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What  is Zazen?
The word meditation can be confusing, because many different things are called meditation. Zazen is zazen. It is sitting stable, upright, comfortable and still, cease the pursuit for thoughts and sense perceptions. We let all thoughts and feelings come and go, just as they are, without any analysis or judgement. We just sit, that is all.
Zazen is returning to a more balanced and happier state of body and mind. We keep our posture like a heavy rock anchored on the bottom of a river, letting all waves and streams flow us by. The waves and streams will calm down by themselves. We let go of all struggles and goals, and we stop trying to escape from the great reality as it is, here and now.
A period of zazen is usually between 20 and 45 minutes long. If we have several periods of zazen, we do kinhin in between. Kinhin is like zazen, but we walk slowly, step by step, instead of sitting. With each careful step, we arrive home. |
