What is Zen meditation?
Zen is a form of Buddhist meditation that originated in China in the 6th century; The word Zen is a Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese “Dzyen”, derived from the Sanskrit “Dhyana” or “meditative state”.
Zen emphasizes wisdom gained through experience as opposed to theory. Zazen, or ‘sitting meditation’, is at the heart of the practice. It is said that when the Buddha reached enlightenment, he was sitting. Walking meditation, yoga, tai chi, and other moving meditations are not part of the Zen tradition.
We view our body, mind, and even breath as separate entities. In Zen, there is no separation.
Zen begins with the study of the self; This leads to forgetting the self (the ego, the physical). And by forgetting the self, enlightenment is achieved.
The practice is simple. It’s easy to say “this is how you do it” and just as easy to follow those instructions. But … the very nature of Zen is that, in its simplicity, it is very difficult; and in its difficulty, it is very simple!
How to Sit in Zen Meditation
Meditative positions mimic the seated Buddha – a stable, grounded, and balanced pyramid. There are several positions to choose from, depending on personal preferences.
The proper position is important. You don’t want to be distracted by physical discomfort, but allow the free flow of life energy (also called chi or prana).
When should you meditate?
Early morning is arguably the best time because you’re not tired, your mind is a clean slate, you haven’t gotten on the commuter bus of worry and drama yet, and you’re not knee deep in your to-do list.
The essence of meditation is the ability to focus the mind. You can use any point of concentration: mantras, breath, a candle … in Zen, the focus is the breath. The breath is the vital life force. The first thing a person does when they are born is inhale; and the last thing a person does when they die is exhale.
The breath reflects the state of mind. When your mind is calm, the breath is deep and effortless; when the mind is agitated or disturbed, breathing is shallow, rapid, and uneven. How deeply can you relax? In deep zazen, breathe at 2-3 breaths / minute. The normal respiratory rate at rest is about 15 breaths / minute. The stillness you achieve in deep Zen meditation is greater than sleep, an incredible experience that you must experience to be understood.
Keep your mind focused
Keeping the mind focused on the breath is not easy. You have to be constantly alert and turn your attention to the breath each time the mind wanders to explore some random thought. Over time, you will be able to watch the thoughts float into your consciousness, acknowledge them, and let them go. Every time you realize that your mind has wandered and you bring it back to your breath, you are one step closer to self-mastery.
Focusing / refocusing the mind sharpens awareness. Usually we are barely aware of the thousands of thoughts we have every day; Zen meditation brings them to consciousness. And sometimes we are so preoccupied with self talk that we are unaware of what is going on around us! Zen makes us aware of what is happening in the present moment.
Sometimes meditation comes effortlessly. You can focus on the breath, the mind becomes silent and you experience an incredibly liberating, peaceful and ecstatic state of being: you feel your energetic quality and lose awareness of your physical body or your “I” as you merge into cosmic consciousness.
Sometimes you’ll fight like hell to get your mind to stop wandering. If you have something heavy on your mind, it may seem impossible to focus on your breath and let those thoughts go. If you can’t let go, let your mind run with the thoughts, but be the observer, not the participant. This is an important difference. If things need to be processed, let them run their course. But gently guide your mind to a relaxed state open to intuitive guidance.
The activity of the mind is like a pond
When your mind is busy, the surface is disturbed as thoughts and emotions run in all directions. But as the mind relaxes, the surface calms down. Finally, the stillness of the bottom of the pond becomes your state of mind. After all, nothing can shake the feathers of an eternal and infinite being!
When you develop that power of concentration that closes all mental and external distractions, you have reached “samadhi”: the mind concentrated in a single point.
How to get the most out of Zen meditation? Get 100% involved. There is no goal, there is no achievement in Zen. There is only moment and experience.
Free your mind with Zen meditation. Then you will see who you really are: an infinite, eternal and conscious intelligence.