What is meditation and is it necessary for enlightenment ?

It is to drop out all confusion of thoughts. It is important to get out of the pain of our own illusion . What is enlightment ?

I don't know.

Then meditation is necessary.

Is Zen enlightenment different from that of other paths ?

Realization of the truth is enlightenment . truth can't be different for buddhists , hindus , christians , or others . For me all the sadhanas (Yogi practices) are the same if they are practiced for the realisation of god .

What is Samadhi ?

An extremely dispassionate state of mind is called samadhi. The mind doesn't accept any thoughts or ideas of present , past , or future . In that stage the mind totally disappears and is replaced by a superconsciousness , God.

After the first samadhi one sees the illusory nature of objects . Even in meditation you can begin to feel it. In samadhi the world is different. You see an object but you see it differently.

As soon as attachment to thoughts is given up , samadhi is attained. by reinforcing each other , thoughts , senses , and mind smother the whole world. But when one is stopped , the other two stop by themselves ." ** Silence Speaks ** - From the Chalkboard of Baba Hari Dass -