Taken from the forum

Because it relates to courses I'm taking and is important to me personally, I have copy-pasted it here.

Misusing the word "Zen" has been a pet peeve of mine for a long time. Zen is a word used to describe a branch of Mahayana Buddhism that began in China (there called Cha'n) and then was brought over to Japan by Eisai, where it took root and developed into three distinct sects. Zen has nothing to do with, and in fact frowns upon, commercialism. Why? Because one of the main truths of all branches of Buddhism is that desire causes suffering, and buying things you want is -definitely- giving in to desire.

That being said, Zen is NOT:
1) A type of cereal. Trademarked. I don't fucking care if it tastes "Zensational." How can you even have "optimum Zen?" Zen is not a QUANTITY or daily value.
2) A scent of candle and/or decoration style.
3) A flavor of tea. (Though it is fantastic, saying that it is an "enlightening blend" is utter BULLSHIT.)
4) A specific shade of gray that a camera can come in.
5) A book that is a blatant rip-off of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
6) A synonym for "relaxing" or "peaceful" or "soothing."

However, here is what it can be:
1) Associated with the Tea Ceremony.
2) Associated with calligraphy and paintings occuring in the Kamakura Period or which follow that style.
3) A type of garden occuring outside a Zen Buddhist Temple, in which you can generally perform walking meditition. (Not this.)

Basically, any of the arts or practices that have grown up around Zen as a religion can be called Zen. None of the items on the not list have any sort of basis in the religion at all beyond some cliched Western view of the principles of Zen. *breathes deeply* And I am done.