Zazen (座禅) · Seated Zen

A stable posture balances dignity and ease. On a chair, place both feet on the floor and sit forward enough that the spine supports itself. On a cushion or bench, create a broad base through the knees and seat. Let the pelvis tilt naturally, the chest remain open, the chin draw slightly in, and the hands rest without strain. Eyes are commonly left softly open.

No single posture proves seriousness. Numbness, sharp joint pain, or loss of circulation are instructions to adjust. Enduring injury is not Zen. The purpose of form is to reduce unnecessary movement and support alertness so body and mind can be met without constant negotiation.

Let the body breathe naturally. You may feel its movement without counting, controlling, or making attention stay in one place. Breathing, sounds, and thoughts are all present. None needs to become a state you must preserve.

Some Zen traditions use breath counting, concentration, or koan inquiry; Soto shikantaza emphasizes just sitting. Those are distinct approaches. In the practice shared here, the instruction is the same from the outset: do not take what arises as a self or a story to keep going.

A thought appearing is not a mistake. Planning and memory can serve ordinary needs. Do not take them up as an identity, a grievance, or a position that must be rehearsed and defended. There is no need to label each thought or stand apart from it as a watcher.

If rehearsal is already happening, recognize it without adding a judgment. Do not continue feeding it or try to force it away. Thought does not have to vanish for Buddha-mind to be present.

Aches from unfamiliar posture can be observed, but sharp, electrical, or escalating pain should not be spiritualized. Adjust or stop. People with trauma histories may find closed eyes, silence, or body focus destabilizing. Open eyes, shorter periods, walking meditation, environmental orientation, and qualified therapeutic support may be wiser.

Dullness calls for a straighter posture, more light, open eyes, or standing. Agitation may benefit from feeling the feet, lengthening the exhalation gently, or shortening the period. Zen practice is not a substitute for medical or mental-health care.

Bankei’s statement that the whole world is a place for Buddha-mind to sit at ease does not make formal zazen worthless. It prevents the practitioner from dividing the day into sacred awareness on the cushion and unconscious life everywhere else.

Sit if the form is useful. When the bell sounds, stand without trying to carry a state with you. Speech, disagreement, cooking, and work are equally places to remain Unborn without trading for what appears.