self-styled Zen; dabbling in Zen; sciolism
Refers to shallow, self-proclaimed Zen practice or knowledge, often contrasted with genuine understanding. The term carries a negative connotation of superficiality. Compare 野狐禅 (やこぜん), which also denotes false or misguided Zen.
See also: 野狐禅
His talk about Zen is, after all, nothing more than self-styled Zen.
To avoid falling into dabbling in Zen, train properly under a teacher.
Compound of 生 (なま, 'raw, unrefined') and 禅 (ぜん, 'Zen'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term likely arose in Zen circles to criticize superficial understanding.