Zazen: Getting Started
Nothing in my life has transformed my thinking and perspective more than meditation and, in particular, zazen.
It began with a book that I read in 2010: Three Pillars of Zen by Philip Kapleau. Based on the techniques in that book, I began to sit for 20-30 minutes a day. This led me to explore more readings, such as Everyday Zen, and books by Robert Aitken, which brought me to the Palolo Zen Center, Diamond Sangha, in Honolulu, Hawaii. (I was living in Honolulu at the time, where Aitken co-founded the Sangha with his wife.)
In 2010, I joined the Sangha, committing to regular meditation and volunteer activities (ranging from cleaning the zendo to chopping down banana leaves with a machete - it was all part of the practice). During my time there, I was fortunate enough to have an influential Dokusan teacher, Michael Kieran, who helped to guide me down this new path. In 2011, I completed a 3-day, intensive sesshin at the Sangha, which was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. (The thumbnail image for this post was taken at the completion of that sesshin.) I highly recommend attending a sesshin to anyone who is committed to this practice.
My time at the Sangha ended when, later that year in 2011, I moved to Los Angeles to be closer to family. I have since branched out to other forms of meditation, with the help of technology, to incorporate meditation into an active L.A. lifestyle (see Meditation for the Working Professional). But, I have remained a friend of the Sangha, and committed to this Buddhist practice.
Getting Started
All you need is a comfortable cushion, such as a zabuton and zafu set (see, e.g., DharmaCrafts, though less expensive options are available), and a commitment to regular practice. In terms of sitting, some people prefer full or half lotus. I prefer Burmese (given my limited flexibility and bad knees). A good visual of these seated postures can be found here. If you have questions about aligning the body, breath, and mind, more detail can be found here.
Breath counting. “With each out breath, count a single number, continuing from one to ten and then returning to one again. Eventually the numbers will become part of the flow of breathing and you will no longer need to count. But in the beginning, counting your breaths will help you keep your energy gathered, your mind clear, and your attention focused on your breathing.” Zazen Instruction by Shodo Harada Roshi. Keep your gaze lowered, but maintain good posture with your back (vertical spine). Focus your attention on your mind’s eye (the area between or slightly above your eyebrows) while breath counting from 1 to 10. Return to the mind’s eye when your mind wanders. And your mind will wander: that is the natural state of being alive. As you practice, however, you will begin to disassociate and detach from your thoughts so that they seem like clouds drifting in the background, not an impetus for action or reaction. Breath counting is a simple but effective practice, and the one that I used in Hawaii when I began practicing zazen. I still use it today, as a foundation of my practice. You may want to start with 5-10 minutes and build up from there, or dive in head first and sit for longer. Whatever feels best to you; this is your practice.
Walking meditation (kinhin). If you are meditating for more than 25 minutes, you may want to consider incorporating a walking meditation into your routine for 10-15 minutes (or try this instead of sitting). To do a walking meditation, make a fist with your left hand, with the thumb tucked inside. The right hand covers the left fist. Hold your wrist and base of the thumb against your solar plexus (see, visual of the location of your solar plexus here). Relax your shoulders and neck. Chin tucked in, gaze lowered, but maintain good posture with your back (vertical spine). On the exhalation, take a step forward. On the inhalation, continue to the next step. You can walk in a large circle, or straight if you have the space and prefer. You can walk briskly or slowly. The goal is to remain focused on your breath to clear your mind. (Note: there are techniques on stepping with the ball of the foot/big toe or heal first. I would focus more on aligning your breath with the steps than the way in which you are stepping. If I recall correctly, I learned by stepping with the ball of my foot, followed by the heal, but that was years ago, and nowadays I just focus on aligning my breath. If you go to a zen center, they will be able to instruct you on how they perform kinhin there.)
Koan Studies. “Koans (pronounced KO-ahns) are cryptic and paradoxical questions asked by Zen teachers that defy rational answers. Teachers often present koans in formal talks, or students may be challenged to "resolve" them in their meditation practice.” An Introduction to the Zen Koan. I didn’t progress far enough at the Diamond Sangha to reach the stage of koan studies, which is a more advanced form of Buddhist study. Perhaps someday I will reach this phase, but, for now, breath counting or simply sitting works for me. If you have practiced with Koan studies, please post a comment so that all may learn from your experience.