Meditation
‘To study the way of enlightenment is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be actualized by myriad things. When actualized by myriad things, your body and mind as well as the bodies and minds of others drop away. No trace of enlightenment remains, and this no-trace continues endlessly.
When you first seek dharma, you imagine that you are far away from its environs. At the moment when dharma is authentically transmitted, you are immediately your original self.’
– Zen Master Eihei Dogen
Manifesting the way of the Buddha through zazen
All of us possess a natural wisdom of being. Actively discovering how we can rely on this dimension of ourselves frees life from unnecessary suffering. Seated meditation (zazen), together with a wholehearted engagement with daily living, reveals the freedom that comes with trusting our real nature. This selfless activity benefits others as well as ourselves. Zazen is central to Soto zen
Just sitting, with body and mind gathered together in an upright and alert posture, is the form of zazen.
The posture is one of dynamic acceptance. Both receptive and responsive, active transformation takes effect within this simple activity and it becomes clear that intrinsic freedom is not limited to any particular form, but found everywhere at all times
Recommended reading
Introductory and further resources
Even an introductory text can become a good lifelong companion. Although our understanding matures over time, zazen is the same in the beginning, middle and end. There aren’t advanced teachings that are only revealed later on and yet some teachings are generally more suitable for beginners than others. An introductory book that lays out foundational teachings, can be helpful to come back to time and again over a lifetime of experience in practice.
The recommendations below are just a small selection made by Rev. Willard, it’s not intended to be a comprehensive list and it’s not. Only some recommendations referenced here are introductory material.
Soto Zen
Buddhism was founded around the life and teaching of the Buddha Shakyamuni, over 2,500 years ago in northern India.
As Buddhism spread, many different forms emerged due to the character of different teachers and the cultures through which the teaching passed.
The form of Mahayana Buddhism that is known as Zen emerged as a distinct school in China in about the 8th century.
Our school of Soto Zen was introduced to Japan in the 13th century by Zen Master Eihei Dogen. Within the Soto Zen school there are many teaching lines and each has its own particular flavour. Zen literally means meditation and zazen or seated meditation is the heart of our practice.
All beings already have the same enlightened nature as the Buddha but we obscure it when believing that we are separate, isolated beings.
In having faith in practice, we can begin to see how this burden of isolation comes about – because we are misunderstanding our own nature.
In trusting in what we and all things are, confidence can grow in a freedom that is essentially unburdened. This is the heart of zazen.
Compassion, both for oneself and all beings, is at the heart of this process. Compassion is the living wisdom of everything in its true place.
