Chamseon
參禪
Zen Meditation
Meditation is a form of self-reflection which consists of two formal forms:
- Jwaseon 坐禪 : Sitting-style meditation
- Haengseon 行禪 : Walking-style meditation
One does not have to be a card-carrying Buddhist to practise Buddhist meditation. Not all Buddhists meditate and not all meditators are Buddhist. The Buddha was very pragmatic and his teaching experiential. The only requirement for meditation is the intention to be more awake, more aware, and to develop compassion and wisdom.
Buddhist meditation is usually practised in one of the four positions: sitting, walking, lying down and standing. Sitting normally takes place on the floor in various cross legged positions, such as the lotus, the half-lotus, the quarter-lotus and the Burmese. You generally use two cushions: one square and thin, the other round and fat. The square cushion helps you sit more comfortably ont he floor. The round cushion can be used to raise your bottom so that your knees rest on the square one.
These postures can be painful for Westerners who are not used to sitting on the floor. A good alternative is to sit on a chair, keeping your back straight, if possible without leaning against the chair. You could adjust your posture by placing cushions under your bottom and feet. It is important in sitting meditation that your posture is erect, but not rigidly so. You should open out your shoulders and feel your neck resting lightly between them.
Your hands should rest lightly on each other or on your knees. Try to sit with your whole body relaxed. The eyes, however, present a problem because the three Buddhist traditions differ over what to do with them. In Theravadan vipassana meditation, they are closed; in Zen, half-closed, and in the Tibetan dzogchen meditation, wide open. Whether half-closed or wide open, do not focus on anything but let your eyes gaze gently. In short, do not worry about them – just let them be.
There are many different instructions regarding sitting meditation. But, in the final analysis, every person is unique, with particular set of physical characteristics. You have to find the right posture for you – the one which allows you to sit as comfortably as possible. Most people are not used to sitting completely still even for a short period of time. The body and the mind need to get used to it.
It is essential to alterate sitting meditation with walking meditation. Walking meditation helps restore a more fluid and lively energy to the body. It also refreshes the mind, especially if you walk outside. You are not going anywhere, you are walking just for the sake of walking. Walking meditation is an art. It helps to break the patterns you might fall into whenever you walk. Do you hav the tendency to be distracted, to think of something else as you walk from A to B? Do you project yourself ahead and arrive before you have even started the journey? Or can you walk meditatively and mindfully, aware of your body and mind in the moment, open to the present?
~from MEDITATION FOR LIFE by Martine Batchelor~
