Zazen Wasan (Japanese: 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.[2]

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]

References

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  1. ^ Yoshizawa, Katsuhiro (October 30, 2005). "坐禅和讃〔解説〕" [Zazen Wasan (Commentary)]. International Research Institute for Zen Buddhism (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 23, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2022. 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.]
  2. ^ a b Buswell, Robert E.; Lopez, Donald S. (2017). The Princeton dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-068115-9. OCLC 1003080564.
  3. ^ "白隠慧鶴 Hakuin Ekaku (1686-1769)". Terebess.hu. Archived from the original on April 30, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  4. ^ Suzuki, Daisetz Teitaro (1935). "Manual of Zen Buddhism" (PDF). Buddhanet.net. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  5. ^ Martin, Rafe (2010). "Past Lives: Entering the Buddhist Imagination". Storytelling, Self, Society. 6 (3): 212–222. ISSN 1550-5340. JSTOR 41949134. Archived from the original on 2022-08-30. Retrieved 2022-08-30 – via JSTOR.
  6. ^ Aitken, Robert (1990). "The Dragon Who Never Sleeps: Verses for Zen Buddhist Practice". The Eastern Buddhist. 23 (1): 45–55. ISSN 0012-8708. JSTOR 44361874. Archived from the original on 2022-08-30. Retrieved 2022-08-30 – via JSTOR.
  7. ^ Shin'ichi, Hisamatsu; Gishin, Tokiwa; Ives, Christopher A. (1987). "On the "Record of Rinzai": PART VII". The Eastern Buddhist. 20 (1): 120–135. ISSN 0012-8708. JSTOR 44361807. Archived from the original on 2022-08-30. Retrieved 2022-08-30 – via JSTOR.
  8. ^ Shin'ichi, Hisamatsu; Gishin, Tokiwa; Ives, Christopher A. (1984). "On the "Record of Rinzai": PART FIVE". The Eastern Buddhist. 17 (2): 75–92. ISSN 0012-8708. JSTOR 44361715. Archived from the original on 2022-08-30. Retrieved 2022-08-30 – via JSTOR.
  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. 48 (1): 119–120. doi:10.2307/2057672. ISSN 1752-0401. JSTOR 2057672. S2CID 146478675. Archived from the original on 2022-08-30. Retrieved 2022-08-30 – via JSTOR.