Zazen (seated meditation) allows people to directly enlighten the primordial mind and to abide peacefully in their original state. This is known as realizing one’s original face, or manifesting the true nature of the primordial mind. Zazen is the dropping off of body and mind and remaining detached, whether seated or lying down. It is not concerned with good or evil, and transcends the distinctions of worldly and sacred delusion and enlightenment, sentient beings and Buddhas. It relinquishes the ten thousand things, renounces all conditions, casts aside everything, and does not rely on the six senses.
What is this that is nameless and cannot be identified with either body or mind? If you try to conceive of it, it is beyond thought; if you try to express it, words are exhausted. It appears both foolish and saintly. It is as high as the mountain and as deep as the ocean, yet discloses neither its full height nor depth. It is illuminatively unbound by conditions, displaying a radiance that cannot be discerned by the naked eye. It penetrates beyond thought and has a clarity above the entanglements of speech. It transcends both heaven and earth and is realized only by the entire person.
It is like an immeasurably perfected person who has experienced the greath death (parinirvå√a) and has unobstructed vision and unhindered action. What dust defiles it, and what obstacle can block it? Clear water originally has neither front nor back, and empty space is not bound by inside or outside. Zazen has a pristine clarity that is self-illuminating prior to distinctions of form and emptiness, subject and object. It is eternal but has never been named. The Third Patriarch (Sengcan) [provisionally] referred to it as “mind,” and Någårjuna [provisionally] referred to it as “body.” It manifests the form of Buddha-nature and actualizes the body of all Buddhas. Like the full moon, it is without absence or excess. This mind itself is nothing other than Buddha. Self-illumination shines from the past through the present, realizing the transformation of Någårjuna [who manifested himself as the moon, symbolizing Buddha-nature] and attaining the samådhi of all Buddhas.
Mind originally is undifferentiated, and the body manifests various forms. Mind-only and body-only cannot be explained in terms of sameness or difference. Mind transforms itself and becomes body, and the manifest body has different forms. When one wave is generated, ten thousand waves appear; when mental discrimination arises, ten thousand dharmas appear. That is, the four elements and five skandhas interdependently originate, and the four limbs and five senses become manifest. Furthermore, the thirtysix parts [of the body] and the twelve conditions ceaselessly continue to appear. In explaining the interdependence of phenomena, the mind can be compared to ocean water and the body to waves. There are no waves without water, and no water without waves. Water and waves are inseparable, motion and stillness are indistinguishable. Therefore it is said, “The true man [who comprehends] life and death, coming and going, realizes the imperishable body of the four elements and the five skandhas.”
Now, [practicing] zazen is directly entering into the ocean of Buddha-nature and manifesting the body of all Buddhas. The fundamental purity of the radiant mind is disclosed, and the original brightness shines forth without limit. There is no increase or decrease in the waters of the ocean, and the waves are never distracted in their course. Therefore, all Buddhas appear in the world for the singleminded function of causing sentient beings to realize Buddha[hood] and to attain and manifest enlightenment. Their incomparably tranquil and wondrous technique is known as zazen. It is also known as the self-fulfilling samådhi, or the king of all samådhis.
If you abide tranquilly in samådhi, it directly enlightens the primordial mind and is the true gate to the attainment of the way of Buddhas. If you wish to enlighten the primordial mind, renounce discriminative knowledge and interpretation, cast away [the distinctions between] worldly and Buddhist principles, and remove all attachments. If you manifest the One True Mind, the clouds of delusion will be dispersed and the mind will be as clear as the new moon. The Buddha said, “Listening and thinking are standing outside the gate, zazen is sitting calmly in one’s own home.” How true! For listening and thinking perpetuate [one-sided] views, leaving the primordial mind in turmoil, just like being outside the gate. But zazen creates an all-pervasive restfulness, just like sitting calmly at home.
The attachments of the five desires all arise from ignorance, ignorance is due to a lack of clarity about the self, and zazen illuminates the self. For example, although the five desires may be removed, if ignorance is not yet removed that is not yet [the attainment] of a Buddha or patriarch. If you want to remove ignorance, the diligent practice of zazen is the key. An ancient said, “If distraction is removed tranquility arises, and if tranquility arises wisdom is attained, and if wisdom is attained the truth is clearly seen.” If you want to remove distractions, you must be free from thoughts of [the distinction of ] good and evil, and renounce all involvement in karmic relations. The most important concern is that the mind be free from thinking and the body free from acting. When distracting relations are ended mental disturbances are subdued, and when mental disturbances are subdued the unchanging body is manifest. You continuously realize its clarity as neither extinction nor commotion.
Therefore, you must not be involved in arts and crafts or healing and divination. Furthermore, song, dance, and music, debate and rhetoric, as well as the pursuit of fame and fortune must be completely avoided. Although eulogy and lyrical poetry can in themselves contribute to calming the mind, you must not indulge in writing them. The renunciation of literature and calligraphy is a priority for seekers of the Way, and is the most effective means of regulating the mind.
Do not wear clothing that is either elegant or tattered. Fine clothes give rise to greed as well as the fear of being robbed, and this becomes an obstacle to the pursuit of the Way. To refuse clothes if offered as alms has always been a praiseworthy practice since ancient times. Even if you already own such clothes, do not indulge in wearing them. If thieves come to steal the clothes, do not bother to chase after them or regret the loss. You should wear old clothes that have been washed and mended till completely clean. If you do not clean [and mend] the clothes you will get cold and sick, and that is also an obstacle to the pursuit of the Way. Although we should not be overly concerned with physical conditions, the lack of food, clothing, and shelter is known as the three insu‡ciencies, all of which are obstructive conditions.
Do not eat food that is either raw or tough, stale or spoiled, for intestinal rumbling is a discomfort for the body and mind and an obstacle to zazen. Do not indulge in eating fine food. That is not only an obstruction for the body and mind but indicates that you have not overcome greed. Eat enough food to maintain your vitality but do not relish it. If you try to sit in meditation after you have eaten until you are full, it can cause illness. Do not attempt med itation immediately after either a large or small meal; you must wait awhile to be ready to sit. Generally, mendicants and monks should eat sparingly. That means that they should limit their portions, for example, eating two parts of three and leaving the rest. The usual medicinal foods, such as sesame and yams, should be eaten. That is an effective means of regulating the body.
When sitting in meditation, you must not lean against a wall, support, or screen to prop yourself up. Do not sit in a place susceptible to wind and storm, or in a high and exposed spot, for that can lead to illness. When sitting in meditation, your body may feel hot or cold, tight or slack, stiff or loose, heavy or light, or you may feel abruptly awakened, all because the breath is not regulated and must be controlled. The method for regulating the breath is to keep your mouth open for a while, holding deep breaths and short breaths alternately until your breathing is gradually regulated and controlled for a period of time. When awareness comes, it means that breathing is spontaneously regulated. After this, let the breath pass naturally through the nose.
The mind may feel depressed or flighty, foggy or clear. Or, sometimes it may see outside the room or inside your body. Or, it may visualize the bodies of Buddhas or the forms of bodhisattvas, or it may formulate theories, or evaluate the sutra or Ωåstra literature. Such types of miraculous and unusual behavior result from a lack of regulating one’s consciousness and breathing. When attachments such as this arise, focus attention on your lap. When the mind lapses into bewilderment, focus attention on the middle of your forehead (three inches above the center of the eyebrows). When the mind is distracted, focus attention on the tip of your nose or your lower abdomen (one and a half inches below the navel). As you remain seated, focus attention on the left palm. When sitting for a long time, although you will not necessarily reach a state of tranquility, your mind will on its own be freed from distraction.
Although the traditional precepts are instructions for illuminating the mind, you must not read, write, or listen to them too much, for that will cause mental disturbances. Generally, weariness of the body and mind is the cause of illness. Do not practice zazen in a place where there may be danger from fire, flood, storms, or robbers, or near the seashore, a liquor store, or brothel; or where you may meet a widow, virgin, or geisha. Do not visit the homes of kings, important o‡cials, or powerful people, or associate with people who indulge in their desires or who gossip. Although attending a large congregation of monks or engaging in full-scale construction projects may be of great importance, you must avoid such practices in order to concentrate on zazen. Do not be attached to explanations and [intellectual activity], for a distracted mind and confused thinking will arise from them. Do not take pleasure [in attracting] crowds or seek out disciples. Do not be distracted by various sorts of practices or learning. Do not practice zazen where it is extremely light or dark, cold or hot, or in the vicinity of rowdy men and indecent women.
You must spend time in a monastery, among wise and compassionate people. Or, you must travel deep into the mountains and valleys, practicing concentration next to flowing streams amid the mountains or clearing the mind by sitting in meditation in a valley. You must carefully observe impermanence and never forget its significance, for this inspires the mind in the pursuit of the Way. You must lay out a thick meditation cushion so as to be comfortable during zazen. The zazen area must be perfectly clean, and if you always burn incense and offer flowers, the good spirits who guard the Dharma, as well as Buddhas and bodhisattvas, will cast a protective aura around it. If you install an image of a Buddha, bodhisattva, or arhat there, no mischievous demons will be able to harm you. Always abide in great compassion and pity, and dedicate the immeasurable merit of zazen to all sentient beings. Do not develop pride, conceit, or self-righteousness, for these are the ways of non-Buddhists and ordinary people. Be concerned only with efforts to end attachment and realize enlightenment. The singleminded concentration of zazen is the most effective means of practicing Zen. You must always wash your eyes and feet, and act with dignity and compassion to keep body and mind tranquil. You must renounce both worldly attachments and any clinging to the pursuit of the Way.
Although you must not be stingy with the Dharma, do not offer explanations of it to anyone unless you are asked about it. Then, wait until the inquirer has asked three times and respond only if the fourth request is sincere. Of ten things you may wish to say, hold back nine. The method of followers of the Way can be likened to a winter fan waved around the mouth, or to a bell hanging in the air which does not wonder about the breeze blowing from all directions. Do not rely upon anyone in pursuing the Dharma, and do not overestimate yourself because of the Way—this is the most important consideration. Although zazen is not just a matter of teaching, practice, or realization, it encompasses all three ideals. That is, to evaluate realization only in terms of attaining enlightenment is not the essence of zazen; to evaluate practice only as following the true path is not the essence of zazen; and to evaluate teaching only as cutting off evil and practicing good is not the essence of zazen.
Although the establishment of teaching lies within Zen, it is not ordinary teaching. Rather, the Way of simple transmission through direct pointing is an expression demonstrated by the entire body. It is speaking without phrases. At the point where thought and reason are exhausted, a single word conveys the totality of the world, and yet not a single hair is raised—isn’t this the true teaching of the Buddhas and patriarchs? Although practice is realized [in Zen], it is the practice of non-action. The body functions spontaneously, the mouth does not chant esoteric doctrine, the mind is not preoccupied with thoughts, the six senses are naturally clear and unaffected by anything. This is not the sixteenfold practice of the Buddha’s disciples, the twelvefold practice of dependent origination, or the myriad practices of the six stages of the bodhisattva. Because it is not doing any [particular] thing, it is known as acting as a Buddha. Only abiding tranquilly in the self-fulfilling samådhi of all Buddhas, or resonating in the four peaceful reposes of the bodhisattva—is this not the profound and marvelous practice of the Buddhas and patriarchs? Although realization is realized [in Zen], it is the realization of non-realization, the king of all samådhis, the samådhi that realizes the unborn, comprehensive, and spontaneous wisdom, the gate to disclosing the Tathågata’s wisdom and the path of great tranquility and harmony. It transcends the distinction between sacred and mundane, goes beyond delusion and enlightenment—is this not the realization of original enlightenment?
Although zazen is not restricted to discipline (Ω∆la), concentration (samådhi), or wisdom (prajñå), it encompasses all three goals. That is, although discipline is to prevent or stop evil, in zazen we observe the principle of complete nonduality, renounce the ten thousand things, put an end to all entanglements, abandon the distinction between Buddhist and worldly principles, forget attachments to the Way as well as to the world, and acknowledge nei ther a‡rmation nor denial, neither good nor evil—so what is there to prevent or stop? That is the formless discipline of the primordial mind. Concentration is undivided contemplation. Zazen is the dropping off of body and mind, renouncing [the distinction between] delusion and enlightenment. It is neither motionless nor active, neither creative nor quiescent, and resembles both fool and saint, mountain and ocean. No trace of movement or stillness originates from it. Concentration functions without form. Because it is formless, it is known as great concentration. Wisdom is discriminative awareness. In zazen, subject and object disappear on their own and mental discriminations are forever forgotten. The eye of wisdom pervades the body. Although it makes no discriminations, it clearly sees Buddha-nature. Originally without delusion, zazen cuts off conceptualization and remains unbound and clear. Wisdom is formless; because it is formless, it is known as great wisdom.
The teaching of all Buddhas, as expressed in their own lifetimes, is nothing other than what is included in discipline (Ω∆la), concentration (samådhi), or wisdom (prajñå). Now, in zazen, there is no discipline that is not cultivated, no concentration that is not observed, no wisdom that is not realized. Overcoming suffering, attaining the Way, turning the wheel [of the Dharma], and the attainment of enlightenment all depend on its power. Supernatural powers and illuminating the Dharma are fully rooted in zazen. Studying Zen is also based on zazen.
If you want to practice zazen, you must first be in a quiet place and lay out a firm cushion. Do not let in either wind, smoke, rain, or dew. Keep a clean place to sit with plenty of room for your knees. Although ancient monks were reported to have sat on a diamond seat or on a huge rock, there were none who did not use a cushion. The place for sitting should not be too bright in the daytime or too dark at night, and must be kept warm in the winter and cool in the summer. That is the method [for zazen].
Renounce discriminative consciousness and terminate conceptualization. Do not try to gauge the activities of a Buddha or to judge good and evil. Make the most of your time as if your own life was at stake. The Tathågata practiced zazen in an upright position, Bodhidharma sat with singleminded attention and no other concerns, Sekisø resembled a withered tree, and [Tiantong] Rujing was critical of those who sleep while doing zazen. Rujing counseled: “Attainment is reached through zazen only, not by burning incense, worship, repetition of the nembutsu, repentance, or reading or reciting sutras.” Whenever you practice zazen, you must wear the kesa (ka≈åya) robe (except during the night and upon arising from sleep, as per the schedule). Do not neglect to do this. The cushion (twelve inches across, thirty-six inches in diameter) should not support the entire leg. It should extend from the middle of the leg to the base of the spine. That is the zazen method of the Buddhas and patriarchs.
You may sit in either the full-lotus or half-lotus position. The method for the full-lotus is to put the right foot on the left thigh and the left foot on the right thigh. Loosen your robe and let it hang neatly around you. Then, put your right hand on your left foot and your left hand on your right foot, keeping the thumbs together, close to the body at the navel. Sit perfectly upright without leaning left or right, forward or backward. The ears and shoulders, nose and navel must be perfectly aligned. The tongue should rest on the roof of the mouth and the breath pass through the nose. The mouth is closed but the eyes are left open. Having regulated the body so that it is neither stiff nor limp, breathe deeply through the mouth one time. Then, while sitting in concentration, sway your body [to the left and right] seven or eight times, going from a greater to smaller [range of motion]. Sit upright with lofty dedication.
So, how does one think of that which is beyond thinking? By non-thinking—that is the fundamental method of zazen. You must directly break through all attachments and realize enlightenment. If you want to rise from concentration [practice], put your hands on your knees and sway the body seven or eight times, going from a smaller to greater [range of motion]. Breathe through the mouth, put your hands on the ground, and simply raise yourself from your seat. Walk deliberately to the left or the right. If drowsiness threatens while sitting, always sway the body or open your eyes wide. Also, focus attention on the top of the head, the hairline, or the forehead. If you still do not feel awake, wipe your eyes or rub your body. If that still does not awaken you, get up from your seat and walk around in the correct manner. After walking about a hundred steps, your drowsiness should surely be overcome. The method [of walking meditation] is to take a half step with each breath. Walk as if you are not walking—calm and undistracted.
If you are still not awake after walking around in this way, rinse your eyes or cool off your head, or recite the preface to the bodhisattva vow. Or do any combination of these things so that you do not fall asleep.
You must consider the Great Matter of life and death and the swift changes of impermanence and ask yourself, “How can I sleep when the insight of the eye of the Dharma is not yet illuminated?” If drowsiness continues to threaten to overtake you, you must recite, “Because my karmic tendencies are so deeply rooted, I am now lost in the veil of fatigue—when will I awaken from my ignorance? I beg for the great compassion of the Buddhas and patriarchs to remove my suffering.”
If your mind is distracted, focus attention on the tip of your nose or your lower abdomen and count the breaths coming in and out. If the distractions continue, then reflect on an instruction køan for awakening, such as “What is it that thus comes?”, “Does a dog have Buddha-nature?”, “Unmon’s Mount Sumeru” køan, and “Døsh¥’s cypress tree in the garden” køan. Artless dialogues such as these are suitable. If the distractions still persist, then medi tate by concentrating directly on stopping your breath or keeping your eyes shut. Or focus on the state prior to conception, before a single thought has been produced.
If you follow Buddhist practice, the twofold emptiness [of self and dharmas] spontaneously arises and mental attachments are necessarily dispersed. After emerging from concentration, to realize the majestic activities [of walking, standing, sitting, and lying down] without thought is the spontaneous manifestation of Zen enlightenment. When you actualize the undifferentiated differentiation of practice-in-realization, Zen enlightenment is spontaneously manifest. The primordial state before anything appeared, the condition prior to the formation of heaven and earth—the ultimate concern of the Buddhas and patriarchs is nothing other than this one thing.
Be still and calm, indifferent and free of passion, letting ten thousand years pass in an instant, like cool ashes or a withered tree, like incense burning without smoke in an ancient temple, or a piece of white silk. May this be realized!