dhyana
In Hinduism and Buddhism, the Sanskrit term dhyana refers to the practice of meditation through careful control of the mind. Written over two thousand years ago, the Bhagavad Gita describes dhyana as one of the four paths to liberation. It takes on a special importance in Buddhism since the Buddha himself reached enlightenment by meditating. The schools of Buddhism have developed the concept extensively and variously, complete with techniques for meditative training and the sequences of an adept's expected progress. When the word traveled with the spread of Buddhism to China it became "Chan", and in Japan, "Zen."