dhya·na \dēˈänə, ˈdyä-\noun (-s) Etymology: Sanskrit dhyāna, from dhyāti he thinks — more at semantics 1.Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism: meditation; especially: an uninterrupted state of mental concentration upon a single object : higher contemplation 2.usually capitalized: a Mahayana school of Buddhism relying on meditation as a method of enlightenment — compare ch'an