Many years ago, before it was big business, I learned
Transcendental Meditation. I did it for years, but I
never trained to teach it to anyone else – and it’s a
secret training; I couldn’t pass it on anyway, not just
from personal experience. Gradually I lapsed from
my own practice.
my mantra
that sang in my mind
falls silent
So then I learned something simpler, which is just
to pay attention to your breath – and when your
mind wanders, bring your attention, gently and
without struggle, back to your breath. Over the
years, I taught a lot of people. But gradually I
lapsed from my own practice.
sitting still
ten minutes is too long –
modern life!
Now I’m reading a book called ‘A Tale for the
Time Being,’ where an old Buddhist nun teaches
her great-grand-daughter how to do zazen. It’s
even easier than what I’ve been teaching, and I
only need do it for ten breaths at a time. I adopt it
at once! I don't think I can possibly lapse from just
ten breaths at a time.
briefly
being in this time –
enough
Notes:
As explained here, Zazen is not meditation.
The book is A Tale for the Time Being, by Ruth Ozeki.
To summarise / paraphrase the instructions from the book:
It's usually done cross-legged on a zafu cushion but it's OK to sit on a chair. The main thing is good posture, no leaning or slouching.
Put your hands in your lap, stacked so left hand is on palm of right. Your thumb tips meet on top in a kind of circle, level with your belly button. Relax, hold really still, focus on your breathing, not making a big deal about it but just noticing it. Notice everything that's going on, inside and out of you, including your breathing. If you find you're getting too distracted, count your breaths:
Breathe in, breathe out ... one.
Breathe in, breathe out ... two.
After 10 breaths, start counting at 1 again.
It's natural for a person to think, so when you notice your mind has wandered, don't freak out. Just drop it and start again from the beginning.
It doesn't say do it for ONLY 10 breaths, but that's how I began and it still felt great. Then I spontaneously started wanting to go longer, and even have begun feeling like bringing my legs up into a cross-legged position!
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Shared with Poets and Storytellers United for Friday Writings #87: What Pleases You? This piece references one of my very oldest pleasures, reading, and the very newest, sitting zazen.
