp-1695/2CB0B2162C852558BC555F86E1387E9B . live .