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.

Many practitioners begin by feeling breath at the abdomen or counting exhalations from one to ten. This gathers scattered attention. The breath should not be forced into a spiritual rhythm. When counting is lost, return to one without adding a verdict.

As stability develops, awareness may open to the whole field of body, sound, breath, and thought. Rinzai training may intensify concentration or introduce koan inquiry. Soto shikantaza releases deliberate objects and practices complete sitting. Both require wakefulness rather than trance.

The appearance of thought does not mean zazen has failed. Thought is an event conditioned by memory, sensation, and circumstance. The practical question is whether it is followed into rehearsal. One notices planning as planning, memory as memory, and returns to the embodied field.

Trying to stop thought creates a second layer of conflict. Bankei’s criticism is especially useful here: suppression is another thought fighting thought. The sitting body offers a simple alternative. Let the thought pass while remaining physically 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 because the form is honest and useful, not because it purchases awakening. When the bell sounds, standing is the next posture of practice. Carry the same non-grasping attention into speech, conflict, cooking, work, and sleep.