ZAZEN MEDITATION – peace and bliss – short spiritual initiation

Zazen is the heart of zen buddhism’s meditative practices

It is an effective method that we also practice in Abheda Yoga Academy with joy.

Zazen is more than a meditation, it is an attitude towards ourselves and the whole world in which we are.

The literal translation of the term means “sitting meditation“, but the semantic context implies that the Zen practitioner adopts a certain posture, gradually achieves a state of deep calm of mind and body, and thus “invites” into his being the manifestation of enlightening states (toturi).

During a Zazen “meeting”

which usually takes place in a zendo (meditation room), alternating periods of Zazen with those of Kinhin (meditation in motion). The moment of the beginning of the Zazen meditation is traditionally announced by three bell sounds (shijosho), while the end of a meditation stage is announced by a single bell sound (hozensho). Before sitting down or standing up, Zen practitioners perform gassho, a traditional greeting that consists of meeting the palms in the chest area, with the forearms kept horizontally, and bowing the torso as a sign of respect. Gassho is made to one’s own meditation place, then to all the participants and to the godo (the one who leads the Zazen session).

Posture

In Japan, Zazen meditation is practiced by sitting on a pillow called a zafu.

Master Dogen recommends that seated positions only:
Kekkafuza (Lotus) and
Leg (Semi – Lotus),
but today several postures have developed that satisfy the Zazen principles of bodily attitude.
Among these, famous is the Japanese seiza posture (a kneeling position, sitting on a bench or zafu).

It is not uncommon to meditate on a chair in the Zazen position, with the pillow placed on it.

Generally speaking, the practice of Zazen has three aspects:

• concentration,
• introspection (through koan) and
• body posture (shikantaza).

The latter is usually associated with the Soto school, where emphasis was placed on the way the body was placed during meditation, while the koan is mostly the prerogative of the Rinzai school. Today, most Zen schools use all three of these aspects, which complement each other in the practice of meditation.

Concentration

In the initial phases of Zazen practice, concentration is always emphasized.
The practitioner’s attention is constantly directed to the breath, without intervening to modify it in any way, and to the hara (lower abdominal area); Sometimes the disciple is advised to count in order to maintain his concentration. This form of meditation accompanied by counting is called susokukan, and it can have different variations. Through this practice, the disciple gradually develops his power of concentration, joriki.
In some Zen practice centers they insist on repeating a mantra that accompanies the breathing process, instead of counting. In certain spiritual communities (sangha) the practice is continued in this way until the appearance of incipient states of samadhi, or flashes of enlightenment. Only after that the disciple can move on to a higher stage of Zazen practice.

Introspection through Koan

Once he has developed his power of concentration, the disciple will now focus his attention on a koan, as an object of meditation. Koans are short phrases that refer to a rationally insolvent aspect, for example, “what is the noise produced by the clapping of a single palm?”. Thus, the introspection generated by the koan is meant to short-circuit intellectual processes, leading to a direct realization of reality beyond appearances.

Sitting Posture – Shikantaza

This refers to objectless meditation, in which the disciple does not focus his attention on an external or internal object, but uses his ability to concentrate to remain completely aware of all the phenomena that occur in the present moment.

Zazen is a special form of meditation, found only within the practices of Zen Buddhism, and essentially refers to the study of the Self.

Grand Master Dogen said:

“To study the Buddha’s Path you must study yourself; to study yourself, you have to forget about yourself; and to forget oneself is to be enlightened by the ten thousand aspects.”

This metaphor related to the ten thousand aspects refers to the recognition of the unity of the Self with all beings and things around it.

The Zen practice of sitting meditation was transmitted from the first Master, the Buddha himself, who attained enlightenment in this posture. It was then passed down from generation to generation over the course of more than 2,500 years, spreading from India to China, then reaching Japan, other parts of Asia, to finally conquer the West.
The practice of Zazen is very simple, easy to assimilate and follow.

But, like all authentic spiritual practices, it requires perseverance, dedication, and faith to show its fruits.

We tend to think of our body, mind, and breath as separate entities, but they take on a special unity in Zazen, being facets of the same reality. The first aspect we turn our attention to is how we sit down to practice Zazen. The body is a true interface between the outer and inner worlds. The way we position our body conveys something related to our mental processes that are taking place at that moment, and to our breathing. Over the years, the most effective Zazen posture has been considered one in which the body embodies a pyramidal structure.
We sit on the floor, on top of a zafu (Zen pillow), which allows us to raise the seat so that the outer part of the knees touches the ground. Thus, the three support points (the seat on the pillow and the knees on the ground) form the base of a triangular pyramid, which provides maximum stability in all directions in which we would bend our torso.

The top of the pyramid is given by the top of the head

There are several leg positions, which allow the knees to be placed on the ground (essentially, this is the Zen requirement that must be adhered to). The first and simplest position is the cross-legged position, with the calves on the ground. Even if some people experience certain muscle stiffness, which prevents them from placing their knees on the ground, a persevering practice will allow them to remove this inconvenience in a short time. It is enough to sit on the front third of the zafu, to allow the coccigeal area to rise from the ground enough for the knees to touch the ground. Also, in this position the lumbar region will be naturally pushed forward, which will maintain the physiological curvature of the spine, ensuring its normal verticality.

It is important to imagine how the crown of the head the sky – and for this, we will retract the chin, slightly lengthening the cervical region of the spine. The body thus finds its normal position, both at the level of the spine as a whole, and through the muscle relaxation given by a correct posture. Thus, the body can maintain this shape for a relatively long time.

Another position is the semi-lotus, in which the left leg is placed above the right thigh, while the right leg is folded underneath. It is a slightly asymmetrical position, and sometimes the upper part of the body has to compensate somehow, to keep the structure perfectly straight.

The most stable and symmetrical posture is by far the lotus. The paw of each leg is placed on the thigh of the other leg. No special esoteric significance is attributed to the adoption of one or the other of the positions. The most important aspect here is the correlation between body and mind, which allows the mind to be calmed down with the adoption of a correct and relaxed body posture.

There is also the seiza posture, which does not necessarily require a cushion under the seat. The seiza can be adopted by sitting on your knees, with the buttocks positioned above the soles, which form a sui-generis anatomical cushion. Or you can resort to a regular pillow so as not to leave all the weight of the body on the calves. Finally, you can also use a seiza bench, which completely removes the weight from the legs, and also keeps the column vertical.

Finally, it is also very good if we sit on a chair, with the soles of the feet firmly placed on the ground and with the spine straight, respecting the physiological curves. We can use the pillow – zafu, in the same way as if we were sitting on the floor – we place it on our chair, then we position ourselves on top, pushing the lumbar area forward. The most important element of the practice is to observe the correct position of the spine, but in order to have good results in the practice of Zazen meditation, it is very important to meet the other requirements: the position of the chin, hands, head, etc.

When the back is straight, the diaphragm moves freely. Thus, breathing can become very deep, and mainly abdominal. In fact, as the body matures, breathing becomes more and more restricted and shallow. We tend to breathe with the upper third of the lungs, which is proven by the slight lifting of the shoulders when we inhale. In addition, garments that are too tight on the body, or even belts and belts, prevent us from maintaining deep, abdominal breathing, as it was in childhood.

In Zazen it is important to give up any tightness in the waist area

and in general, avoid wearing clothing that could hinder blood circulation or breathing. This, once the diaphragm area is released, will naturally become deeper and deeper. We will not control breathing, we will only notice it. Simply adopting the right posture and body attitudes will lead to the reinstatement of beneficial, healthy breathing.

Once seated, we will check certain elements:

The mouth will be closed, but we will leave a small space between the teeth, the tongue resting gently with the tip at the base of the upper teeth – this position of the tongue will reduce both salivation and the need to swallow. Unless we are faced with a nasal blockage, we will only breathe through the nose. The eyes are kept semi-open, with the gaze facing down, at about 1 – 1.5 m. The almost total closure of the eyelids will remove the need to blink too often. The chin will be slightly retracted, so that the fine muscles of the face are still as relaxed as possible. There should be no tensions in the body. Normally, the tip of the nose should be on the same vertical as the navel, and the upper part of the torso should not be bent forward or backward.

The hands are placed in a mudra – a gesture specific to Zazen. This is the so-called cosmic mudra. Both hands are palms up, with the left palm being above the right palm. The big fingers of the two hands touch each other at the ends, which end up in the extension of each other. The fingers will not make “neither valley nor hill”, that is, we will not orient them either to the top or to the bottom, but we will ensure that they configure a horizontal line. Thus, the thumbs and palms will form a “cosmic egg”, a perfect ovoid shape.

The hands will be supported either on the inguinal region of the thighs or on the heels of the feet placed in the lotus (as the case may be).

The cosmic mudra is meant to draw the practitioner’s attention to the interior of his being.

There are many different ways to focus attention

One can resort to complex images called mandala-e, which are sometimes used as external elements that favor concentration. Or, one can appeal to mantras or syllables spoken vowelically or mentally. You can also resort to mudras, or gestures. Zazen prefers to focus on breathing.

Our breath is synchronous with life

It is not a mere accident that the term “spirit” means “breath” or breath, nor that the terms “ki” in Japanese, or the Chinese word “chi” refer to energy, both of which derive from “breath.” The breath is the vital force of the being. Its dynamics are synchronous with the dynamics of the mind: if the breath is jerky, fast, the mind will also be agitated. A nervous person will always breathe briefly and with interruptions. On the contrary, when the breath becomes calmer, deeper, the mind calms down effortlessly, allowing you to experience deeper and deeper states of meditation.

The meditator’s attention will be directed to the hara, an area about two fingers below the navel

It is considered to be, according to the Zen tradition, the center of our being. As the mind calms down, we will become more and more aware of the mysterious energetic dynamics of hara.

Once fully seated in the pose, we will alternately swing our torso according to the directions of the thighs, in arcs of a circle with decreasing amplitude, until we settle in our center of gravity. The mind is lowered to the level of the hara, the hands sketch the cosmic mudra, the mouth is closed, with the tongue slightly pressed against the base of the upper teeth. Breathing is performed through the nose. We focus on observing the breath, without intervening on it. We perceive how the air, charged with ki, energy, descends into the hara, vitalizes all the viscera, then returns to the outside, closing the respiratory cycle.

If the mind begins to “bum”

We gently bring it back to the object of our concentration – the breath. Periodically, we will be careful to observe the observance of the elements of body posture, because over time, some deviations may occur – the spine no longer retains its shape, the knees may rise slightly from the ground, the thumbs of the hands may descend, making a “valley”, etc. We contemplate our thoughts without accompanying them in their wandering, as if we were following, with detachment and reconciliation, the clouds that pass through the blue sky. We don’t get attached to thoughts, we don’t retain them, nor do we hinder them.

As the practice progresses, the attention will become sharper, smoother, and more comprehensive

The practitioner will begin to notice subtle aspects that previously eluded his attention. Once the internal dialogue generated by the agitation of the mind calms down, the opening of the being to the mysterious and profound reality of its essence gradually occurs.

Sometimes certain residual thoughts or obsessive ideas will tend to come back, recurrently. This happens especially during periods when we are very busy, intensely involved in aspects of external life, or when we are going through a period of emotional crisis. We chase away thoughts, and they come back obstinately.

Sometimes this process is even necessary! All we can do is become as aware as possible of the dynamics of thoughts, without following them, without getting attached to them. The mere observation of them, detached from the object of observation, will deplete their energy.

Our attention will naturally return to our breathing. Zazen is not a weapon of struggle against thoughts, but above all a wonderful way to calm the agitated surface of the mind, full of the waves of thoughts, bringing it to the size of the perfect mirror of the surface of a completely quiet lake.

In a deep Zazen state, tangent to the enlightening states (samadhi, in Hindu terminology, or satori, in Japanese), we open ourselves to true life. The meditator’s breath reaches the rhythm of 2-3 breaths per minute up to one breath every three minutes or more than three minutes.

All organic rhythms are slowed down – heartbeat, blood circulation, metabolism. The body itself reaches a point of tranquility, of deep balance, in which the dominant brain rhythms are theta and delta, corresponding to states of deep sleep, with or without dreams. Only this time, in the case of meditation, the consciousness is perfectly lucid, able to penetrate the vast mysterious reality of the Divine World.

Patience and perseverance are essential keys in achieving enlightening states, including through the practice of Zazen. We have nothing to gain, nothing to lose. We just sink inside our being, and we are free .

An article by psych. Aida Surubaru