Zen Meditation Plain and Simple

Why do we need to meditate to come to awakening if we are already awakened? There is a simple experiment that can help point you in the right direction so that you can see for yourself why it is necessary: observe the second hand of a watch for two minutes, all the while remaining aware that you are observing. Only after you have tried this should

To say that “I” and the “world” are illusions is not to say that they do not exist, but rather that they do not exist in the way that we habitually believe they do, that is, as separate and discrete things.

The word “right” does not mean right according to some perfect model or set of rules. Rather, it means without the distortion brought about by the craving to be separate. Right mindfulness and right concentration, for example, establish a steady and clear mind, which is the foundation for an ethical and spiritual life.

Concentration has great value because it summons up a natural energy. This could be called the energy of oneness. In Japanese it is called joriki.

In the practice of Zen, however, it is precisely the illusion of this duality that is seen as the primary hindrance, and consequently the positioning of the body is as important as the fixing of the mind or the steadying of the heart.

The world that we know and feel and all that we ourselves are, are but modifications of this one life, shadows obscuring the light of this life. The shadows are there, they have their own existence, but they owe their reality to the white light.

The truth of suffering resulting from our craving, and the possibility of transcending suffering by letting go of what distorts our relation to others and to the world, is the basis and motivation for spiritual effort.

Clarity is thus not only obscured by the images and forms, thoughts and judgments that flow through the mind, but also by our emotional reaction to them.

When seated properly, one’s center of gravity should be that point at which all of the forces at work in the body naturally meet. This point, called tanden in Japanese, is about an inch or more below the navel. However, more generally it is said that this center of gravity is located in the hara, the abdominal region. This is is a very important ar