Four Aspects of Zazen: Intro


Nishijima Roshi was very helpful in explaining Buddhism and Buddhist practice to people. While he always maintained that Zazen, or action itself, is ultimately ungraspable and beyond words he didn't shy away from talking directly about what practice is about. He wanted to demystify it, to remove the 'woo-woo' factor, and make it approachable for contemporary peoples I think.

In a nice booklet called 'Introduction to Buddhism and the Practice of Zazen' (available to buy online) he lays out four aspects of practicing zazen, that can help orientate us to what the practice is about. I'll look at them separately over the next few posts, but this is how he introduces them in the booklet...


What do we experience in Zazen?

Zazen is the simplest form of action, and when we are practicing Zazen we do not intentionally think about anything or concentrate on our feelings and perceptions. We sit in a simple non-discriminating state where our body-and-mind are balanced and undivided. However, in order to discuss the state in Zazen we cannot avoid making divisions and categorizations. In spite of these categorizations, the actual experience of Zazen remains a wholistic one.

We can describe four aspects in the practice of Zazen. They are: 1) Different from thinking; 2) Making the body right; 3) Oneness of body-and-mind; and 4) Oneness with the Universe.

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