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"The practice of meditation is not a method for the attainment of realization-it is enlightenment itself... Do not desire realization since that thought will keep you confused..." -Dogen (1200-1250)
"Sitting is the way to clarify the ground of experiences and to rest at ease in your Actual Nature..." -Keizan Jokin zenji (1268-1325)
There is increasing interest in meditation in America, primarily for its many benefits, physical, mental health stress reduction, etc.
In the practice of Zen, silent sitting (known as "Zazen") is at the core of the practice. However, Zazen for Zen practitioners is not necessarily for obtaining a specific end in and of itself and not necessarily "meditation" in that it is not directing focus on one object or mantra etc. Rather Zazen is a means to cultivate a 'bare awareness' of just this moment.
Where to do Zazen:
Where to do Zazen:
Regular Zen practitioners typically set aside a corner or some space where they can sit. Typically a room with a door is best to limit interruptions, but whatever space you have available can work. At its heart, as Dogen stated, "Your meditation room should be clean and quiet."
Physical Support Options:
Physical Support Options:
There is a variety of psychical sitting supports - There is no "right" or "wrong" option rather simply your personal preference and or needs. However it is essential that whichever physical support you use, you maintain a firm upright posture.
A Plain Old Chair
A Plain Old Chair
Many beginner and experienced Zen practitioners simply prefer to sit in a regular old chair. For some this is the only option due to physical limitation. For those choosing a chair, a round, firm traditional zafu cushion (See below) placed in the small of the back may offer extra support.
If using a chair, it is recommended to not lean back on the back support to support a focused and upright posture during zazen.
Chairs are available at our regular In-Person Sittings.
Traditional Meditation Cushions ("Zafu & Zabuton")
Traditional Meditation Cushions ("Zafu & Zabuton")
The traditional means of support while doing Zazen are two firm meditation cushions:
Large cushioned Mat "Zabuton"
A large cushion mat or pad placed on the floor to offer cushioning to the knees.
Small Round "Zafu"
A smaller round or crescent shaped cushion placed on top of the Zabuton to all you to sit directly on the edge of, wedging it under your buttocks to offer a stable comfortable base.
Leg Positioning
If you are flexible, you can do a fully leg crossed "Full Lotus" sitting position on the cushions.
Less flexible folks may find the "Half Lotus" more comfortable - where your legs are flat and a foot is tucked under the knee of one leg.
Alternately, you can use a 'seiza' sitting poisition (see below) resting on your knees by flipping the Zafu upright.
Several specialty shops & online vendors sell a wide variety of zafus and zabutons in many different styles, colors, fillings etc.
Several loaner Zafus & Zabutons are available at our regular In-Person Sittings.
Rigid Sitting ("Seiza") Meditation Bench
Rigid Sitting ("Seiza") Meditation Bench
Others prefer the more rigid support of a wooden "Seiza" Meditation Bench.
You will still want some form of blanket of an actual Zabuton to place on the floor under your bench to offer padding to your knees.
You then tuck the bench under your buttocks while kneeling on the cushion and again align yourself to be in an upright posture.
Some prefer adding a Zafu under the butt, to offer padding between you and the Seiza bench.
Seiza benches are sold by a variety of online and offline retailers with different wood, varnishes, padding, folding leg options etc. etc. Some Living Lotus members have made their own benches.
A loaner bench is available at our regular In-person Sittings.
Timers:
Timers:
While there a wide galaxy of additional Zazen meditation accessories available to suit personal preferences (incense, singing bowls etc.), a timer of some kind is recommended. This will free you from your Zazen being distracted by keeping an eye on the time and allow you to maintain your focus.
This can be as simple as an egg timer or an alarm clock. There are also now dedicated meditation timers as well as iOS, Droid & other smartphone apps available for reasonable prices as well.
Simply set the timer for whatever desired sitting length (some typical session lengths are 10, 20 or 30 minutes) and make sure some sort of audible alarm is activated when the time is up. Then make sure your timer is facing away from where you are sitting so you are not "watching the clock."
At our regular In person or Zoom Sittings, a Sangha member will monitor a timer and ring a singing bowl to announce the start (three bell strikes) and end (two or one strikes) of a meditation period.
How to do Zazen:
How to do Zazen:
Advice from 3 Zen Teachers
"Sit on a cushion in a manner as comfortable as possible, wearing loose clothing. Hold your body straight without leaning to the left or the right, forward or backward. Your ears should be in a line with your shoulders, and nose in a straight line with your navel. Keep the tongue at the roof of the mouth and close your lips. Eyes are slightly open, and breathing is quiet through the nostrils.
Before you begin meditation take several slow, deep breaths. Hold your body erect, allowing your breathing to become normal again. Many thoughts will crowd into your mind; ignore them, letting them go... Do not dwell in thoughts of good or bad. Just relax and forget that you are meditating. Do not desire realization since that thought will keep you confused
...When you wish to arise from meditation, move your body slowly and stand up quietly. Practice this meditation in the morning or evening, or at any leisure time during the day. You will soon realize that your mental burdens are dropping away one by one, and that you are gaining an intuitive power hitherto unnoticed."
-Dogen (1200-1250), "Practice of Meditation"
"Each teacher practices his or her own style. Since I am a disciple of Uchiyama Roshi, my own instruction is based on his approach to zazen—neither counting nor watching the breath... Whichever practice one follows, it is important to breathe through the nose deeply, smoothly and quietly as the air goes to the tanden (lower part of abdomen) and rises with one’s exhalation.
What does it mean to concentrate if one doesn’t count or watch the breath? Uchiyama Roshi often compared sitting zazen to driving a car. When we drive, it is dangerous to sleep or to be caught up in thinking. It is also dangerous to concentrate one’s mind on an object like the brake pedal, the gas pedal, or the steering wheel. We concentrate our entire body and mind on the whole process of driving a car.
Our sitting is the same. We don’t set our mind on any particular object, visualization, mantra, or even our breath itself. When we just sit, our mind is nowhere and everywhere. Then we can say that our body and mind is concentrated in just sitting. Sitting mindfully, whenever we deviate from upright posture, deep and smooth breathing, awakening and letting go of thought, we just return to the point."
-Shōhaku Okumura, (1948 -), A Path of Just Sitting: Zazen as the Practice of the Bodhisattva Way in Soto Zen, An introduction to zazen, Sotoshu Shumucho, p. 17
"Zazen is understanding your own nature.... Drop mind, intellect and consciousness, leave memory, thinking, and observing alone. Don't try to fabricate Buddha. Don't be concerned with how well or how poorly you think you are doing...
Arising from stillness, carry out activities without hesitation. This moment is the koan. When practice and realization are without complexity then the koan is this present moment. That which is before any trace arises, the scenery on the other side of time's destruction, the activity of all Buddhas and Awakened Ancestors, is just this one thing."
-Keizan Jokin zenji (1268-1325), "Notes on What to be Aware of in Zazen"
"Just sit zazen, and that’s the end of it.”
-Kodo Sawaki Roshi (1880-1965)
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