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The Rinzai Zen monastery represents the Japanese style of teaching that focuses great attention on both ritual formalism and mystical insight while placing little emphasis on rational teaching. Monastic leaders teach the formal contemplation of mystical paradoxes, and students are not expected to inquire about the methods or the meaning behind the method. They are simply instructed to use ritualistic means to solve their assigned paradox, which is called a koan. The result of this ritualistic process is a mystical insight that leads to greater consciousness. The tandem use of these two seemingly disparate teaching methods is itself seen as a paradox by Western educators.

A growing number of spiritual teachers are bitraditional, teaching both Christian contemplation and Zen Buddhism. Zen Buddhism is valued by many teachers of Christian contemplation for its specific methods of training, including koan practice and sitting meditation. However, a teacher working in two different traditions should respect each one and avoid syncretism by presenting each tradition from its own perspective.