Zen meditation—zazen—appears simple. You sit down, face a wall, and do... nothing? Something? The instructions can seem maddeningly vague: "Just sit." "Think not-thinking." "Let thoughts come and go."
Yet zazen has been the core practice of Zen Buddhism for over a thousand years, and serious practitioners sit daily for decades. There's something here worth understanding.
What Zazen Is
The Meaning
Zazen literally means "seated Zen" or "sitting meditation." It's the central practice of Zen Buddhism, considered both the means and the expression of enlightenment.
The peculiarity: Unlike practices aimed at achieving something, zazen is often described as goalless. You're not trying to get somewhere; you're being completely where you are.
Rinzai vs. Soto
Two main schools of Zen differ in approach:
Rinzai: Uses koans—paradoxical questions like "What is the sound of one hand clapping?"—to break through conceptual thinking.
Soto: Emphasizes shikantaza—"just sitting"—without koans or specific technique.
Both include zazen as central practice, but the texture differs.
The Posture
Why Posture Matters in Zen
Zen takes posture seriously. The body position is not incidental—it's considered an expression of enlightenment itself. Sitting with dignity, stability, and alertness is the practice.
The Full Lotus
The position: Legs crossed, each foot on the opposite thigh. Knees touch the floor.
The significance: Extremely stable. Traditional Zen considers this ideal.
The reality: Most Westerners lack the hip flexibility. Forcing this position damages knees.
Half Lotus
The position: One foot on the opposite thigh, the other beneath.
The compromise: More accessible than full lotus, still quite stable.
Burmese Position
The position: Legs crossed but both feet on the floor, not on thighs.
The accessibility: Easier for most people while maintaining crossed-leg posture.
Seiza (Kneeling)
The position: Kneeling, sitting on heels or with a bench between legs.
The option: Common in Zen. Requires good knees but no hip flexibility.
Chair
The permission: Zen allows chair sitting when needed. The key is spine erect, body alert, not lounging.
Universal Elements
Whatever position: - Spine erect: Natural curves, not slumping - Head balanced: Ears over shoulders, chin slightly tucked - Hands: In cosmic mudra—left hand in right, thumbs lightly touching, held at belly - Eyes: Open, gazing downward about 3-4 feet ahead, soft focus - Mouth: Closed, tongue against upper palate
The Eyes-Open Question
Why Eyes Open?
Zen traditionally practices with eyes open (or half-open). Reasons include: - Maintains alertness - Connects practice to world rather than retreat from it - Enlightenment is seeing clearly, not escaping
The Gaze
Soft, unfocused: You're not looking at anything in particular. Gazing downward, letting the visual field be present without engaging.
Facing a wall: In Soto Zen, practitioners face a wall. Simple visual field, minimal distraction.
The adjustment: If you've only practiced eyes-closed, eyes-open feels strange initially. Give it time.
The Technique (Or Lack Thereof)
Following the Breath (for beginners)
The approach: Attention rests with the breath. You might count exhalations—1 to 10, then restart. When you lose count, begin again at 1.
The purpose: Provides anchor for wandering mind. Not the ultimate practice, but useful for settling.
Just Sitting (Shikantaza)
The essence: Beyond technique. Not concentrating on anything specific. Not doing anything special. Just sitting, completely present.
The instruction: "Think not-thinking. How do you think not-thinking? Non-thinking." This famous exchange points to a state beyond both thinking and suppressing thought.
The practice: You sit with bright, open awareness. Thoughts arise and pass without engagement. Nothing is excluded; nothing is grasped.
Working with Koans (Rinzai)
The method: A teacher assigns a koan—"What is your original face before your parents were born?" You hold this question, not analyzing but letting it penetrate.
The breakthrough: Koans can't be solved intellectually. The answer comes as a direct experience, not a concept.
The guidance: Koan practice generally requires a teacher. It's not well-suited to solo practice without guidance.
The Spirit of Zazen
Not Getting Somewhere
The trap: Approaching zazen as a way to achieve something—calm, insight, enlightenment.
The teaching: Zazen is already complete. You're not practicing to become enlightened; practice is enlightenment itself expressing.
The practical implication: Drop agenda. Don't measure progress. Just sit.
Whole Body-Mind
The inclusion: Zazen isn't just a mental exercise. The body is fully engaged—posture, breath, physical presence.
The instruction: "Sit zazen with your whole body." The entirety of your being is involved.
Effort Without Grasping
The balance: There's effort in maintaining posture, staying present, not indulging sleepiness. But there's no grasping for experience or achievement.
The image: Like a mother who hears her baby no matter how sound asleep she is. Alert but not straining.
Practical Session Structure
The Session
Duration: Traditional Zen sits often run 25-45 minutes. Home practice can be shorter—20-30 minutes is reasonable.
Structure: Settle into posture. Begin with breath awareness if helpful. Release into just sitting as concentration stabilizes.
Walking Meditation (Kinhin)
The inclusion: Traditionally, periods of sitting alternate with walking meditation.
The practice: Slow, deliberate walking. Hands in shashu mudra (left fist at chest, right hand covering). One step per breath or slower.
The purpose: Extends meditation to movement. Refreshes the body for more sitting.
Beginning and Ending
Gassho: Hands in prayer position, slight bow. Traditional beginning and ending gesture.
The meaning: Not worship, but respect—for practice, for this moment, for the Buddha-nature in all things.
Common Questions
"What am I supposed to think about?"
Nothing in particular. You're not supposed to think about something. You're also not supposed to not think. Let thinking happen (or not) without interference.
"My mind is too busy"
Everyone's is. The busy mind is what you're sitting with. Not a problem to solve—the material to practice with.
"Is it okay to move?"
Minimal movement. Adjust if necessary, but don't fidget. The stillness has value.
"How do I know if I'm doing it right?"
Are you sitting? Are you present? Are you making effort without grasping? That's zazen.
"It feels like nothing is happening"
Good. That's fine. Zazen isn't about something happening. Just sitting is complete.
Building a Practice
Daily Consistency
The foundation: Daily sitting, even short, establishes zazen as practice rather than occasional activity.
The minimum: Twenty minutes. Less if necessary, but twenty allows enough time to settle.
Creating Form
The elements: Same time, same place when possible. A bow to begin and end. Perhaps a bell or chime.
The purpose: Form creates container. The ritual elements signal the shift to practice.
Deepening Over Time
What develops: Ability to settle increases. Restlessness decreases. Awareness becomes more natural.
What doesn't change: Some sessions feel deep; others feel scattered. This variation continues.
Finding a Teacher
The traditional route: Zen is traditionally transmitted teacher to student. Finding a Zen teacher—even for occasional guidance—deepens practice.
The options: Zen centers exist in most cities. Some teachers offer online guidance.
The Broader Context
Zen Beyond Zazen
The extension: Zen emphasizes extending practice to all activities. Eating, working, walking—all can be practice.
The zazen influence: The quality cultivated in sitting—presence, non-grasping, wholeness—extends into life.
The Tradition
The lineage: Zen traces to the Buddha, through Bodhidharma to China, to Japan, now worldwide.
The meaning: Sitting zazen connects you to this lineage. You practice as countless practitioners have for 2,500 years.
Starting
Today: Sit down. Posture upright, eyes soft-open, hands in mudra.
Follow breath if helpful. Or just sit.
When thoughts arise, let them. When they pass, let them.
No goal. No achievement. Just this moment, fully present.
That's zazen.
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