Zazen is at the heart of Zen practice. Historically, Buddhism itself originated in the zazen of Shakyamuni Buddha sitting and realizing the nature of reality under the bodhi tree. But the strong emphasis placed on meditation in Zen really dates back to Bodhidharma, who was reputed to have sat nine years facing the wall in single-minded effort. All of the Zen lineages that are traced to Bodhidharma maintain zazen as their primary focus and the basis of training.

Of course, there are other forms of Buddhism. There are schools that place emphasis on the study and comprehension of the sutras; others dedicate themselves to repeating the name of a buddha. There are forms of Buddhism that focus on liturgy or elaborate esoteric visualizations. In Zen, the emphasis is on zazen.

Zazen is not meditation, contemplation, visualization or mindfulness. It is not to be found in the mudra, chakra, mantra or koan. Neither in its stillness nor its functioning; neither in its seated nor its active form can zazen be said to be meditation. Zazen is not single-pointedness of mind, no mind, aware mind, or transcendental mind. It is not revealed in words or letters, and is only transmitted one-to-one, from buddha to buddha. Master Dogen said:

Cease from the practice of intellectual understanding, pursuing words and following after speech, and learn the backwards step that turns your light inward to illuminate yourself. Body and mind of themselves will drop away and your original face will be manifested. If you want to attain suchness, you should practice suchness without delay. Cease all movements of the conscious mind, the gauging of all thoughts and views. Have no design on becoming a buddha. Zazen has nothing whatsoever to do with sitting or lying down. The zazen that I speak of is not learning meditation. It is simply the Dharma gate of repose and bliss – the practice-realization of total accumulated enlightenment. It is the manifestation of ultimate reality.

It is zazen that unites all of the sanghas of the Buddhist practitioners throughout the world. Zazen is not only the basis of our practice and the process through which we realize ourselves, but realization itself. Zazen is enlightenment.

Excerpted from Cave of Tigers: Modern Zen Encounters, by John Daido Loori, Roshi

How Zazen is Practiced:

MEDITATION PERIODS

Zazen (Sitting Meditation): Each period of zazen begins with three strikes on a bell and lasts a predetermined number of minutes, e.g., twenty-five, ending with two bell sounds. Once the period has begun, do not move until the bell is struck by the time-keeper to end the period. During these periods stay with your practice, do zazen; don’t look around, worry about the time, adjust your posture, or think. This is time you have committed to zazen—nothing else. Please, do not waste it.

Kinhin (Walking Meditation): This is the first opportunity to take the concentration and attention of zazen into movement. Keep performing your practice throughout the kinhin period. Kinhin is not a “break” but a vital part of the training in the zendo (meditation hall). When the meditation period ends, “gassho” — hands together, palm to palm, then get up slowly so that the circulation in your legs normalizes. Bow to your seat and turn to face the center of the zendo. Stand in front of your seat, hands in gassho. Be mindful of all your movements. When the wooden clappers are hit, bow, and turn to your right. When the clappers are hit again, put your hands at your waist in “shasshu” — left hand in a fist with thumb tucked in, right land encircling the left hand. Begin walking very slowly, half a step forward with each cycle of the breath. Eyes are kept lowered and concentration is maintained. When the clappers are hit again, bow slightly from the waist, then begin to walk at a moderate pace, staying right behind the person walking in front of you. As you pass by the zendo exit during this fast walking period, you may leave to use the bathrooms. Bow to the altar upon exiting from and returning to the zendo. Return promptly to your place in line; kinhin lasts approximately five minutes. When the clappers sound again, place your hands back in gassho and continue walking until you reach your seat. Gassho to your seat and turn to face the center of the zendo. At the sound of the bell, bow, and then resume sitting.

POSTURE FOR ZAZEN

Good posture and breathing are very important to the process of zazen. Posture should express the vigor and the attentiveness of your practice—sit straight; don’t slump or allow yourself to sway with drowsiness. Breathing should be slow, smooth, quiet, and completely natural—not contrived. Relax your muscles and concentrate your mind, putting yourself entirely into your practice. It is essential to remain perfectly still for the period of meditation. When the body moves, the mind moves. The point of zazen is to experience the stillness of the mind.

ZAZEN CHECKLIST

The following checklist will help you to learn to arrange yourself in a good posture for sitting zazen. Assuming a comfortable, stable body position that you can maintain for the duration of a sitting period will form a sound basis for your practice. Your stillness is a gift to those who have joined you.

1. Sit on the forward third of your zafu (round pillow), using the cushion as a wedge. This will help relieve some strain on your back and allow you to sit with your torso centered. It will also put some pressure in your hara, the lower abdomen.
2. Except when sitting in a chair, arrange your legs to make your body into a pyramid, with both knees and buttocks in contact with the floor. Full lotus, half lotus, Burmese, and seiza (kneeling) positions are all equally acceptable. When sitting in a chair, use your back rather than the chair’s back to support yourself. Sit far enough forward so you can place both of your feet flat on the floor.
3. Center your spine by swaying side-to-side in decreasing arcs.
4. Straighten and align your spine by extending it and pushing the top of your head toward the ceiling while tucking your chin in a little, then relaxing your weight. The origin of the thrust is at the small of the back, with buttocks protruding slightly back and the lower belly forward. Your back should be erect but not rigid or tense.
5. Your head should rest squarely on your spine and should not tilt forward, backward, or to either side. Ears should be parallel with the shoulders. The tip of the nose is centered over the navel. Your spine, not your neck muscles, should be doing all of the work of supporting your head.
6. Sit with your eyes neither fully opened nor fully closed, but lowered at a 45-degree angle, and unfocused, “gazing” at the floor three to four feet in front of you. If you are sitting right next to the wall, look “through” it to where the floor would be.
7. Lips are kept closed, with your teeth pressed lightly together. Place your tongue against the roof of the mouth, just behind the front teeth. Swallow any saliva and breathe out once through your mouth, creating a slight vacuum which will inhibit salivation. Begin breathing through your nose.
8. Hands are placed in the “cosmic” mudra—if right handed, the right hand is palm up with its blade against your lower belly, left hand, also palm up, is resting on the right hand, middle knuckles overlapping and the thumbs lightly touching at the tips. If you are left handed, then let the right hand rest on top of the left. The mudra should look like an oval nestled against your abdomen.
9. Keep absolutely still throughout the period of zazen.