Zen

Zen is usually regarded as an Eastern philosophy. It is not a philosophy in the proper sense. It was started in China as two schools, the Ts'ao-tung (Soto)and the Lin-chi (Rinzai) In the former the main practice is zazen or meditation. In the latter, both zazen and the koan were equally practiced.

The koan is not something that is figured out. For example one koan states "The sound of one hand clapping." While this may sound paradoxical, it is very simple once the point is grasped.

Zen is not something to be studied. For example one koan goes like this - "Do not mistake the pointing finger for the moon." Thus Zen does not ask that pointing fingers be studied.

If the two koans are used together, then it comes out as do not mistake the pointing finger for the moon, instead study the sound of one hand clapping.

When one becomes proficient at that, then reality presents itself without the conceptual chatter of the mind. [1]