Title: Zen Meditation Article
Tags: zen, meditation, michael berger
Blog Entry: Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} “DON’T JUST DO SOMETHING… SIT THERE” The Practice of Meditation for Life by Shihan Mike Genko Berger When we think of meditation, we often think of some strange, esoteric religious practice, replete with incense, chanting and sitting motionless in an unbearable full lotus pose in an ancient temple. In reality, meditation is a practice that may or may not have religious connotations, can be expressed in both movement and non-movement forms, and can include a variety of health and spiritual goals and benefits. Most of us, as martial artists, have had some exposure to a brief meditation period that often precedes or follows our training periods, known as MOKUSO or MOKUTO . But many of us do not really know why we are doing it, or even what we are supposed to be doing… While many meditation practices had their origins in ancient religious practices, there are some commonalities with regard to practice of meditation itself. Most practices seek to focus the ‘ceaselessly seeking mind’, the racing ‘monkey mind’ that jumps from thought to thought to thought, by focusing the mind on an object, a word, a mantra, a chant, a koan , or by using various techniques of following or working with the breath. Used in the Zen tradition, a koan is a story, question, or phrase that cannot be solved with the rational mind, designed to break one free of conditioned understanding, thereby deepening one’s spiritual insight and understanding.. My own practice also includes another popular practice of the Soto school of Zen , that of shikantaza , or just sitting, with dropped off body and mind . There are many other unique practices, some of which include listening to sounds or focusing on aspects of nature, like those of water, fire, the wind, or rain. Some practice chanting, or work practice ( samu ). Generally speaking, when we are intensely focused one thought or event, it is difficult to concentrate on a multitude of others. I’m sure that some of you have experienced the phenomena of transcending conscious thought, of the thinking without thinking or doing without doing that results by transcending the intense concentrated state of focused mind. Perhaps you have had a glimpse of these moments, of these spaces between thoughts. It may have occurred while you were washing the dishes, raking the lawn, or while practicing kata or kumite. Athletes have referred to these phenomena as ‘Being in the Zone.’ Simply explained, the function of the mind is to produce thoughts… so many that we are constantly bombarded with so many thoughts that we are not present or mindful at all, but rather racing ahead to the future or stuck hopelessly in the loop of rehashing the past, neither of which can be productive to what we are doing at this moment, both of which take us away from leading the richer lives of being more mindful, focused, and present. It only makes sense, that if you really want to look at something; it is difficult to do while it is racing out of control in constant motion. Only by stilling the raging waters can we see with clarity into the clear, mirrored waters of the mind and of the self. The breath is sometimes referred to as the bridge between the self and that which lies outside of the self, between our physical bodies and minds, and that which lies outside of that realm. By slowing the breath, chanting, or focusing on an object, a kata or a koan, not only do we focus our attention, we can realize numerous health benefits. These include inhibition of the sympathetic nervous system while encouraging parasympathetic responses, slowing the heart rate, decreasing blood pressure, decreasing stress, relaxing … etc, etc, etc. On a physical level, these numerous health and medical benefits of meditation are now scientifically well documented, most notably by such large organizations as the National Institute of Health and World Health Organization. In addition, we slow down the racing nature of the mind; brain wave patterns are affected, the turbulent waves subside, and suddenly, we can see. We see into ourselves, observe how we respond to life, and shift our perceptions, emotions, and understanding. By increasing the spaces between conscious thought, we can strive for kensho or satori states of “enlightenment.” On a spiritual level, we can aspire to narrow the gap between self and other, this and that, yes and no, so that perhaps we can understand different perspectives of truth and ultimately become more compassionate, loving people. What could be more valuable? The great Zen master Dogen said, “To study the Way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things of the universe.” Throughout history there has been an inextricable link between Zen and the martial arts. The 6 th patriarch of Zen, Bodhidharma, is often credited with introducing martial arts to the Shaolin Temple , and although most historians now concur that this was untrue, and that martial arts existed long before his arrival from India , he certainly influenced the movement of Zen and martial arts significantly. In the 12 th century, Zen became popular amongst the Samurai, influenced by the teachings of great masters like Dogen and Eisei. The samurai found that by accepting the idea of death, the idea of ‘no self’ they could enter a state of mushin , of non-mind / no mind , free functioning mind , a mind not restricted and inhibited by conscious thought. This fluid state of mind, of doing without doing, made their actions and responses more intuitive, and ultimately made them better warriors. A good way to begin your practice is by counting the breath. Find a quiet place and sit either in seiza or in half/full/quarter lotus, or with the legs in Burmese position, with your ears over your shoulders and your spine straight. Some feel that it is best to have your knees grounded, providing a solid foundation, but if you are unable to do so, sitting in a chair is also acceptable. Place your hands into a mudra , with your left hand resting in your right hand, and the tips of your thumbs touching lightly. Now rest your hands lightly touching over your lower abdomen. Direct the gaze out past the tip of your nose, with your eyes slightly open, and inhale deeply into the tanden, a point about one hand breadth below your naval and into your body center. Keep your attention here throughout, dropping off body and mind. As you exhale, count to yourself ONE. Continue inhaling and exhaling naturally, counting each time you exhale, until you reach TEN. Then start over. As thoughts come to mind, simply observe them drifting by, as if they were passing bubbles, and just return to concentrating on the breath. If you lose count, just start again with ONE. Ideally, your practice should be supervised by a qualified teacher, who can guide you and help you as you encounter certain things and monitor you as you progress in your training. For me, this is the ultimate practice. So don’t just do something, sit there !
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