Definition

1. Noun:

   • Zen: A school of Mahayana Buddhism that emphasizes meditation, intuition, and personal experience to achieve enlightenment, originating in China (as Chán) and later developing in Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.
   • Buddhism (general): In a broader, traditional Vietnamese context, "thiền" can refer to Buddhism or Buddhist practices as a whole.

2. Verb:

   • To practice Zen meditation: The act of engaging in seated meditation (zazen) to calm the mind and gain insight.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Anh ấy nghiên cứu về thiền. (He studies Zen.)
  • Cô ấy tìm thấy sự bình yên trong cửa thiền. (She found peace in the Buddhist pagoda / the gate of Zen.)

• Verb:

  • Mỗi sáng, ông ấy thiền trong vườn. (Every morning, he meditates in the garden.)

Advanced Usage

• "Thiền định": Zen meditation; the state of deep concentration.

  • Thiền định giúp tĩnh tâm. (Zen meditation helps to calm the mind.)

• "Thiền sư": A Zen master.

  • Vị thiền sư ấy rất nổi tiếng. (That Zen master is very famous.)

• "Đạo thiền": The Way of Zen; Buddhism.

  • Ông ấy theo đạo thiền. (He follows the Way of Zen / Buddhism.)

Variants and Related Words

• Thiền học (n): Zen studies; the study of Zen Buddhism.
• Thiền viện (n): A Zen monastery or meditation center.
• Tọa thiền (v): To sit in Zen meditation.
• Thiền tông (n): The Zen sect (Zen Buddhism).

Synonyms

• Zen Buddhism: The specific Buddhist school.
• Meditation: The core practice.
• Buddhism: In the general, traditional sense.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Cửa thiền": Literally "the gate of Zen"; refers to a Buddhist temple, pagoda, or the Buddhist community.

  • Anh ấy đã bước vào cửa thiền. (He entered the Buddhist monastic life / the temple.)

• "Lòng thiền": A mind settled in meditation; a calm, peaceful state of mind.

  • Giữ cho mình một lòng thiền. (Maintain a meditative, peaceful mind.)

noun

1. (như) Phật dhyana, ch'an, zen