The noble truth

Truths

The First Noble Truth: Dukkha
Life is full of suffering/distress.  Dukkha usually is translated as suffering. In life, we have illness, poverty, disease, old age and death. We cannot keep what we like and can not avoid what we do not like. If this is all we know we suffer.

The Second Noble Truth: Samudaya
There is a cause for suffering. The cause of suffering is desire and illusions that are based on ignorance/nescience. Because of ignorance wanting something leads clumsy/ungainly actions, which in turn lead to suffering. Wanting life, wanting death, wanting things, wanting pleasure - all lead to suffering.

The Third Noble Truth: Nirodha
There is a state of mind free from suffering. By stopping the cravings, the suffering is stopped.
The Fourth Noble Truth: Marga
There is a way to end suffering. To end suffering we must end our cravings. The way to ending cravings is the Eightfold Path

Liberation of imprisonment

"awakening" and "understanding"
Someone who is awakened has gained insight into / seen into the workings of the mind which keeps us imprisoned in thirsting, hungering, craving, suffering and rebirth, and has also gained insight into the way that leads to nirvana, the liberation of oneself, the liberation from this imprisonment.

The Buddha describes nirvāṇa as the perfect peace of mind "possessed" by one who is liberated.
 It is not to be distinguished from peaceful moods arising from a temporary absence of anger, sensual desire, anxiety and other afflicting states.

Nirvāṇa is an 'ultimate' peace that is achieved after a lengthy process of mind-body transformation during which the uprooting and final dissolution of the volitional formations, structures within the unconscious mind that form the underlying basis for psychological dispositions takes place.


Zen
A nun asked a Zen patriarch for help in understanding the Mahanirvana Sutra. The master answered that he could not read, but if the nun would read it aloud for him, he would do his best to help her.
The nun then asked, "If you can't even read the words, how can you understand the truth behind them?"
"Truth and words are unrelated. Truth can be compared to the moon," answered The master, pointing to the moon with his finger, "And words can be compared to a finger. I can use my finger to point out the moon, but my finger is not the moon, and you don't need my finger in order to be able to see the moon".

Zen
emphasizes/ stresses/accents the attainment/accomplishment/ acquirement of enlightenment and the personal expression of direct insight in the Buddhist teachings.

As such, it de-emphasizes mere/bare/simple knowledge of sutras and doctrine and favors direct understanding through zazen and interaction with an accomplished/complete/finished teacher.