Zazen is a type of meditation in Zen Buddhism called sitting meditation. It came to Japan from China, spread quickly, especially within the Soto school, and became a very important part of Japanese culture. The point of zazen is to clear the mind and achieve a state of enlightenment through being fully present in the present moment.
Features of Zazen
Zazen is practiced in many Japanese monasteries and is considered a very good way to bring the mind into the right state. Although at first glance it may seem simple, nevertheless, the monks consider it sufficient for enlightenment
It is based on three components:
- correct posture;
- correct breathing;
- the correct state of consciousness.
These components of Zazen successively transform into each other. First, you need the correct posture, without which correct breathing is impossible, and without it, it is impossible to bring “consciousness back to normal”
Practice is carried out in a special room called Zendo. To perform this, you may need a zafa – a special round pillow that is placed on top of a mattress with a straw. It helps avoid leg pain due to prolonged sitting.
How does Zazen work?
Meditators sit facing a wall at a distance of at least one meter from it. You need to sit in the lotus or half-lotus position. The main thing is that the spine is as straight as possible so that the ears and waist are located in the same vertical plane. The hands are folded into “cosmic mudra”, palms up, and the left one lies on top of the right.
Zazen meditation goes like this:
- the start of practice is announced by the striking of a bell;
- greeting students and masters;
- students sit in a comfortable position and practice proper breathing;
- work with consciousness begins;
- The meditation ends with one strike of the bell.
It is interesting that the master helps his students with a bamboo keisaku stick, hitting them on the back. However, he is not trying to punish meditators by doing this. He does this for the following reasons:
- If a student begins to fall asleep and loses concentration, the master tries to awaken his attention.
- Percussion helps stimulate energy flow and relieve physical tension.
- The master thus tries to express support to the meditator so that he can deepen his practice.
The blows are not punishment and are inflicted by the master with the consent of the student, who gives signals about this.
Zazen can help reduce stress, improve concentration, and increase self-awareness and emotional well-being. You can learn this practice on our “ Zen in Modern Japan ” tour.
