Turn Zen notes into an editable mind map with AI
Upload a PDF, DOCX, slides, or photos of your reading. Get a Zen mind map with branches for practices, terms, and schools that you can rearrange and explore.
How a Zen mind map helps you study
Studying Zen can feel like a pile of unfamiliar terms, from zazen and koans to the Rinzai and Soto schools. A Zen mind map turns that pile into a visual structure where each practice sits next to the ideas it connects to. DeckOwl reads your lecture slides or reading notes and builds that map for you.
- Shows how terms like satori, kensho, and zazen relate to one another
- Keeps your course's own vocabulary and teacher names from your uploads
- Lets you expand one branch at a time for focused review
- Pairs well with flashcards when you want to drill specific terms
Built from your own material
Upload a PDF, DOCX, PPTX, plain text, or a photo of a page. Text recognition reads handwritten-free printed pages, so your course readings become the map.
Editable branches
Rename, move, or add sub-points as your understanding of Zen grows. The map stays yours to change.
Explore at your own pace
Expand and collapse branches to test recall on zazen, koans, and sangha before you check the details.
How it works
Upload your notes
Add a PDF, Word file, slide deck, text notes, or a photo of your Zen reading.
Generate the map
DeckOwl pulls out the main concepts and arranges them into branches with sub-points.
Edit and explore
Reshape the map, then click through branches to check what you remember.
Because the branches are editable, you can reorganize them as your course moves from basic practice into texts and history. Exploring the map lets you quiz yourself on one branch at a time, which is often easier than rereading a whole chapter.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the main branches of a Zen study map?
Many Zen courses organize material around zazen, koan practice, satori, sangha, and the Rinzai and Soto schools. Break each branch into the terms, teachers, and texts your course uses.
How do Rinzai and Soto Zen differ?
Rinzai practice centers on koan study, where a teacher checks a student's responses. Soto practice emphasizes shikantaza, or just sitting, without a fixed problem to solve.
Can I export my Zen mind map?
Exports are a paid feature. The free plan lets you explore and study in the browser, and Plus adds PDF, DOCX, Anki, and CSV exports.
Is there a free plan?
Yes. The free plan includes 3 generations per month and studying in the browser. No credit card is needed to start.
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