Summary: Excerpted from _The Three Pillars of
Zen_, this doc is a cogent and concise primer
on zazen, or Zen meditation. From Usenet.


hi -

i have received a few msgs from folks asking me again for the name of the
zen book i mentioned a while back.  the book is:

        The Three Pillars of Zen
                 by Roshi Phillip Kapleau

Some other people have commented on how many zen books don't make a whole
lot of sense to them.  here are some suggestions i can make in this regard,
and a detailed excerpt from 3 pillars of zen concerning how to practice
correct zazen (zen meditation).  Also, after the instruction section, i
have included another lecture from 3 pillars concerning "makyo," or visions
and hallucinations that might arise in the course of meditation practice.
even if you are not interested in zen, you might be interested in this
particular passage, as it provides an excellent explanation of these
phenomena and how to deal with them.

1.  don't worry about what any of it means.  the most important part is to
    learn how to meditate. the "answers" will come through meditation, not
    through deductive/discursive reasoning.

2.  the koans are deliberately designed to tie your deductive mind into
    knots, so you will let go of that and just experience reality directly.
    you can not see reality as long as you are attached to IDEAS of what it
    should be or might be or whatever.  everything you perceive is filtered
    through what you believe, and thus is distorted by your own prejudices
    and concepts.  just sit down and meditate, letting go of concepts, worries,
    thoughts, etc.  and experience what happens.   this is very good training
    for concentration when in the out-of-body state, since what you believe
    is what you get on the astral plane!  do not suppress thoughts, simply
    let them pass, and do not become engaged by them. the fewer concepts you
    latch onto in your head concerning reality, the clearer your
    experience will be.  try it.  you will find some surprises!


3.  the three pillars of zen book is a pretty good beginner's book -- tho
    it also has a few pretty baffling passages, if you are not a hardened
    zen practitioner.  again, zen masters are always telling us to forget
    the damn books and sit on our butts and DO IT. books will just fill
    your head with more of your own ideas.  this is why true zen masters will
    rarely just tell you flat out about your "true nature" or "buddha nature"
    as they call it.  anything they tell you, you will latch onto and interpret
    in your own prejudicial way, and all is lost --- your head is just full
    of more concepts again, and reality is blocked. reading zen books to gain
    enlightenment is sort of like expecting to be in peak physical condition
    simply by reading about jogging.  nothing changes until you get off
    your arse (or in this case, ON your arse :-) ) and JUST DO IT. i've read
    billions of zen books, and nothing started to happen until i sat and
    meditated.   i'm still lazy, though, and will still attempt to squeeze
    enlightenment out of a book, sometimes!   silly me.

4.  don't worry about how long you are able to sit still and meditate. if
    you are only able to do it for 10 seconds, then that is 10 seconds'
    worth closer to awakening! you will soon find that you actually crave
    meditation, and it will become easier and easier to meditate for extended
    periods.  do try, tho, to extend it a bit each time just past the point
    where you are comfortable.  usually, the discomfort stems from the ego's
    resistance to awakening (it feels threatened for some reason, even tho
    nothing bad happens to it during awakening), and it will cook up all kinds
    of things to throw you/it off the path....like an itchy nose or sore knees
    or waves of emotion, jumbling thoughts, or whatever.  let it do its thing,
    but don't attach yourself to any of it. push the envelope just a tiny
    bit each time (not too much, all you workaholics out there, or you will
    end up hating meditation -- which is exactly what your ego wants you
    to do!).

5.  here are instructions from "three pillars of zen" for basic beginning
    zen meditation. note that the part about posture is the longest and
    most detailed.  this is because it is one of the most important. the
    posture is designed explicitly to enable you to (eventually, once you
    loosen up enough to relax) sit for very long extended periods of time,
    thus increasing your chances of awakening.  the instructions are from
    a verbal lecture by the great master Yasutani-roshi, the teacher of
    Kapleau-roshi, the guy who wrote the 3 pillars book. they are the clearest
    instructions i have encountered, to date. there are a lot of details, so
    just take it a step at a time:

<CORRECT ZEN MEDITATION POSTURE>

                The first step is to select a quiet room in which to sit. Lay
        out a fairly soft mat or pad some three feet square, and on top of
        this place a small circular cushion measuring about one foot in
        diameter to sit on, or use a square cushion folded in two or even a
        folded or rolled-up blanket. Preferably one should not wear trousers
        or socks, since these interfere with the crossing of the legs and the
        placing of the feet. For a number of reasons it is best to sit in the
        full-lotus posture. To sit full-lotus you place the foot of the right
        leg over the thigh of the left and the foot of the left leg over the
        thigh of the right. The main point of this particular method of
        sitting is that by establishing a wide, solid base with the crossed
        legs and both knees touching the mat, you achieve repose and absolute
        stability. When the body is immodbile, thoughts are not stirred into
        activity by physical movements and the mind is more easily quieted.

                If you have difficulty sitting in the full-lotus posture
        because of the pain, sit half-lotus, which is done by putting the
        foot of the left leg over the thigh of the right and the right leg
        under the left thigh. For those of you who are not accustomed to
        sitting cross-legged, even this position may not be easy to
        maintain. You will probably find it difficult to keep the two knees
        resting on the mat and will have to push one or both of them down
        again and again until they remain there. In both the half- and the
        full-lotus postures, the uppermost foot can be reversed when the legs
        become tired.

                For those who find both of these traditional zazen positions
        acutely uncomfortable, an alternative position is the traditional
        Japanese one of sitting on the heels and calves. This can be maintained
        for a longer time if a cushion is placed between the heels and the
        buttocks. One advantage of this posture is that the back can be kept
        erect easily. However, should all of these postions prove too
        painful, you may use a chair.

                Next, rest the right hand in the lap, palm upward, and place
        the left hand, palm upward, on the top of the right palm. Lightly
        touch the tips of the thumbs to each other so that a flattened circle
        is formed by the palms and thumbs. The right side of the body is the
        active side, the left the passive. Accordingly, during practice we
        repress the active side by placing the left foot and left hand over
        the right members, as an aid in achieving the highest degree of
        tranquility. If you look at a figure of the Buddha, however, you will
        notice that the position of these members is just the reverse. The
        significance of this is that a Buddha, unlike the rest of us, is
        actively engaged in the task of liberation.

                After you have crossed your legs, bend forward so as to
        thrust the buttocks out, then slowly bring the trunk to an erect
        posture. The head should be straight; if looked at from the side,
        your ears should be in line with your shoulders and the tip of your
        nose in line with your navel. The body from the waist up should be
        weightless, free from pressure or strain. Keep the eyes open and the
        mouth closed. The tip of the tongue should lightly touch the back of
        the upper teeth. If you close your eyes you will fall into a dull and
        dreamy state. The gaze should be lowered without focusing on anything
        in particular, but be careful not to incline the head
        forward. Experience has shown that the mind is quietest, with the
        least fatigue or strain, when the eyes are in this lowered position.

                The spinal column must be erect at all times. This admonition
        is important. When the body slumps, not only is undue pressure placed
        on the internal organs, interfering with their free functioning, but
        the vertebrae by impinging upon nerves may cause strains of one kind
        or another. Since body and mind are one, any impairment of the
        physiological functions inevitably involves the mind and thus
        diminishes its clarity and one-pointedness, which are essential for
        effective concentration. From a purely psychological point of view, a
        ramrod erectness is as undesirable as a slouching position, for the
        one springs from unconsious pride and the other from abjectness, and
        since both are grounded in ego they are equally a hindrance to
        enlightenment.

                Be careful to hold the head erect; if it inclines forward or
        backward or sideward, remaining there for an appreciable length of
        time, a crick in the neck may result.


        <PREPARATION FOR MEDITATION>

                When you have established a correct posture, take a deep
        breath, hold it momentarily, then exhale slowly and quietly. Repeat
        this two or three times, always breathing through the nose. After
        that breathe naturally. When you have accustomed yourself to this
        routine, one deep breath at the beginning will suffice. After that,
        breathe naturally without trying to manipulate your breath. Now bend
        the body first to the right as far as it will go, then to the left,
        about seven or eight times, in large arcs to begin with, then smaller
        ones until the trunk naturally comes to rest at center.

        <CONCENTRATING THE MIND>

                You are now ready to concentrate your mind. There are many
        good methods of concentration bequeathed to us by our predecessors in
        Zen. The easiest for beginners is counting incoming and outgoing
        breaths. The value of this particular exercise lies in the fact that
        all reasoning is excluded and the discriminative mind put at
        rest. Thus the waves of thought are stilled and a gradual
        one-pointedness of mind achieved. To start with, count both
        inhalations and exhalations. When you inhale, concentrate on "one;"
        when you exhale, on "two;" and so on, up to ten. Then you return to
        "one" and once more count up to ten, continuing as before. If you've
        lost the count, return to "one." It is as simple as that.

                As I have previously pointed out, fleeting thoughts which
        naturally fluctuate in the mind are not in themselves an
        impediment. This unfortunately is not commonly recognized. Even among
        Japanese who have been practicing Zen for five years or more there
        are many who misunderstand Zen practice to be a stopping of
        consciousness. There is indeed a kind of zazen that aims at doing
        this, but it is not the traditional zazen of Zen Buddhism. You must
        realize that no matter how intently you count your breaths, you will
        still perceive what is in your line of vision, since your eyes are
        open, and you will hear the normal sounds about you, as your ears are
        not plugged. And since your brain likewise is not asleep, various
        thought forms will dart about in your mind. Now, they will not hamper
        or diminish the effectiveness of zazen unless, evaluating them as
        "good," you cling to them or, deciding they are "bad," you try to
        check or eliminate them. You must not regard any perceptions or
        sensations as an obstruction to zazen, nor should you pursue any of
        them. I emphasize this. "Pursuit" simply means that in the act of
        seeing, your gaze lingers on objects; in the course of hearing, your
        attention dwells on sounds; and in the process of thinking, your mind
        adheres to ideas. If you allow yourself to be distracted in such
        ways, your concentration on the counting of your breaths will be
        impeded. To recapitulate: let random thoughts arise and vanish as
        they will, do not dally with them and do not try to expel them, but
        merely concentrate all your energy on counting the inhalations and
        exhalations of your breath.

        <TERMINATING MEDIATION>

                In terminating a period of sitting, do not arise abruptly,
        but begin by rocking from side to side, first in small swings, then
        in large ones, for about half a dozen times. You will observe that
        your movements in this exercise are the reverse of those you engage in
        when you begin zazen. Rise slowly and quietly walk around with the
        others in what is called "kinhin," a walking form of zazen.

                Kinhin is performed by placing the right fist, with thumb
        inside, on the chest and covering it with the left palm while holding
        both elbows at right angles. Keep the arms in a straight line and the
        body erect, with the eyes resting upon a point about two yards in
        front of the feet. At the same time continue to count inhalations and
        exhalations as you walk slowly around the room. Begin walking with
        the left foot and walk in such a way that the foot sinks into the
        floor, first the heel and then the toes. Walk calmly and steadily,
        with poise and dignity. The walking must not be done absent-mindedly,
        and the mind must be taut as you concentrate on the counting. It is
        advisable to practice walking this way for at least five minutes
        after each sitting period of twenty to thirty minutes.

                You are to think of this walking as zazen in motion. Rinzai
        and Soto differ considerably in their way of doing kinhin. In Rinzai
        the walking is brisk and energetic, while in traditional Soto it is
        slow and leisurely; in fact, upon each breath you step forward only
        six inches or so. My own teacher, Harada-roshi, advocated a gait
        somewhere between these two and that is the method we have been
        practicing here. Further, the Rinzai sect cups the left hand on top
        of the right, whereas in the orthodox Soto the right hand is placed
        on top. Harada-roshi felt that the Rinzai method of putting the left
        hand uppermost was more desirable and so he adopted it into his own
        teaching. Now, even though this walking relieves the stiffness in
        your legs, such relief is to be regarded as a mere by-product and not
        the main object of kinhin. Accordingly, those of you who are counting
        your breaths should continue during kinhin, and those of you who are
        working on a koan should carry on with it.


                This ends the first lecture. Continue to count your breaths
        as I have instructed until you come before me again.


        <NOTE: Lecture #2 was more details about beginning zen practice,
         and a variation on the breath counting method of concentration.
         I am skipping it here -- check out the 3 Pillars of Zen book for
         these instructions.>


        <ILLUSORY VISIONS AND SENSATIONS>

                "Makyo" are the phenomena -- visions, hallucinations,
        fantasies, revelations, illusory sensations -- which one practicing
        zazen is apt to experience at a particular stage in his sitting. "Ma"
        means "devil" and "kyo" the "objective world." Hence makyo are the
        disturbing or "diabolical" phenomena which appear to one during his
        zazen. These phenomena are not inherently bad. They become a serious
        obstacle to practice only if one is ignorant of their true nature and
        is ensnared by them.

                The word makyuo is used in both a general and a specific
        sense. Broadly speaking, the entire life of the ordinary man is
        nothing but a makyo. Even such Bodhisattvas as Monju and Kannon,
        highly developed though they are, still have about them traces of
        makyo; otherwise they would be supreme Buddhas, completely free of
        makyo. One who becomes attached to what he realizes through satori is
        also still lingering in the world of makyo. So, you see, there are
        makyo even after enlightenment, but we shall not enter into that
        aspect of the subject in these lectures.

                In the specific sense the number of makyo which can appear
        are in fact unlimited, varying according to the personality and
        temperment of the sitter. In the Ryogon (Surangama) sutra, the Buddha
        warns of fifty different kinds, but of course he is referring only to
        the commonest. If you attend a sesshi of from five to seven days'
        duration and apply yourself assiduously, on the third day you are
        likely to experience makyo of varying degrees of intensity. Besides
        those which involve the vision there are numerous makyo which relate
        to the sense of touch, smell, or hearing, or which sometimes cause
        the body suddenly to move from side to side or forward and backward
        or to lean to one side or to seem to sink or rise. Not infrequently
        words burst forth uncontrollably or, more rarely, one imagines he is
        smelling a particularly fragrant perfume. There are even cases where
        without conscious awareness one writes down things which turn out to
        be prophetically true.

                Very common are visual hallucinations. You are doing zazen
        with your eyes open when suddenly the ridges of the straw matting in
        front of you seem to heaving up and down like waves. Or without
        warning everything may go white before your eyes, or black. A knot in
        the wood of a door may suddenly appear as a beast or demon or
        angel. One disciple of mine often used to see visions of masks --
        demons' masks or jesters' masks. I asked him whether he had ever had
        any particular experience of masks and it turned out that he had seen
        them at a festival in Kyushu when he was a child. Another man I knew
        was extremely troubled in his practice by visions of Buddha and his
        disciples walking around him reading sutras, and was only able to
        dispel the hallucination by jumping into a tank of ice-cold water
        for two or three minutes.

                Many makyo involve the hearing. One may hear the sound of a
        piano or loud noises, such as an explosion (which is heard by no one
        else), and actually jump. One disciple of mine always used to hear
        the sound of a bamboo flute while doing zazen. He had learned to play
        the bamboo flute many years before, but had long since given it up;
        yet always the sound came to him when he was sitting.

                In the Zazen Yojinki we find the following about makyo: "The
        body may feel hot or cold or glasslike or hard or heavy or
        light. This happens because the breath is not well harmonized [with
        the mind] and needs to be carefully regulated." It then goes on to
        say: "One may experience the sensation of sinking or floating, or
        may alternately feel hazy and sharply alert. The disciple may develop
        the faculty of seeing through solid objects as though they were
        transparent, or he may experience his own body as a translucent
        substance. He may see Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Penetrating insights
        may suddenly come to him, or passages of sutras which were
        particulary difficult to understand may suddenly become luminously
        clear to him. All these abnormal visions and sensations are merely
        the symptoms of an impairment arising from a maladjustment of the
        mind with the breath."

                Other religions and sects place a great store by experiences
        which involve visions of God or deities or hearing heavenly voices,
        performing miracles, receiving divine messages, or becoming purified
        through various rites and drugs. In the Nichiren sect, for example,
        the devotee loudly and repeatedly invokes the name of the Lotus
        sutra, to the accompaniment of vigourous body movements, and feels he
        has thereby purged himself of his defilements. In varying degree these
        practices induce a feeling of well-being, yet from the Zen point of
        view all are abnormal states devoid of true religious significance
        and therefore only makyo.

                What is the essential nature of these disturbing phenomena we
        call makyo? They are temporary mental states which arise during
        zazen when our ability to concentrate has developed to a certain
        point and our practice is beginning to ripen. When the thought-waves
        that wax and wane on the surface of the mind are partially calmed,
        residual elements of past experiences "lodged" in the deeper levels
        of consciousness bob up sporadically to the surface of the mind,
        conveying the feeling of a greater or expanded reality. Makyo,
        accordingly, are a mixture of the real and the unreal, not unlike
        ordinary dreams. Just as dreams are usually not remembered by a
        person in deep sleep but only when he is half-assleep and half-awake,
        so makyo do not come to those in deep concentration or samadhi. Never
        be tempted into thinking that these phenomena are real or that the
        visions themselves have any meaning. To have a beautiful vision of a
        Buddha does not mean that you are any nearer becoming one yourself,
        any more than a dream of being a millionaire means that you are any
        richer when you awaken. Therefore, there is no reason to feel elated
        about such makyo. And similarly, whatever horrible monsters may
        appear to you, there is no cause whatever for alarm. Above all, do
        not allow yourself to be enticed by visions of the Buddha or of gods
        blessing you or communicating a divine message, or by makyo involving
        prophecies which turn out to be true. This is to squander your
        energies in the foolish pursuit of the inconsequential.

                But such visions are certainly a sign that you are at a
        crucial point in your sitting, and that if you exert yourself to the
        utmost, you can surely experience kensho. Tradition states that even
        Shakyamuni Buddha just before his own awakening experienced
        innumerable makyo, which he termed "obstructing devils." Whenever
        makyo appear, simply ignore them and continue sitting wholeheartedly.



The good news is that *anybody* can experience kensho (awakening) and
satori and samadhi. in 3 pillars, there are accounts of shop keepers,
teachers, the invalid daughter of the president of Mitsubishi even,
experiencing kensho.  you do not have to be a saint, a zen monk (although
the latter helps inasmuch as you are devoting your full strength to
awakening), or any other high-falutin' sort to achieve kensho. all you
have to do is meditate, preferably under the guidance of a good zen
master.  and it is for *free*.

