Meditation with poems and koan is a way of studying Zen through zazen. The great poems and koan of the Zen tradition are not simply texts to be studied. They are words born of practice that invite us to look directly at our mind and our life.
In this course, we will alternate meditation workshops on koan with workshops devoted to the great poems of Zen, such as Sengcan’s Xinxinming and Dongshan’s Hōkyō Zanmai. During zazen, we will listen to the words of the ancient masters and allow them to penetrate beyond discursive thought.
The meditation sessions are led by Zen teacher Nansen Salas and can be attended in person at the Zen Kannon Meditation Centre in Barcelona or online.
Meditating with the Words of Zen
In Zen, words cannot replace direct experience. Nevertheless, a verse, an image or a question can interrupt our habitual way of thinking and open us to a deeper understanding.
Koan and Zen poems use different forms of language, but they arise from the same experience: the practice of zazen and the realisation of non-duality.
It is not merely a matter of interpreting the texts intellectually, but of listening to them through the body and the silence of meditation. When a phrase accompanies us during zazen, it can become a mirror that allows us to see our attachments, judgements and contradictions.
Meditation with Zen Koan
A koan is a case, dialogue, question or expression transmitted by Zen masters. It often takes a paradoxical form because it does not seek a purely logical answer.
Koan such as “Mu”, “The Bright Pearl” and “Baizhang’s Fox” bring us face to face with the limits of dualistic thinking. The aim is not to find a clever answer, but to allow the koan to question our certainties and transform our way of seeing.
Meditation with koans helps us let go of automatic responses and come into contact with a more direct understanding of reality.
Meditation with Zen Poems
The great poems of the tradition condense the teachings of Zen into verses, metaphors and images that we can listen to again and again.
The Xinxinming, or Poem of Faith in Mind, invites us to stop being trapped between what we desire and what we reject. The Hōkyō Zanmai, or Samadhi of the Precious Mirror, expresses the intimate relationship between unity and diversity, form and reflection, the human being and Buddha-nature.
During zazen, the verses cease to be abstract ideas. They can resonate in our posture, our breathing and our experience of the present moment. In this way, the poem becomes a living practice.
How Is Each Workshop Structured?
Each workshop lasts two hours and alternates periods of zazen—seated meditation—with kinhin—walking meditation.
During zazen, Zen teacher Lluís Nansen Salas offers an oral teaching, or kusen, based on the poem or koan featured in the workshop. We listen to the text from a place of stillness, without trying to reach an immediate conclusion.
The teaching, silence, posture and breathing are all part of a single meditation experience.
What Can We Discover in This Course?
Meditation with poems and koan enables us to deepen and strengthen our practice of zazen while drawing inspiration from some of the essential texts of the Zen Buddhist tradition.
Each workshop is complete in itself, but the course as a whole offers a progressive journey through different expressions of Zen wisdom.
Who Is It For?
The course is open both to people who are beginning to meditate and to experienced practitioners who wish to deepen their understanding of the Dharma and their practice of zazen.
No previous study of the poems or koans is required. The most important thing is to take part with an open attitude and a willingness to listen.
If you are not yet familiar with the zazen posture, we recommend attending a free introduction to Zen meditation beforehand.
About the Teacher
Lluís Nansen Salas is a Zen teacher and the founder of the Zen Kannon Meditation Centre in Barcelona. He is the author of the book Meditació Zen. L’art de simplement ser and leads courses, workshops and retreats devoted to the practice of zazen and the study of Zen Buddhist teachings.
ractical Information for Meditation with Poems and Koan
Schedule: Saturdays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Duration: two hours per workshop
Format: in person and online via Zoom
Location: Zen Kannon Meditation Centre, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 665, Barcelona
What to bring: comfortable clothing is recommended. If you take part online, please make sure you have a quiet space where you will not be interrupted.
Complete course of seven workshops: €150
Individual workshop: €30
Active Zen Kannon members: free of charge
Horari: dissabtes de 17.00 a 19.00
Durada: dues hores per taller
Modalitat: presencial i en línia per Zoom
Lloc: Centre de Meditació Zen Kannon, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 665, Barcelona
Materials: es recomana portar roba còmoda. Si participes en línia, procura disposar d’un zafu, i un espai tranquil i sense interrupcions.
Curs complet de set tallers: 150 €
Taller individual: 30 €
Socis actius de Zen Kannon: gratuït
Schedule of Zen Poem and Koan Meditation Workshops
Saturday, 10 October 2026: Xinxinming poem.
Saturday, 14 November 2026: Hōkyō Zanmai poem.
Saturday, 16 January 2027: Mu koan.
Saturday, 20 February 2027: The Bright Pearl koan.
Saturday, 17 April 2027: Zazenshin koan and poem.
Saturday, 15 May 2027: Baizhang and the Fox koan.
Saturday, 12 June 2027: Genjōkōan prose text.
Book Your Meditation Course or Workshop on Zen Poems and Koan
You can enrol in the complete course or attend individual workshops. Each session offers a different gateway for deepening your zazen and discovering how the words of the ancient masters can illuminate our practice and our lives today. Register now to reserve your place.
