Zen:

Zen is a school of Mahayana Bud­dhism. The word Zen is from the Japan­ese pro­nun­ci­a­tion of the Chi­nese word Chán, which in turn is derived from the San­skrit word dhyana, which can be approx­i­mately trans­lated as “med­i­ta­tion” or “med­i­ta­tive state.“
Zen empha­sizes expe­ri­en­tial wis­dom in the attain­ment of enlight­en­ment. As such, it de-emphasizes the­o­ret­i­cal knowl­edge in favor of direct self-realization through med­i­ta­tion and dharma practice.

Med­i­ta­tion in Zen is called Zazen. Zen Mas­ter Med­i­tat­ing with Mudra

In study­ing Zen, we start with prac­tice and although much of Zen is con­cerned with philo­soph­i­cal prob­lem solv­ing and those of the mind, Zen never sep­a­rates from the per­sonal prac­tice which is car­ried out through both the Body and The Mind.

It is com­mon in many Zen tra­di­tions today for Zen teach­ers to have a stick with them dur­ing for­mal cer­e­monies which is a sym­bol of author­ity and which can be also used to strike on the table dur­ing a talk. The now defunct Fuke Zen sect was also well known for prac­tic­ing suizen, musi­cal med­i­ta­tion with the shakuhachi flute, which some Zen Bud­dhists today also practice.

The Zen­hal­ing Z-STICKs rest­ing in their own Med­i­ta­tive State.

Often we take up Zen to search for the mean­ing of life or nature of our exis­tence but the lessons are learned through our daily prac­tice, one moment at a time. Through con­sis­tent Prac­tice and Train­ing. Prac­tice. More train­ing. More prac­tice. Patience and seri­ous­ness should be observed in your approach to train­ing. Just as the con­sis­tent flow of water can carve sand­stone, con­sis­tent flow of con­cen­tra­tion and prac­tice can carve your path to excellence.

Monk in Med­i­ta­tive practice.