Japanese Zen expressions of this selfless existence. Zen emphasizes zazen, meditation c.q. dhyana in astting position. In Soto, the emphasis is on shikantaza, 'just sitting', while Rinzai also uses koans to train the mind. In alternation with zazen, there is walking meditation, "kinhin", in which one walks with full attention. To facilitate insight, a Zen teacher can assign a kōan. This is a short anecdote, which seems irrational, but contains subtle references to the Buddhist teachings. An example of a kōan is Joshu's 'Mu': "A monk asked: "Does a dog have buddha-nature?" Joshu responded: "Mu!"" Zen-meditation aims at "non-thinking," in Japanese "fu
Pure Land Buddhism Pure Land Buddhism is considered to be both monastic and lay. Pure Land practice never became a sect of Buddhism separate from general Mahāyāna practice. In particular, Pure Land and Zen practice are often seen as being mutually compatible, and no strong distinctions are made. Chinese Buddhists have traditionally viewed the practice of meditation and the practice of reciting Amitābha Buddha's name, as complementary and even analogous methods for achieving enlightenment. This is because they view recitation as a meditation method used to concentrate the mind and purify thoughts. Chinese Buddhists widely consider this form of recitation as a very