At times, westerners may not be able to shake off their intellectual and dualist thinking thus making it difficult for them to practice Zen Buddhism. This is something everyone must take note of at the very outset.

Followers of Zen Buddhism do not pay much attention to scriptures. Instead, they have devised many different ways to practice this particular form of Buddhism. Zen considers direct communication between master and pupil to be the best way to impart knowledge. Every attempt is made to lead the pupil away from his rational and intellectual faculties thus making him aware of his own Buddha-nature. At times, even mild physical violence is used to achieve this end.

Zen followers try to achieve enlightenment through the very way they live. Approaching truth through mental actions is given precedence over intellectual endeavors. Some try to achieve sudden moments of enlightenment while some decide to follow a gradual process.

Japanese Zen uses three different ways to achieve enlightenment:

Meditation: Advocated by the Soto School

Meditation with the use of a koan: Advocated by the Rinzai School

Mindfulness: practiced by all schools

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