We continue our video series on how to do Zazen, and how to allow the thoughts and emotions that appear during Zazen to drift from mind.
I often use the analogy of clouds (of thought and emotions) drifting in and out of a clear, blue spacious sky (a mind open and clear of thoughts).Our mind in Zazen may be compared to the sky; We are open, clear, spacious, boundless, like the clear blue sky… Our attention is focused on everything and nothing in particular, just as the sky covers all the world without discrimination… Thoughts, like clouds, often come and go.
Clouds drift in and out, that is natural. However, we bring our attention again and again (10,000 times and 10,000 times again) to the open, blue sky between, allowing the clouds of thought to drift away. More clouds will come, and so we repeat the process endlessly, once more and once more bringing our attention back to the blue sky… to the open spaces between thoughts.
Click through here to watch today’s talk, and to “sit-a-long”:
We do not try to “silence the thoughts forcefully” in Skikantaza. It is more that we allow the thoughts that naturally drift into mind to naturally drift out of mind, much as clouds naturally drift in and out of a clear blue sky. In this way, return again and again to the open, clear blue sky.Although we seek to appreciate the blue, open sky between the clouds, we do not resent or despise the clouds of thought that drift through our mind. We are not disturbed by them, we do not actively chase them out, neither do we welcome them, focus on them, play with them or stir them up. We allow them to pass, and return our focus once more to the quiet blue. 10,000 times and 10,000 times again.
As in the real sky, both blue expanse and clouds are at home there. We should reject neither, not think the blue somehow “truer” than the clouds. In fact, some days will be very cloudy, some days totally blue … both are fine. We never say “this cloudy day is not good because there is no blue sky today.” When the sky is blue and empty, let it be so. When the sky is cloudy, our mind filled with thoughts, let it be so. You see, even when hidden by clouds, the blue is there all along. Both the blue sky and the clouds are the sky … do not seek to break up the sky by rejecting any part of it. (In other words, do not think one good and the other bad). WE DO NOT SEEK TO BREAK UP OR RESIST ANY PART OF THE SKY, CLOUDS OR BLUE… It is all the unbroken sky.
Nonetheless, though we reject neither, we allow the clouds to drift from mind and return our attention again and again to the blue. Throughout, we are awake, aware and alert, conscious and present… we are not in some mysterious or extreme state. Nor are we dull, feeling lifeless or listless, for we should feel as illuminated, vibrant, boundless and all encompassing as the open sky itself.
The clouds of thought and the clear blue are not two, are simultaneously functioning and whole … a single sky. This is our way in ‘Just Sitting’ Shikantaza Zazen. When you see the clouds, be as if you are thereby seeing the clouds as blue. When you see the blue, you may also see the blue as clouds. In fact, as you advance in this practice, you will find that the blue sky illuminates, shines through the clouds… and we can come to experience both together… both thoughts and silence… as one.
Master Dogen called that “thinking not thinking,” or “non-thinking.”
A REMINDER: We will have our weekly 1-hour Saturday live Zazenkai tomorrow at 10pm Japan time (that is New York 8am, Los Angeles 5am, London 1pm and Paris 2pm, SATURDAY). To participate in the live or recorded version (available to sit, any time, anywhere) follow THIS LINK.
Below is today’s Sit-A-Long video. Remember: recording ends soon after the beginning bells; a sitting time of 20 to 35 minutes is recommended.
To view all of Jundo’s SunSpace posts, including earlier installments of “Zazen for Beginners,” click here.
15 Comments
These instructions are a breath of fresh air. Thanks Jundo!
Beautiful. Thank You Jundo.
Thank you Jundo for this most important and integral teaching. The concise and clear explanation is a great help to this beginner. Gassho
Thanks Jundo. I am going through a spell during meditation where my mind is not so much cloudy as foggy. Any tips for us on improving and maintaining alertness or do we just accept that sleepiness happens and that it will pass by eventually like the clouds?
I am so happy that Jundo is doingthis over here rather than over at BeliefNet. The pop-up adverts and layout was so distracting. I am looking foward to more from him.
Cheers,
John
http://www.zendirtzendust.com
It is nice to see that Jundo is doing this over here. I disliked the layout and pop-up ads on the BeliefNet site. Looking forward to more posts.
Cheers,
John
http://www.zendirtzendust.com
Hi "amindfulbeing" …
I have asked Rev. Taigu to comment as well, as some may have to do with adjusting the posture. For example, I would ask if you are keeping the backbone and neck comfortably erect, neither too taught nor loose and hunched over. When feeling a bit foggy, give the neck and backbone a slight upward stretch, very lightly (as if a string running from the top of your head to the ceiling were being pulled upward a smidgen).
Is your breath flowing naturally through your nose, fairly deep breaths using the diaphram (avoiding overly shallow breaths). We will talk about breath in the coming days, and generally we do not cause the breath to do anything but find its own, easy, natural rhythm. However, overly shallow breaths are not good.
What time of day are you meditating? At the end of the day, after being exhausted from work? In the morning, but not getting proper sleep? Get more sleep! (Although, a hard request to so many working people these days). If it is the end of the day, you may want to switch to the morning if you can (midday or break time perhaps).
We do accept sleepiness as "just what it is", and do not reject the experience … but really, it should only be once in awhile. Yes, our attitude is "when sleepy, just be sleepy" … but, nonetheless, we still should seek to avoid being sleepy most of the time.
Taigu may have somewhat different perspective on posture and such, so I hope he will add a comment.
Gassho, Jundo
Many thanks Jundo for your kind and very helpful suggestions which I am sure will be of general interest. I will explore them all.
Gassho
Hi everybody, I shall talk about it on Monday. I posted the following on the forum:
http://www.treeleaf.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&a…
gassho
Taigu
Thank you, Taigu. Wonderful advice, and I look forward to hearing more on Monday. Gassho, Jundo
Thank you Jundo this particular teaching has been very helpful. Gassho
Thank you. These instructions have been excellent. Long series too.
Dear Jundo,
I am absorbing all your words from parts 1 till this one, but it stops at 5 minutes and 46 seconds… At first I thought it had to do something with my pc or connection, but that's not the case… Could you check out what's wrong??? I'd love to see/hear your complete story. Thank you so much!
Hi everybody, Joyce here again,
I just browsed YouTube and found the clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB87Tgl91OM
For everyone who, as I, encountered technical difficulties here trying to watch the clip. Enjoy!
Jundo, thank you for the inspiration!
Jundo and Taigu, I cannot thank you enough for these lessons. Very inspiring, informative and encouraging… thank you ,thank you thank you!
_()_
josh