In Buddhism, the main path to liberation is meditation, or, as it’s called in Zen, zazen, seated meditation. John Daido Loori Roshi, Zuisei’s first teacher, used to say, “Zazen is not contemplation, it’s not meditation, it’s not concentration. It’s not quieting the mind or focusing the mind. Zazen is a way of using your mind. It’s a way of living your life and doing so with other people.” He meant that zazen is not about being quiet. It’s not just about concentration or even insight. Zazen is about being close—to ourselves, to one another, to our lives, and the world. This is the only way that zazen works to free us and others.

Beginner’s Instruction: Zazen

We offer here Beginning Instruction in zazen to get you started with a home practice, but if you’re new to zazen or the Ocean Mind Sangha, we encourage you to join us during a Wednesday Evening and to let Zuisei know you’d like to receive instruction and an orientation.

SAVE THE DATE:
Zuisei will give a teaching on Working with Koans during OMS’s March Virtual Zazenkai: 3/15

Watch Zuisei’s dharma talk for a deep dive into the heart of koan study. Working with koans is another tool in the practice of Zen meditation. Transcript and video also offered freely here. (While Zuisei may engage her students in koan practice during Private Teaching, koan study is not necessary for formal training at OMS.)

What is koan study? Koan (literally “public case”) traces its roots to Tang Dynasty China, where exchanges between teachers and students leading to the students’ realization began to be recorded and systematized as formal teaching tools. A koan is an apparently paradoxical statement, question, or exchange meant to “short-circuit” the intellectual process in order to bring the student to realization of ultimate reality. Taking the koan into meditation, the student sits deeply with it, letting go of rationalization to directly apprehend its point, which then needs to be presented to the teacher. The student-teacher relationship is essential for koan study, developing over time as the student practices with a series of koans.

Listen to Zuisei’s talk Mu:The Ungraspable to learn more about the heart of koan practice.

For instruction on shikantaza practice visit here.

*Banner photo by George Dagerotip
Listen to audio or watch a video of step by step instruction for sitting silent Zen Buddhist meditation with Guiding Teacher Zuisei Goddard.