Zazen | The Meditation of Doing Nothing
If you would like to learn about Zen mediation then I have also created the Zazen Compilation ALBUM (The Complete Zen Collection to understanding Zen, Zazen and Kinhin, including guided meditations), click the above button.
Our minds are in a permanent state of action, always racing around erratically, constantly begging you to stimulate it, to think something, to do something, despite all our attempts to truly center ourselves, to meditate and to be content with zero activity.
But consider for a moment. When you're truly engrossed in something, when your truly involved deeply in the worlds doings, can you grasp the nature of self by looking at a world of doings? By jumping from one doing to the next doing?
The reason we are currently unable to realize peace and contentment is because such inter peace can only be realized through not-doing. In other words, you can't know this inner peace through struggle, or by meddling with whatever is happening right now because you yourself are a part of this momentum.
Hello and welcome to the Ancient wisdom modern mind podcast and today I would like to talk about the not-doing of Zazen.
And before we start I would like to take a moment to remind you to subscribe to this channel, so go ahead and click on the subscribe button.
Zazen is a very simple yet precise method of meditation where the correct breathing and posture are a fundamental part of the Zazen practice, and while the mind may wander off into thoughts of the past and speculations concerning the future, the body is always right here, right now.
Consider the following scenario: You agree to the challenge of locking yourself in a room for a week. You can't go out since you don't have access to the internet or any other means of connection with the rest of the world. It's only you, all alone.
There is no television, smartphone, or other forms of entertainment. You only have your own company and enough food to last the week. So, how do you think you would fare in such a situation? I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that most individuals will quickly start to dread such a situation. Some people may become completely despondent. Others overcome by emotions of loneliness, anxiety, or boredom, and while some may find ways to occupy themselves, even these brief distractions will inevitably end, forcing you to at last face the gloomy emptiness of self.
When you're finally faced with this unavoidable silence, there won't be much to divert your attention away from yourself. There's no getting away from whatever mental baggage the self is carrying. And perhaps for the first time in your life, you will uncover one of humanity's greatest psychological flaws that is shockingly rarely discussed or even acknowledged.
And what we discover in these empty moments is that our minds are in a permanent state of action, always racing like a monkey on steroids, constantly begging you to stimulate it, to think something, to do something, despite all our attempts to truly center yourselves, to be content in the silence of not-doing.
Under normal conditions, we have a proclivity to place blame on others for our misery. However, in our seclusion, it becomes clear that the problem is founded in ourselves. All of the anxiety in our life stems from us. But why this imbalance, this psychological discomfort. Why is this restlessness even present when we are deprived of all our toys?
The cause of our psychological distress, according to Buddha, is our ignorance of our true nature. And we will continue to cause suffering in our own lives and in the lives of others, unless we comprehend who we truly are.
This ignorance is developed and maintained in our daily lives through persistent self-avoidance, this constant running away from ourselves. Consider that for a moment. We feel compelled to replace any emptiness or gap in our life with something, whether it's a new TV show, a new automobile, a smartphone, a new book, or a new activity. A new business, a pet, or even a new partner are all possibilities. But why the haste? Why can't we all simply be happy?
If you look closely, most of us live our lives as a perpetual escape from ourselves. So, why the avoidance? What are we hiding from? Could it be that the very thing we are longing for, is exactly what we're avoiding?
“When confusion ceases, clarity arises. When clarity arises, wisdom appears. When wisdom appears, reality displays itself,” This Zen saying says it all.
Once upon a time, a man saw a monk sitting quietly under a tree. Curious as to what this old monk was doing, he asked him, “Hey, old man. I’ve been watching you for hours. Please tell me. What is it that you’re doing sitting so calmly and motionlessly?”
"Nothing," the monk said, gently smiling. "I was just sitting." Zen Buddhists call this profound practice Shikantaza or Zazen, which involves simply sitting and doing nothing. And Zazen is at the core of Buddha's teachings, and although it originated in China just eight centuries ago, it could be considered the noblest way of practicing the Buddha’s teachings.
After seeing the nature of reality and being enlightened, Buddha passed on his knowledge through what are called the Four Noble Truths about life.
So, let's have a look at these noble truths.
The first noble truth was that all life is suffering. The second was that suffering has a cause which is desire. The third noble truth was suffering can end when desires end. The fourth was that the solution to ending suffering was to attain enlightenment.
While this may appear to some like a road map to enlightenment, Buddha's teachings are riddled with contradictions and twists. Let's use the second noble truth as an example. That is, there is a reason for your pain.
The Buddha taught that desire is the root of all suffering. But allow me to assist you in seeing the conundrum at hand. If desire is the source of your sorrow, you could assume, "Oh, then I'll just quit seeking and my misery will end."
But, as it turns out, the desire to quit desiring is also a desire. So, yes, you're suffering, and yes, life is a misery, just as Buddha predicted. But you cannot end suffering by simply saying I will end it now. And equally you cannot achieve liberation from suffering by attempting to replace it with something else.
As a result, we find ourselves in a trap or cycle. And if we just let go and say, "OK." What's the point if I can't do anything about it? Then there isn't much to Buddha's teachings. And I may as well continue living my life in the same manner as before."
But we all know that sitting in front of the TV and watching that blue screen flicker will not make us happy. Clearly, something other than this must be done. But, as already stated, there is nothing we can do to help us break free from this suffering. So, what are your options?
So in the second noble truth. Buddha presents us with the conundrum that even the desire to end suffering crates suffering, and it's worth nothing that Buddha believed there was nothing that could be done to end suffering. So instead the Buddha presented the solution in the fourth noble truth, where he offers the path to enlightenment as a way to break this cycle.
Then he goes on and on about morality, mindfulness, concentration, and other such topics. The thing is, that after achieving enlightenment, Buddha discovered that the truth he was seeking was never really hidden. It was always present, always in the background.
But trying to find something that is always present, on the other hand, is like looking for your glasses when you already have them on. You’re never going to find them anywhere else.
However, because people couldn’t understand that the simplicity of what they were looking for was always ever present, Buddha taught the path of the Four Noble Truths. However there is a reason that this path is called the "pathless path": because this path is nothing more than an illusion.
"All right," Buddha answered if people cannot see that they were already wearing the spectacles they were so eagerly looking for. Then it’s best to let people Go and find them with all their might. They’ll give up the hunt one day after tiring of their suffering, only to discover the spectacles were on their face all the time".
It’s the same as following a Guru in an attempt discover yourself, then failing miserably. What have you gained? Only a better understanding of someone else’s doings.
So you see, in order to somehow attain this liberation from all our suffering, nothing really needs to be done and yet something needs to be done.
In the words of Zen master Dōgen, “Although the truth is abundantly inherent in each person, it is not manifested without practice.” This paradoxical nature of self then is directly expressed in Zazen, which is clearly a doing, but equally a practice of doing nothing at all.
This is why Zazen is also known as just sitting, doing nothing. But is the practice of true reality. For master Dōgen, all of enlightenment is fully expressed in this dynamic practice of Zazen. Zazen is founded on the idea that whatever truth we seek via meditation is already there in this Nowness. Nothing is hidden or concealed.
The reason we are currently unable to realize this truth right now, this because it can only be realized through non-seeking. In other words, you can't know this truth through struggle, or by meddling with whatever is happening right now because you yourself are a part of this motion, this force.
Consider for a moment. When you're a part of reality as it is happening now, how can you grasp this reality only by looking in the mirror of self?
If such an insight is to be achieved, the entire spectrum of what is engaged in must be rejected, because whatever is genuine is clearly compromised both by the self and its mirror gazing, its beliefs and its culture. So, in Zazen, you simply allow reality to flow without forming any conclusions, without drawing boundaries between internal and external, self and other.
In Zazen whatever emotion, thought or sound wants to come, we let it come. Whatever emotion, thought or sound wants to stay, we let it stay and whatever emotion, thought or sound wants to leave, we let it leave.
When we cease looking into the mirror and instead allow reality to express itself in its unhandled and untouched state. Whatever is true about us and about life is gradually revealed via this complete non-interference, eventually curing us of all our illusions.
In the words of Zen Master Taisen Deshimaru, “Leave the water to sit quietly and soon the dirt will sink down”.
Having talked about the philosophy behind the practice of Zazen, now let’s see how to practice Zazen.
Instructions For Practicing Zazen
Zazen is a very simple yet precise method of seated meditation in which the correct breathing and posture are a fundamental part of the Zazen practice, and while the mind may wander off into thoughts of the past and speculations about the future, the body is always right here, right now. As a result, Zazen begins with the body in an upright and alert position.
In Zazen you’re not trying to cause the body any pain, so if your posture is uncomfortable even at the beginning of the practice, it will become much more painful over time, causing you to stop the practice. The important thing is to have a posture that involves a straight spine that is comfortable at the same time since you will be sitting motionlessly and for a long periods.
The first step is to take a seat and adjust your posture. This is undoubtedly the most underappreciated component of the practice that should not be missed. Traditionally, only the full or half lotus positions have been used. However, you can also practice Zazen in the traditional kneeling posture, "Seiza" or if you lack flexibility, you can practice Zazen in a chair with a wedge or cushion to create an incline, or by placing a wedge behind the lower back to help retain the natural curve of the spine.
The duration is the second step. Every day, practice for at least 10 to 15 minutes. The most crucial factor is consistency. With experience, you can extend the duration of the session.
The third step is to practice. When teaching Zazen, Zen monks usually go on and on about postures and the proper type of cushion, and when they get to the part where they're meant to talk about the practice, they just say, "Just sit, That's is all."
The thing is that Zazen is not really about anything. You're not attempting to accomplish anything, such as focus on an object, be attentive, being mindful or even becoming enlightened.
You're not attempting to alter the current situation in any way. You're not attempting to alleviate sadness or promote peace. Zazen is a subtle action that involves allowing everything to be entirely at rest, exactly as it is.
So, once you’re seated in the proper position, don't try to do anything. Just take a break from doing, from trying to achieve something or get somewhere when you enter Zazen.
Naturally, thoughts will arise. Emotions are bound to surface. Everything, however, is welcome in this space. Any sentiments or thoughts, good or negative, pleasant or unpleasant, comfortable or uncomfortable, are allowed.
Whatever thoughts that emerge are fine. We are allowing the mind to express itself completely without any hesitation or hindrance. If you don't like some feeling or thought that has appeared, that is also totally acceptable. In fact, at any point when you feel that you're unable to let go of an emotion, the feeling should be given total space to exist without interference.
Know that you yourself are a part of reality. So your own entanglement of thoughts and feelings is allowed to be just as it is. When the need to do anything, to change anything is completely dropped and absolutely everything from the subtlest to the grossest is given complete space to be exactly as it is, our true nature gradually reveals itself. In this way, without having to move a hair, the truth emerges from the observation of not-doing.
By doing we form options, but these options are only our self-refection, since we only see our doings and seeing is believing, right!
All right. So this is how you practice Zazen. Now there are some important things about this practice that you need to understand. The first is that Zazen is one of the most advanced forms of meditation. If done correctly, it leads directly to enlightenment. So if you are just looking to reduce stress or to focus better, this is not the way to go. You will be better off practicing a concentration or a guide imagery meditation, which I have talked about in other podcasts.
Zazen, as it is meant to be understood, is not about self-improvement. Self-improvement implies that there’s something wrong with you right now, which you want to change or overcome.
In Zazen, everything is accepted as it is. Everything is perfect. Zazen is not really about going anywhere. It is a dynamic process of being present in the moment. As a result, Zazen cannot be practiced for any reason or expectation. Any such anticipation will merely get in the way of practicing correctly.
The second point I want to make is that Zazen isn't always rainbows and sunshine. It will not always feel wonderful to sit in Zazen. Most of us have been running away from ourselves for far too long to realize who we are or who we will become.
When you sit in Zazen the mind will try to distract you, and you will be tempted to interrupt your meditation for any number of reasons, rationales, likes or dislikes. But don't get drawn in and allow these distractions, feelings, thoughts or even physical distractions to pull you into their reality.
Zazen is a truth unveiling itself. Let these truths come to the surface and dissolve naturally. This is just you letting go of all the superficiality that you’ve been carrying around for years.
The third thing I want to mention is that you will not likely get it right in the first few sittings. But keep on practicing every day. By being consistent in your practice you will create change and within a few months or so, you will understand how insanely powerful and simple the act of just sitting really is.
And if you want a more detailed lesson on HOW TO DO ZAZEN MEDITATION POSTURE AND BREATHING then I also have a fully detailed audio, simply follow the Links in the description.
All right. So this podcast was all about Zazen and its principles. So I hope that I have hit the mark in explaining to you what Zazen really is and how it works and I know that some of you will have some questions.
So feel free to drop your comment in the comment section and I will try to answer them, and don’t feel shy to share your thoughts in the comments as I would really appreciate it, and thank you for listening to the Ancient Wisdom Modern Mind podcast.
I’m Jason your host signing off. Take care.
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If you would like to learn about Zen mediation then I have also created the Zazen Compilation ALBUM (The Complete Zen Collection to understanding Zen, Zazen and Kinhin, including guided meditations), follow the link.
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References
// IMAGE S O U R C E: Illustration by Jason Chatfield, April 1, 2020
