ABOUT ZAZEN:

Daily Practice

Posture

Breathing

Attitude of Mind

Kinhin

Daily Practice:

Zazen is the most fundamental activity of a Zen practitioner. Zazen is what we do. The preferred way of sitting is with a teacher and other members of the Sangha, for zazen is something that is done not only for one's own sake but for the benefit of all beings. When zazen is done with others our interdependency is evident, we help and support their practice and they help and support ours. It is particularly encouraging for a newcomer to sit with others who are dedicated and have practiced for a long time. When daily zazen in a temple or dojo is not available, a serious practitioner must create a way of sitting at home. Such a practice must be individually created out of the circumstances of each person's own life. If you are just getting started, the following guidelines for a home practice are offered:

• Sit daily, or almost daily. "Daily sitting" does not necessarily mean literally sitting every day and never having a break. In most temples and monasteries there is usually one day per week without zazen. What is important is that you sit regularly, continue to sit over time, and that you come to make zazen a routine part of you life, something that you "just do". Developing the kind of self-discipline required for this kind of practice is difficult, but absolutely necessary and can only be done by doing it, and doing it over and over, often without a whole lot of immediate rewards. It helps immensely to have a group to sit with and sitting with a Sangha, even if it's only once a week, can greatly help you develop the discipline necessary to sit at home.
• Set up a permanent place in your home to sit, a spot dedicated to zazen. It need not be an entire room; a zafu and a wall are all you really need. The quiet corner of a study or bedroom is fine. It's good for your zafu to always be out, ready and available. A little altar, or at least a Buddha statue and incense bowl, is good, but not essential. It should be a pleasant place, neither too cold nor hot, light nor dark.
• Set up a sitting schedule that you will actually follow, and follow it. You shouldn't find yourself lying in bed every morning debating whether or not to sit. Just get up and do zazen. When setting up a practice schedule, some people have a tendency to make a schedule that is more demanding than what they will really do, and this can easily lead to discouragement and a sense of failure. It is far better to schedule 15 minutes a day four days a week and do it fully than to schedule an hour a day for seven days a week and do it intermittently. So sit and sit regularly, even if it's only once a week. Some people start slow and build up; some people jump right in. Do what you will do. There is room for a good bit of leeway in one's own home practice; after all, it is your practice. A reasonable norm would be sitting 20-40 minutes 5 or 6 times a week, including weekly zazen with the Sangha. Sitting early in the morning is probably the most common, and it's a good way to start the day, but sit at a time that works for you. Some people sit twice a day, morning and evening and that's good too.

The mechanics of how to do zazen are presented below. Newcomers are instructed in this during an orientation prior to their first zazen period. Classically, zazen is described as having three components: posture, breathing, and attitude of mind.

Posture:

"Posture" refers to the physical form of our body while we are sitting. This posture is very ancient and sitting postures similar to the one described here are common in many of the spiritual traditions that have their roots in India. There is evidence that some form of seated meditation was practiced there as early as 2000 BCE, long before the Buddha's time. According to Zen tradition, the Buddha was sitting in the posture of zazen when he attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, so the physical posture, in and of itself, is revered as the physical manifestation of enlightenment. In the Deshimaru tradition careful attention to the precise details of the posture is emphasized. In Zen sitting we practice as much with our body as with our mind.

Practically, sitting in this physical posture allows one to sit still for long periods of time with a combined sense of relaxation and alertness, although it may take some time for the body to stretch out, strengthen and adjust. The body is placed in a most efficient relationship to gravity, with the head being balanced on top of the spinal column. The shoulders can relax and hang down naturally. A loosening, stretching, and eventual relaxation of the abdomen is facilitated. The muscles of the back, necessary for keeping the body upright and the mind alert, are strengthened.

To sit in the correct posture, one should have a zafu, a traditional, round cushion stuffed with kapok. Begin by sitting solidly on the zafu, facing toward a wall, about four feet away from it. Establish a good, three-pointed base with your two knees pressing the floor and your buttocks on the zafu. You will have to experiment with the height of your zafu in order to get a sense of being properly balanced. Zafu height can be increase by turning the zafu on edge or by placing additional cushions or blankets under the zafu.

The preferred leg position is one of the cross-legged lotus positions. In the full lotus, the right foot rests on the top of the left thigh and the left foot rests on the top of the right thigh (either leg may be on top). In the half-lotus, the right foot rests on the left thigh while the left foot is underneath the right thigh (or vice-versa). In the quarter-lotus, the foot rests on the opposite calf. It is important to be able to have both knees firmly on the floor and to be high enough on the zafu so that you have a good arch in the lower back. An alternative to the cross-legged postures is the seiza, in which the feet are pulled behind you, alongside the zafu, shins resting on the floor. In the seiza the knees should be about shoulder width apart and the toes should touch, or at least point toward each other, behind the zafu. For the seiza the zafu should be turned on edge.

The pelvis is tilted forward so that the abdomen falls down naturally. There should be no obstruction of the abdomen, such as a tight belt. The spinal column is arched in the lower lumbar region, and then held erect, stretching out the backbone. The head should balance on the top of the spinal column, having a sense of pressing up, against the sky. The upper chest should be lifted so you have a sense of openness in the chest, but it should not be puffed out in an exaggerated way. Allow everything to hang from the spinal column. Relax the shoulders; relax the abdomen; relax the face.

The face is parallel to the wall, perpendicular to the floor. The nape of the neck is stretched. The mouth is closed, but the jaw and lips are not tight. Rest the tip of the tongue on the palette, just at the top of the front teeth. The eyes remain open, or half-closed, with the gaze directed downward at a 45 degree angle. The eyes should be still, but not focused on anything.

The lower forearms rest on the upper thighs with the palms of the hands facing up (sometimes it may be necessary to rest the hands on a small cushion or towel). There should be no effort or tension involved in holding up the hands and lower forearms. The fingers of the left hand rest on the fingers of the right hand. The thumbs cross over, their tips just touching. The thumbs should be parallel to the fingers, neither dropping down nor pushing up. It's like you are holding a large egg in your palms, surrounding it with your thumbs. The edges of the little fingers and the hands should make contact with the lower abdomen, just below the navel. The posture contains elements of both tension and relaxation. The backbone carries enough tension to keep the body erect, alert, and in proper alignment with gravity. Within that alertness, allow the body to relax, particularly the face, shoulders, and abdomen.

Once you settle into the correct posture, concentrate on that posture and on your breathing, returning your concentration to your posture and breath when your mind wanders. You should not move for the entire zazen period, except for slight movements as necessary to correct your posture. If you must move you should do gassho before and after you move. At the dojo one period of zazen usually lasts 30 minutes, 40 during a sesshin. You may experience some physical discomfort, even pain, depending on your age and flexibility.

Pain is something every Zen practitioner has to deal with and working with one's physically experience of pain is an important part of practice. Learning to simply be with one's pain, to accept it for what it is, to let it be there, to relax the body and experience it are great teachings. This kind of pain is a physical manifestation of dukkha, here and now. As one Zen teacher said, "Where can you go to avoid pain?" That being said, zazen should not be excruciating, and sometimes pain is an indication that we are pushing ourselves too far and need to stop. Exactly where that point is can only be determined by each person. You certainly should not push yourself to the point of tissue damage.

There are also situations where someone may not physically be able to sit zazen in the manner described above due to injury, illness, age, or some congenital condition. When this is the case the teacher can work with a student to modify the sitting posture so the person can still engage in practice.

Breathing:

Breathing is the place where the mind meets the body, the place where the conscious and unconscious minds meet. It is a place of deep interdependency and exchange between "us" and "the universe". Focusing on the continuous repetition of breathing in and out has long been practiced in many types of meditation, not just in Zen.

In zazen, both the inhalation and exhalation are through the nose. The mouth remains closed. The breath should have a sense of going down into and coming out from inside the lower abdomen a few inches below the navel, an area known in Japanese as the hara. Proper Zen breathing is said to be abdominal, deep, rhythmic, relaxed, and natural. However, it certainly may not be or feel that way at the beginning of one's practice. Rather than to try to force your body into breathing in some pre-determined "natural" or "right" way it is better, at least initially, just to become acquainted with the sensations you feel in your body as you breathe. Get to know your body by paying attention to the way you are breathing, without trying to change anything. Concentrate on the internal physical sensations in your chest and abdomen as the breath moves in and out. Relax any tensions associated with the breath and gently nudge your body toward breathing more deeply and fully, but don't force it. Becoming more and more intimate with your breath is a life-long process, a continuous koan.

Regarding breathing, Deshimaru said: "Control your breathing. But in fact to control your breathing does not mean to control your breathing. Breathing controls itself. Breathing is subjective. Breathing is not done by oneself; it is not done by the consciousness, nor by the ego. Breathing is done unconsciously by the body. It can be said that our breathing, during zazen, is the action of nature, of the cosmos. So the reason for this breathing is its rhythm. It is the rhythm of the fundamental cosmic power."

Attitude of Mind:

The question of what we should be doing with our mind during zazen (or any type of meditation for that matter) is answered differently in different traditions and by different teachers. There are two general approaches within Buddhism; in this Zen tradition they are referred to as concentration and observation. Individuals often prefer one over the other but they are best viewed as complementary practices. The commonality between the two is paying attention; in fact, a succinct instruction is, "Shut up, sit down, and pay attention!" The difference is in what one pays attention to.

When practicing concentration, focus your attention on something predetermined--in the case of this tradition, the posture and the breath--and return your attention there whenever you become aware that your mind has wandered. You do this over and over and over. Concentration practice has an element of will in it: you are directing your mind, your attention. When practicing observation, attention is paid to whatever is presently occurring in the body/mind, including physical sensations, internalized words, images, feelings, desires--whatever is actually happening. Through observation you can become intimate with your own body/mind, discover what it actually does, how it actually works, and what it actually is.

As stated earlier, these practices are not incompatible. Most people discover that their mind is capable of doing more than one thing at a time, so it is usually not so difficult to pay attention to the breath and at the same time be aware that all sorts of other phenomena are going on: sensations, thoughts, fantasies, feelings, etc. In fact when they first begin to sit, most people report the mind being something of a jumble, a condition classically described as "monkey mind" for its hyperkinetic activity. In part, especially in the beginning of practice, zazen is about the calming of this hyperactive mind. Some people find that concentration is a great aid in doing this; for others simply watching the monkey jump around and letting him calm down on his own is more effective. Most people use a combination of both.

Some teachers emphasize concentration practice as a way of facilitating samadhi, a condition usually described as a state of "non-dual consciousness", and given considerable importance in some traditions. In the Deshimaru tradition this is called hishiryo, a word that translates as "non-thinking" or "beyond thinking". Livingston-Roshi has called it "the unconscious of Zen". Terms like samadhi and hishiryo are problematic to talk about for they, as non-dual "experiences", cannot be accurately described in dualistic language, and all language is of necessity dualistic. They are phenomena to be experienced rather than concepts to be grasped intellectually and accurately described verbally. They, like satori, kensho, or some other kind of special experience, are also problematic in that having an intention to seek, run after, try to have, hold on to, or repeat such "special" experiences can become just another form of craving, and craving lies at the root of suffering. In this tradition such deep states of consciousness, as well as sudden flashes of profound insight, may be experienced, but they are not sought, nor are they held on to should they occur. Like all phenomena, states of consciousness come and go, and our practice is more about waking up to their coming and going (which is the same as our coming and going) than it is about trying to have or hold on to any particular experience, profound as it might be.

As stated earlier, Dogen said that shikantaza, just-sitting, was the proper attitude of mind for a Zen practitioner during zazen. In shikantaza, we "just sit" wholeheartedly in the posture of zazen, paying mindful attention to whatever is occurring, letting it come and go. If that is monkey mind, we let that be there; if it's a profound state of samadhi, we let that be there. We just continue to sit wholeheartedly in the posture of zazen. Deshimaru talked about this attitude of being one of mushotoku, an attitude of "non-profit". We are not trying to gain anything personally from zazen. Kodo Sawaki famously said that, "Zazen is good for nothing."

No description of zazen can do it justice. You will never be able to know what zazen is simply by reading about it. That can only become known by doing it repeatedly, by actually putting your butt on the zafu and facing the wall.

Kinhin:

Kinhin is "walking zazen", a 10 minute period of very slow walking that comes between two periods of zazen. It is also something of a transition between the stillness of the zazen and the activity of waking life. The attitude of mind during kinhin is the same as in zazen, one of concentration, observation, and mushotoku. Kinhin also serves the practical function of allowing us to break our sitting posture, move about and stretch our legs during periods of extended practice. A kinhin period begins when the gong is struck twice. Upon hearing the gong, do gassho, then stretch your back by bending first over the right knee and then over the left, 3 or 4 times. Get up, gassho to the zafu, turn to the right, gassho again and begin kinhin.

You should be very careful and attentive when you get up after sitting in zazen. It is not uncommon for the feet to fall asleep and to be light-headed when you first stand. Take it slowly, using the wall for support if needed.

In kinhin the posture of the back, neck, and head is the same as in zazen, except there is less of an arch in the lower back. The position of the hands is different. You make a fist with the left hand, enclosing the thumb. Cup the right hand over the left fist, so that the palm of the right hand makes good contact with the knuckles of the left fist. Place the hands at the level of the solar plexus, palms down, thumbs in contact with the chest, just below the sternum. The forearms should be parallel to the floor. Allow everything to hang off the erect backbone--relax the face, relax the shoulders, relax the lower abdomen.

In kinhin your steps are coordinated with your breathing. Begin with the toes of your right foot about four inches in front of the toes of your left foot, about 12-14 inches apart, so that you have a good balance. As you exhale (through the nose), press down on the ball of the forward foot and pull your knee back, so that you get a good stretch in the knee and the ankle. The rear foot should be flat on the floor but should not bear much weight. When you inhale, take a half step forward, so that your left foot is now about four inches in front of the right. Continue to walk in this manner very slowly around the dojo, harmonizing with the other practitioners.

Kinhin ends when the gong is struck. At that time everyone places their hands over their lower abdomen, bows, and then quickly returns, by continuing to walk forward, to their zafu. When you reach your zafu, bow toward the zafu, turn and bow toward the centerline of the dojo, and resume your zazen posture.