a Zen teacher minus the 'Zen' and minus the 'teacher,'" emphasizing the importance of meditative inquiry without practicing Buddhism. Though stripped of rituals, Packer still found the practice of zazen to be useful.
Removing the "Zen" and "teacher" from a Zen practice emphasizes the core value of meditative inquiry, even without adhering to Buddhist rituals.  Packer still found zazen beneficial despite its stripped-down form.