(Chin. Ch'an) A major School of Mahayana Buddhism, with several branches. Founded in China as a result of the teaching of Bodhidharma, circa 475 C.E. Found today mostly in Vietnam, Japan and Korea (and of course various centers in the West). One of its most popular techniques is meditation on koans, which leads to the generation of the Great Doubt. According to this method:
The Master gives the student a koan to think about, resolve, and then report Back on to the Master. Concentration intensifies as the student first tries to solve the koan intellectually. This initial effort proves impossible, however, for a koan cannot be solved rationally. Indeed, it is a kind of spoof on the human intellect. Concentration and irrationality -- these two elements constitute the characteristic psychic situation that engulfs the student wrestling with a koan. As this persistent effort to concentrate intellectually becomes unbearable, Anxiety sets in. The entirety of one's consciousness and psychic life is now filled with one thought. The exertion of the search is like wrestling with a deadly Enemy or trying to make one's Way through a Ring of flames. Such assaults on the Fortress of human reason inevitably give rise to a distrust of all rational perception. This gnawing doubt [Great Doubt], combined with a futile search for a Way out, creates a state of extreme and intense yearning for deliverance. The state may persist for days, weeks or even years; eventually the tension has to Break. (Dumoulin, Zen Buddhism, Vol. I, p.253.)
An interesting koan is the koan of Buddha Recitation. Unlike other koans, it works in two ways. First of all, if a cultivator succeeds in his meditation through this koan, he can achieve awakening as with other koans. However, if he does not succeed, and experience shows that many cultivators do not, then the meditation on the Buddha's name helps him to achieve rebirth in the Pure Land. This is so provided he believes (as most practitioners in Asia do) in Amitabha and the expedient Pure Land. Thus, the Buddha Recitation koan provides a safety Net, and demonstrates the underlying unity of Zen and Pure Land.
To dream of soft zephyrs, denotes that you will sacrifice fortune to obtain the object of your affection and will find reciprocal affection in your wooing. If a YoungWoman dreams that she is saddened by the whisperings of the zephyrs, she will have a season of disquietude by the compelled absence of her lover.
Zephyrus is the Greek god of the west Wind, believed to live in a cave on Thrace. He is the Son of Eos and Astraeus, the brother of Boreas, Eurus and Notus. He abducted the goddess Chloris and gave her dominion over flowers. In Roman myth, he is Favonius, the protector of flowers and plants.
After freeing his siblings from their Father (the Titan, Cronus), Zeus and two of his brothers, Hades and Poseidon, drew lots to see who would rule over the Earth. They split the world up three ways: Zeus became ruler of the Earth, Poseidon the Sea, and Hades the underworld. These three may have held sway over the mortal world, but Zeus was ruler even among the Gods themselves.
For all his great wisdom and power, Zeus (like most of the Greek Gods) had his own limitations and weaknesses. Zeus had a soft spot for the ladies, which repeatedly caused trouble between him and his wife Hera. The majority of myths surrounding Zeus involve his numerous lovers, affairs and illegitimate Children. Several other Gods and Goddesses, as Well as mortal heroes were born from Zeus' affairs.
In appearance, Zeus was most often depicted as an older Man, bearded and seated on a throne. Though he ruled over most aspects of mortal life, he was most strongly associated with the sky and the weather (particularly Thunder and lightning). Thunderbolts were Zeus' weapon of choice when it came to punishing the mortals.
One of the main temples to Zeus in ancient Greece was the sanctuary at Dodona (near Epirus, in northwestern Greece). Here, the priests made predictions by listening to the words of Zeus as they heard them in the rustling of the Leaves of a sacred Oak tree.
If you dreamed of a broken Zipper or a stuck Zipper that you couldn't do up, this symbolizes social Embarrassment. But if you dream of a Zipper that zips up easily, you will overcome minor troubles.
If you dream of studying the Zodiac it will denote that you will distinguish yourself in business and popularity. Should the Zodiac read in a odd manner then it denotes some unpleasant event is hovering around you and you Need to be ready to dispel it. Just dreaming of the Zodiac augurs an uncommon rise in material Wealth and position in a short time. If you Map out the Zodiac then you will have good fortune in your Future.
Dreaming about the Zoo usually indicates that you Need to go Back and finish up a recent situation. This often means concluding an argument with a Friend, or sometimes finalizing a Home improvement project. To see wild animals escaping from the Zoo represents setbacks in the course of achieving your goals. If they were caught, your setbacks will be temporary and easily overcome. If the animals were Happy, then dreaming of a Zoo portends travels in distant places. If Children were with you, whatever you want to accomplish in those places will be successful. If the animals were upset or agitated, then your view of the world is a bit jaded right now. You're viewing the world as a crazy, violent place, where no one is Safe - as in the metaphor, "this place is a Zoo."
