Etymology From Zen. In more general use, popularized by Eugen Herrigel's 1948 Zen in the Art of Archery and Robert M. Pirsig's 1974 Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
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Lifestyle, Religion Synonym of enlightenment, particularly the kind acquired through Zen meditation.
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An approach to instruction, understanding, or an activity similarly emphasizing simplicity and intuition rather than conventional thinking or fixation on goals.
the zen of cooking
the zen of passing the bar exam
1 more example
the zen of C++
zen
adj
Etymology From Zen. In more general use, popularized by Eugen Herrigel's 1948 Zen in the Art of Archery and Robert M. Pirsig's 1974 Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
1
Lifestyle, Religion Alternative letter-case form of Zen: of or related to Zen Buddhism, particularly its focus on indirect teaching of wisdom through riddles and stories.
Greggs: You hung over? Just sayin', you look like shit. Moreland: You know what you need at a crime scene? Greggs: Rubber glove? Moreland: Soft eyes. Greggs: Like I'm s'posed to cry an' shit? Moreland: You got soft eyes, you can see the whole thing. You got hard eyes? You starin' at the same tree, missin' the forest. Greggs: Ah. Zen shit. Moreland: Soft eyes, grasshopper.2006 Oct. 1, Dennis Lehane, "Refugees", The Wire, 00:37:10
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Colloquial Wise, displaying enlightenment or similar wisdom, insightful, unburdened and free of worries, extremely relaxed and capable.
Zen
adj
/zɛn/
Etymology From Japanese 禅(ぜん) (zen), from Middle Chinese 禪 (MC dzyen), an abbreviation of 禪那 (MC dzyen na), from Sanskrit ध्यान (dhyāna, “a type of meditation”). Doublet of dhyana and Chan.
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Lifestyle, Religion Of or related to Zen Buddhism.
"It sounds very Zen," I said. "A log cabin with no logs."2010, Martin Avery et al., Zen Forest:
Part of him is still so much the newbie, amazed to find this place of sand and sun stuck onto the ass end of the greatest city in the world, but the rest of him has relaxed into acceptance already. He's Zen like that.2020, N. K. Jemisin, The City We Became, Orbit, page 431: