I had never tried Zen meditation until I became a Zen priest. I had no interest in it. I was born into an ordinary family, not a temple family and I had no particular interest in religion.
After graduating from college and working several jobs, I decided by a strange coincidence to become a Zen priest and entered a Zen monastery (Kennin-ji monastery, the oldest in Kyoto). That was my first serious experience with Zen meditation. That was eight years ago.
In a Zen monastery, you are expected to grasp everything spontaneously. They don't give you verbal instructions on how to do Zen meditation. No matter how well you sit in meditation – how little you fidget, make noise or nod off to sleep - you will get struck anyway with a big, wooden stick called ‘keisaku’. I had no idea what was going on, but I just sat still for hours every day.
At the time, it was hard for me to sit still. My body ached all over, I was sleepy, I was afraid of getting hit with the ‘keisaku’ and I didn't really know what I was doing. I sat for at least 5 hours every day, so I was endlessly bored. I was also anxious and impatient, thinking that I would fall behind the rest of the world if I spent my time like this. However, I was certain of one thing; the technique of Zen meditation – known as ‘zazen’ in Japanese (sitting meditation) - has been practised by countless predecessors and has been handed down from person to person for more than 2,500 years. Practising it always has some effect and I was convinced that this is the reason it is still practised now.
For the next three years, I practised zazen in the monastery. I used my own body and consciousness as a test bed, always pondering on what this Zen meditation was all about. And through my own experience, I eventually came to taste the fruit of this meditation.
After leaving the monastery, I worked as a disciple at Ryosoku-in, a Zen temple in Gion, Kyoto, for five years. During that time, I held Zen meditation (zazen) sessions almost every morning for the general public. I have been trying to find a way to share my own experiences with those seeking Zen meditation, in a way that is easy for them to understand. Once they come to understand how to do Zen meditation, I continue to think about how I can help them enjoy it spontaneously and to continue practising. I am still updating that method daily.
Zen meditation is, fundamentally, a simple and pragmatic technique of using the body. It is neither magical nor mystical. Just like learning how to use chopsticks, if you understand what it is for and how to do it, and then take the time to practise it, anyone can experience the benefit. Zen meditation is practical like this and does not require any previous knowledge in order to begin.
Perhaps there is an image that Zen meditation is something mystical, hidden behind a mysterious veil of spirituality or religion. I myself had that impression until I practised it. Now, I would like to tell you about Zen meditation as a down-to-earth and concrete technique that anyone can incorporate into their daily life, just like taking a short walk or jogging on a day off. In parks and riverside areas, there are people doing Zen meditation as a matter of course. I believe that such scenes will become commonplace in the near future.
Anyway, come and join me and let's sit together.
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