The Buddha meditated for six years, Bodhidharma for nine. The practice of meditation is not a method for the attainment of realization – it is enlightenment itself.
Dogen Zenji
Because every point on the path is the destination itself, the function of zazen is the manifestation/expression of our Buddha Nature, not an attempt to attain what we already are.
That being so, sitting correctly is of utmost importance, and not just in theory; we find that it is in sitting “well”, i.e. in sitting with good posture and breath, that we readily move into the samadhi of Zen.
So let’s review.
Setting: Pay some attention to the setting in which you are sitting. It should be clean and uncluttered, free of distractions. It may also have some items that express respect for your Zen practice: items like a candle, incense, a sculpture or painting of Buddha or Kanzeon, and so on. Or just a bare wall if that’s what helps bring you into the appropriate mental and emotional space for zazen. Above all there should be a sense of clarity and order, free of distractions, whether visual or auditory.
Ritual: When we enter the zendo, we bow. We bow again to our cushion, and again to the sangha, all before we sit down. At home, we should at least bow to our cushion, including in that one bow ourselves, our forebears in the Dharma, and all sentient beings.
We sit down, and it’s time to begin our zazen, the practice which Dogen tells us is the perfect expression of Buddha nature. So how do we do that well?
A Zen master was asked what is the most important thing in doing zazen. He replied, “posture and breath”. He paused in thought for a moment, and then amended his answer: “Posture,” he said.
Why? The breath is the core of meditation practice, and proper breathing is impossible without good, erect posture. With it, proper breathing, i.e. breathing from the lower abdomen, slow and steady, comes very naturally.
What is proper posture? The back is straight, held up by a firm foundation of core muscles. Not ramrod straight, but with a gentle “S” curve, the shoulders back but relaxed and loose.
To arrive at this posture, do not neglect the little rocking ritual at the beginning of the sitting. It’s a very important part of practice for three reasons. First, it’s very important in finding your correct posture, the posture in which breath flows easily and attention naturally goes to the tanden. Second, It’s very important in engaging the core, which is the foundation supporting your straight back, and third, it’s very important in centering your conscious attention in the tanden, at the base of the abdomen.
With back straight, the core engaged in support, breathing from the lower abdomen, and attention naturally down in the tanden, we move very quickly into our Zen samadhi.
That said, we are all flawed human beings, and it may be that one’s particular flaw is of a physical sort that does not permit one to sit without some sort of support for the back, or forces one to sit in a chair. Simply do what you can. You’ll find that it is enough.
Breath. Once you’ve found your seating posture, go through the breathing sequence. It’s not just a cleansing breath; it’s also instrumental in bring conscious attention into the tanden, and is the gateway into the steady, deep breathing of Zen samadhi. It goes like this: deep breath, hold, exhale to the bottom; deep inhalation through the mouth and long sighing exhalation through the mouth; three slow deep breaths through the nose, exhaling through the mouth; then settling into the breathing of zazen.
Sitting, rocking, breathing sequence, zazen: All Practice! All Enlightenment! All nothing at all.
Sitting Basics, Continued
Having covered setting, posture, and breathing, I’d like to say just a few words about some of the finer points of sitting.
The first thing I want to consider is the idea of the mudra. A mudra is simply a bodily position which promotes or is conducive to Zen meditation. Classically, each aspect of the lotus position is a mudra.
To begin with, the term “maha mudra”, or great mudra, refers to the position of the hands, the left hand resting on the right with the thumb tips touching lightly and making, with the hands below, the shape of an egg. In taking this mudra, be careful that you don’t let the thumbs drop down, thus collapsing the egg, and that you don’t let the whole mudra drift into lop-sidedness. The position of the “egg” is roughly just in front of the tanden, with the thumbs a few inches below the navel.
When sitting in the full lotus position, the legs form an important mudra, with the right foot on the left thigh and the left foot over top of it on the right thigh. With the knees on the zabuton or matt, and the buttocks on the front of your zafu or sitting cushion, you have a very stable pyramidal base, and maximum support for the back. Moreover, in this classic position, the left side of the body, the intuitive side controlled by the right brain, dominates the more logical, rational, right side, controlled by the left brain, and the heels make a convenient resting spot for the maha mudra.
Though this is the ideal position for zazen, few of us are able to take it, so let’s look at some other positions. First comes the modified lotus position, with feet on the calves rather than the thighs. And then, of course, the half lotus, with one foot up and the other down. Theoretically, the one foot should be the left foot on the right thigh, again to express the repression of the logical and dualistic by the intuitive; however, in practice most people alternate according to the demands of their knees.
The Burmese position is much like the lotus position, but while the knees rest on the floor, the lower legs lie on the floor, one in front of the other.
“Seiza” means, literally, “correct sitting”, and is the traditional, formal position taken by host and guest in a Japanese home. It is a kneeling position in which one sits back on one’s lower legs and heels. Especially for us Westerners, this is a very difficult position to hold for any length of time, but fortunately in zazen there are a few ways of making it bearable and even comfortable. The first is to simply turn your cushion on its edge, put it between your legs and under your buttocks, and sit. The second (and preferable) way, is to buy or build a sitting bench. If you’d like to do that, I can give you some instruction on how to go about it, and on the various styles. In any case, this also is an excellent position for stability and for support of the back. Unlike the full lotus, it does not provide the convenience of your heels as a resting place for your maha mudra, but feel free to use a small cushion resting on your thighs for this purpose. A friend of mine used to use his rolled up socks!
Finally, and unavoidably for some of us aged ones, there is the chair. When using the chair, first of all choose the right one. It should be quite flat, not sloping rearward as so many chairs do in order to tilt you into resting on the back of the chair. If you can find one high enough to allow your thighs to slope slightly downwards you will find it much easier on your back. If the only chair you have is too low for that, just put a cushion on it. I use a studio chair which is height-adjustable.
It’s important to keep your feet flat on the floor. Consider it a matter of keeping in touch with the earth, and of stability. You’ve seen Egyptian statues of seated kings and queens: perfectly solid and stable, feet flat on the floor. Let them be your model (though not quite so stiff!). Again, to avoid strain on your arms, set a small cushion on your thighs as a resting place for your hands. Of course, if this position proves a strain on your back, then use some support. A cushion between your back and the back of the chair works well. The important thing is not to slump. Your head should float free above your spine, which is to say the crown of your head is high, and your chin is slightly tucked.
The last mudra to be dealt with involves the mouth, tongue and teeth. Your mouth should be closed as you breathe through your nose, your teeth should be lightly touching, and your tongue should touch the roof of your mouth. This is important as it closes your “ki” energy circuit. In Japanese the power that is thus gathered is called jôriki, literally the power of Mind.
Remember, you’re breathing from your tanden, and that is where your focus is. If you’re doing Mu, that is where Mu is centred. If you find that you’re tending to “mu” silently but you’re moving your mouth and tongue as if speaking, probably your mu has become too heady and you need to recall it into your lower abdomen.
In the samadhi of Zen you will find eventually that while Mu is based in your tanden, at the same time it pervades your entire being. It will be Mu brushing your teeth, tying your shoe lace, taking a walk. Please keep your teacher informed of any such developments in your practice.
