Zen
Word — gematria and numerology meaning
| Cipher | Value |
|---|---|
| Ordinal (A=1, B=2…) | 45 |
| Reverse Ordinal (Z=1, Y=2…) | 36 |
| Reduction | 18 |
| Pythagorean | 18 |
| Chaldean | 17 |
Zen carries an ordinal value of 45, reducing to Nine, a number tied to completion and compassion. Its forward and reverse ordinal values sit close together at 45 and 36, because its letters are spread fairly evenly across the alphabet. The Chaldean system gives 17, which reduces to Eight and so reads differently from the standard total.
"Zen" is the Japanese form of the Chinese Chan, which in turn comes from the Sanskrit dhyāna, "meditation." It is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that stresses seated meditation and direct experience, and it reached Japan in the 12th and 13th centuries.
In practice. The two main schools in Japan differ in method: Rinzai uses koan riddles such as "what is the sound of one hand clapping," while Sōtō favours shikantaza, "just sitting." The word is used in English for anything calm and simple, which departs from the demanding discipline behind it.
How Zen adds up
In the ordinal cipher each letter takes its position in the alphabet. Zen is spelled Z-E-N, which gives 26 + 5 + 14 = 45. Reducing the total to a single digit (4+5=9) gives 9.
| Letter | Ordinal value |
|---|---|
| Z | 26 |
| E | 5 |
| N | 14 |
| Total | 45 |
Other entries with an ordinal value of 45
These dictionary entries add up to the same ordinal total, a coincidence gematria students often explore:
More word entries
FaithHopeKarmaZealYogaDreamAngelBalance
Want the value of a different word or name? Use the gematria calculator, which covers eleven ciphers, or compare with the numerology calculator.
← Back to the full dictionary