Zazen

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Seated Meditation


correct position for zazen meditation

Zazen, literally "seatedĀ meditation" is a meditative discipline that is typically the primary practice of theĀ Zen Buddhist tradition.Ā The meaning and method of zazen varies from school to school, but in general it can be regarded as a means ofĀ insightĀ intoĀ the nature of existence. In the JapaneseĀ Rinzai school, zazen is usually associated with the study ofĀ koans. TheĀ SotoĀ School of Japan, on the other hand, only rarely incorporatesĀ koansĀ into zazen, preferring an approach where the mind has no object at all, known asĀ shikantaza. Zazen is considered the heart of Japanese Soto Zen Buddhist practice. The aim of zazen is just sitting, that is, suspending all judgmental thinking and letting words, ideas, images and thoughts pass by without getting involved in them. Shikantaza is a form of meditation, in which the practitioner does not use any specific object of meditation; rather, practitioners remain as much as possible in the present moment, aware of and observing what passes through their minds and around them. Dogen says, in his Shobogenzo, "Sitting fixedly, think of not thinking. How do you think of not thinking? Nonthinking. This is the art of zazen". Read more.


Coded by E. Bonocore