When we sit zazen, we sit in an upright position. Our eyes are open and looking down at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. Our head is not bowed nor is the neck flexed or extended. As Dogen zenji stated, the ears are in line with the shoulders and the nose is in line with the navel. That is to say, we sit with our spine supported (solely by our own skeletomuscular structure) at right angles (90 degrees as seen from all 360 degree positions) to the ground. The best way to achieve this is to imagine that you are suspended on a thread attached to the crown of your head. This naturally places your skull and spinal column in proper alignment; allowing your nervous system to communicate with every cell of your body without hindrance.
And, what more than the words to Myozan Kodo's Sonnet #13 can be added to complete a description of our practice:
Sitting still in a silent room,
Accepting there is nowhere else to be,
Letting everything rest and letting go
Of all efforts to escape yourself.
This is where it begins,
With your legs crossed and seated
On a round cushion on the floor,
Breathing naturally and deep,
Following not the seduction of a single thought,
Body comfortably erect and hands in mudra,
Eyes still open but gently lowered,
Coming to that place that is always here
And always now, again and again,
Daily discovering the true treasure of your life.
gassho,
#sattoday
And, what more than the words to Myozan Kodo's Sonnet #13 can be added to complete a description of our practice:
Sitting still in a silent room,
Accepting there is nowhere else to be,
Letting everything rest and letting go
Of all efforts to escape yourself.
This is where it begins,
With your legs crossed and seated
On a round cushion on the floor,
Breathing naturally and deep,
Following not the seduction of a single thought,
Body comfortably erect and hands in mudra,
Eyes still open but gently lowered,
Coming to that place that is always here
And always now, again and again,
Daily discovering the true treasure of your life.
gassho,
#sattoday
for positive poetry 優婆塞 台 婆
Beautiful words to end my Treeleaf wanderings tonight.
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