Concentration - Sitting Practice.
Introduction...
Conentration is a daily practice. Not easy, not difficult. While practicing, do not seek to gain anything. Without object, only concentrate on the posture, the breathing and the attitude of mind.
The Posture
Seated on the zafu (traditional, round, kapok-stuffed cushion), the legs are crossed in a lotus or half-lotus position, or behind you in seiza (kneeling posture). The knees must press the floor, forming a stable, three-point posture with the buttocks on the zafu.
The pelvis is tilted forward so the abdomen falls down naturally. There should be no obstruction or constriction of the abdomen, such as a belt or tight trousers. The spinal column is arched in the lower lumbar region, and the head presses the sky, stretching out the backbone.
The upper breast bone is raised, naturally throwing back the shoulders and neck. The face is perpendicular to the floor, and the nape of the neck stretched up. The nose is on the same plane as the navel. The ears are on the same plane as the shoulders. The shoulders are relaxed, the abdomen is relaxed. The mouth is closed - the breathing is through the nose - but the jaw is relaxed. The tip of the tongue rests on the palette, just at the top of the upper front teeth. The eyes are open, looking down at a forty-five degree angle. The gaze is steady, at rest, but not focused on anything.
The lower forearms rest on the upper thighs against the lower abdomen, the palms of the hands facing up. The fingers of the left hand rest on the fingers of the right hand. The tips of the thumbs lightly touch over the middle of the hands, neither "falling like a valley" nor "rising like a mountain."
Once you are in this stable, vertical position, inhale and exhale slowly and deeply. Your posture is now vertical and balanced. Remain in this posture during zazen without moving.
Zazen means "to touch the cosmos through one single body, our body. All existences and myself are one single body." Master Dogen wrote in the Fukanzazengi: "The zazen I speak of is not learning how to meditate. It is nothing other than the way to peace and happiness, the practice-realization of perfect awakening. Once you have seized its heart, you are like a dragon when he enters the water, like a tiger when he enters the mountain."
At the end of zazen, signaled by one strike of the bell, raise the hands and do gassho (without bending over), then place the closed fists, thumbs inside, on the lower thighs. Stretch your torso and head down over the right thigh, then straighten up, and bend over the left thigh a bit then straighten up. Repeat this two or three times, each time bending over a bit more, until you head touches your knees. Get up carefully and push your zafu back into shape.
The Breathing
Attitude of Mind
