The Hakuin Zenji Zazen Wasan, often rendered as the “Song of Zazen” or “Praise of Zazen,” is a short didactic hymn composed by Hakuin Ekaku that extols seated meditation as the direct gate to awakening. It presents, in concise and accessible language, the core Mahayana and Zen insight that all beings are originally Buddhas and that enlightenment is not something to be acquired from outside, but the recognition of an already-present Buddha-nature. The text praises zazen as the means by which delusion is cut off, karmic obstacles are cleared, and the originally pure mind is revealed. In this way it unites doctrinal themes—such as emptiness, non-duality, and universal Buddhahood—with a very practical exhortation to engage wholeheartedly in meditation and ethical conduct.

Within the Rinzai tradition, this wasan functions both as a liturgical piece and as a compact doctrinal summary. It is regularly chanted in temples and meditation halls, often in close connection with zazen practice, serving to focus the mind and to keep the central themes of the path continually before practitioners. At the same time, it operates as an introductory teaching text, presenting Hakuin’s understanding of faith, practice, and realization in a form that can be readily absorbed by monks and laypeople alike. By affirming that practice and enlightenment are intimately linked, and that awakening is immediately possible through sincere zazen, it inspires diligence while reducing dependence on external authority.

The role of this hymn in the revival of Rinzai Zen associated with Hakuin lies in how it embodies and transmits his reforming emphasis on vigorous meditation, clear kenshō, and ongoing post-awakening training. Because it is both recited in daily services and used as a teaching tool, it has become one of the primary vehicles through which later generations encounter Hakuin’s vision of Zen. In encapsulating the assurance of inherent Buddhahood together with the call to sustained practice, the Hakuin Zenji Zazen Wasan stands as a central, living expression of Rinzai Zen’s understanding of the path and its fruition.