Zazen

Zazen (Japanese: 座禅) is the principal posture of the Bouddhisme Zen. This sitted meditation is in the middle of the practice of Zen, it is also the posture which the Bouddha used during its meditations. During zazen, the important thing is to concentrate on the posture in itself, to maintain it possible most correct, and on the Respiration. It thus makes it possible to develop the concentration, to be serene and would make it possible to unify and improve spirit and body. The Japanese word, Shikantaza only means “to sit down”, which characterizes well at the same time all the simplicity and all the difficulty of this practice.

Practical

It is about the central practice of the Zen.

The posture

Sat in the center of a Zafu, the legs are crossed in lotus or half-lotus, even as a tailor, if it is too difficult. The knees “push” the ground. The spinal column must be quite right, which requires a sunken chin and thus a stretched nape of the neck. The left hand is posed on that of right-hand side, the palms to the top, the inches exert a light pressure (" to hold an ant enters the inches without crushing it and leaving it échapper") one on the other and form a straight line. This position of the hands is called will mudra , or “will mudra cosmic”. The hands thus laid out rest on the thighs, resting against the bottom of the belly, where the kikaï tanden is, or will hara , the ocean of energy which we have. The shoulders are slackened. The glance is posed approximately a away meter on the ground without looking at something of precis. The eyes must simply be “posed” on a point, and the glance should not be disturbed.

Breathing

Very old, conscious breathing Zen (called in Sanskrit Anapanasati ) is reached only if the posture is correct. It (R) establishes our natural rate of respiration: calm and powerful, based on a soft and long expiry. One inspires and one expires silently by the nose, by leaving the closed mouth and the language against the palate, without forcing breathing. At the end of the expiry, the inspiration is done naturally. The Masters compare the breath Zen with meuglement of the cow or the expiry of the baby who shouts at once born.

The attitude of the spirit

The goal is to leave the images and the thoughts emerging unconscious to pass it like “clouds in the sky”: without seeking to analyze them nor to be worried some. If this state is maintained, one arrives at the not thought , beyond very thought, true purity of the spirit.

This attitude of spirit rises naturally from a deep concentration on the posture and breathing, allowing the control of the mental activity resulting from the improvement of cerebral circulation.

It is simple and there does not need useless complications with erudite and exotic words. A bowl full with a substance cannot contain another thing any more. An empty bowl is available to receive anything. In fundamental sciences, there is the principle of Heinz von Foerster Order from Noise which illustrates this availability with the event. With simplest, it is the stochastic Processus chance ( Noise ) and need ( Order ).

Of all fine practice, “to think of nothing, let us think of all”, which means “to think of nothing in particular”. Chinese civilization handles what is paradoxical only with the third excluded from Aristote and mathematical logic. “All” is not the opposite of “nothing”. They are quantitative descriptions and cannot be contrary (see Marcel Granet).

Benefits

Out of any religious context (meditation like Satori), zazen seems well to be a beneficial practice.

It was proven that the meditation started, as in a deep sleep, the cerebral waves alpha and theta , which had with the surge of blood in the roadbases of the brain, which is very then well irrigated. Zazen can thus be, like certain monks and laic try to make known it, a good exercise of concentration which brings serenity, calm and wellbeing.

Contexts

Zazen has a certain diversity however.

  • In Zen Soto, zazen is practiced vis-a-vis the side walls of the Zendo, while in Zen Rinzai one practices it vis-a-vis the central alley. To note besides that Zen Rinzai also uses the meditation starting from kōan .

  • the use of the Kyosaku (blow on the shoulder with a light stick) is not systematic.

  • Zazen can be practiced a few hours or a day, and one will speak about Zazenkai. But certain retirements of meditation are the occasion to practice zazen approximately ten hours per day: one speaks about Sesshin S.

In connection with zazen

  • Dogen : “That the bottom of this not-thought is thought. How that? Without thinking. ”
  • Taisen Deshimaru: “Zen, it is zazen”
  • Nagaku: “If you are attached to the shape of base, you do not include/understand his principle”.
  • Shunryu Suzuki : “Practical formal, abstract spirit”.
  • Kosen Thibaut: “The practice of zazen is the secrecy of Zen”.

References

  • Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Spirit, new spirit , ED. threshold, collection “Points Wisdoms”, Paris, 1977.

External bonds

  • Small handbook of meditation Zen
  • Introduction to Buddhism and the principle of Zazen

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