''Zazen Wasan'' ( ja, text=坐禅和讃) is a '' wasan'', a type of Buddhist hymn written in Japanese, composed by

Hakuin Ekaku was one of the most influential figures in Japanese Zen Buddhism. He is regarded as the reviver of the Rinzai school from a moribund period of stagnation, focusing on rigorous training methods integrating meditation and koan practice. Biog ...

, a

Rōshi ( Japanese: "old teacher"; "old master") is a title in Zen Buddhism with different usages depending on sect and country. In Rinzai Zen, the term is reserved only for individuals who have received ''inka shōmei'', meaning they have completed ...

of the Rinzai school of

Zen Buddhism Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), an ...

. ''Zazen Wasan'' was written in or around the year 1760 (recorded as the 10th year of the ''

Hōreki , also known as Horyaku, was a after '' Kan'en'' and before ''Meiwa''. The period spanned the years from October 1751 through June 1764. The reigning emperor and empress were and .Titsingh, Isaac. (1834 ''Annales des empereurs du japon'', p. 41 ...

'' era), the topic of which is a praise of the virtues of

Zazen ''Zazen'' (literally " seated meditation"; ja, 座禅; , pronounced ) is a meditative discipline that is typically the primary practice of the Zen Buddhist tradition. However, the term is a general one not unique to Zen, and thus technicall ...

, or "seated meditation". The ''Zazen Wasan'' also praises the virtues of original enlightenment and seeing one's own nature. ''Zazen Wasan'' is still chanted in Rinzai temples. ''Zazen Wasan'' has been translated into English by several different authors and scholars, including a translation by

D. T. Suzuki , self-rendered in 1894 as "Daisetz", was a Japanese-American Buddhist monk, essayist, philosopher, religious scholar, translator, and writer. He was a scholar and author of books and essays on Buddhism, Zen and Shin that were instrumental in s ...

in 1935. The name ''Zazen Wasan'' is most commonly translated into English as "Song of Zazen", although it is sometimes also variously translated as "Hymn of Zazen", "Hymn in Praise of Zazen", or "Chant in Praise of Zazen".

References

{{reflist Buddhist poetry