Before I elaborate on “What is Zen Meditation?”, I think its pertinent to explain its origins and its relationship to Buddhism. What is Buddhism? Buddhism can be considered a philosophy, discipline of the mind, a religion and/or a way of life. The Buddhist path is a personal experience of achieving deep and long-lasting happiness by gaining wisdom and a mind free of negative emotions. Meditation is a means of accomplishing this (Venerable Thubten Lhundrup, 2004). Who founded Buddhism? Approximately 2,500 years ago, Siddhartha Gautama was born in the foothills of Nepal. At the age of 29, Siddhartha took up the life of an ascetic. After training in meditation for six…