Zazen is often distinguished by its radical simplicity, especially in the form known as *shikantaza*, or “just sitting.” Rather than aiming at a particular state such as relaxation, bliss, or even clearly defined “insight,” the sitting itself is regarded as complete, not a means to some later attainment. This gives the practice a distinctive non‑goal orientation: practice and enlightenment are understood as inseparable, so that genuine sitting is already the expression of Buddha‑nature. In this sense, zazen does not seek to produce something new, but to allow reality “as it is” to reveal itself without interference or embellishment.

A second hallmark is the centrality of posture. While many contemplative traditions acknowledge posture as supportive, zazen treats the way of sitting as the meditation itself. The upright, stable position—often in full or half lotus, with the hands in the cosmic mudra and the spine aligned—is not merely a physical aid but an embodiment of alert, present awareness. Body and mind are regarded as a single, unified reality, so that the physical form of sitting and the quality of mind cannot be separated.

Zazen also adopts a distinctive relationship to thoughts and mental contents. Rather than suppressing, analyzing, or replacing thoughts with a mantra or visualization, the practitioner allows thoughts, feelings, and sensations to arise and pass without engagement or resistance. This is sometimes described as “thinking non‑thinking”: thoughts are not treated as enemies, nor as material to be worked on, but as transient phenomena within a wider, open awareness. In many forms of zazen, there is no fixed object of concentration; attention is panoramic rather than narrowly focused, resting in simple presence rather than on a chosen mental target.

Certain stylistic features further mark zazen as unique among meditative disciplines. The eyes are typically kept slightly open and cast downward, supporting wakefulness and preventing the drift into dreamlike absorption that can accompany closed‑eye practices. The same attitude cultivated on the cushion—non‑grasping, non‑manipulative awareness—is then carried into walking, eating, working, and all daily activities. In this way, seated meditation is not isolated as a special experience but becomes the core from which a life of continuous, unobtrusive mindfulness unfolds.