What are some of the requirements when adopting guidelines on how to sit? What do we want it to help with? What would the Yoga of Zen look like? I'm sure all of us have our own wish list. Here is mine:
1. I would want it to help me with the Buddha Way: To help me more completely understand who I am.
2. I would want it to be faithful to the opening lines of the Zazenkai. The way is basically pure, who could imagine a way to brush it clean?
3. I would want it to help me sit without pain.
4, I would also like it to help me express fundamental understanding and motivation in my day to day activities.
5. I would require it to be non dual: to embrace the unity of mind/body/emotionals.
6. It would recognize that interpretation of our senses are unreliable.
7. I would like it to recognize the lack of separation between self and others.
8. It would be safe and could be used by anyone without regard to disability.
In a bit more detail:
1. What good is a Yoga of Zen if it does not help me with my practice?
2. I've heard that Buddhas first words, after becoming enlightened, expressed that he was now enlightened with all beings. My understanding is that the fundamental nature of all of us, right now, is that we are enlightened. Hense, there is nothing to gain or add onto our present situation. And this is the fundamental premise of shikantaza: just sitting without expectations, grasping or aversions is the expression of enlightenment. It is often said that this sitting is "non-doing", but in my mind that trivializes this practice. It's seems like a lot of work for me to sit like that! I won't say much more because it would be hard to stop. What I want to emphasize is that the Yoga of Zen should not try improve us or our sitting. How could it improve on our fundamental nature? It would help us be who we truely are right now but not change or improve anything. In my estimation, suggestions such as "Don't Move!" or "Sit up straight!" or "tuck in the chin" have no place in how to physically Sit. These phrases are in stark opposition to our fundamental edict that the present moment is OK just the way it is. Hence, Yoga, as commonly taught in the US is NOT Zen. Sure, it can be very helpful - just like eating right and getting the right amount of rest is helpful. But it DOES NOT inform how to use our bodies as we sit zazen.
3. How many of us have sat in pain? I would guess that it is extremely common. For a persuit who's goal is liberation from suffering I am often surprised by how little attention is paid to decreasing the physical pain endured while sitting. I am aware that there is quite a bit that can be said about pain while sitting. But I completely reject the notion that pain while sitting is helpful in practicing the Buddha Way. I believe all leaders in the sangha (Buddhist community) should be aware of, and offer, any available tools to help those who sit in pain. It seems to me a very basic level of compassion we should have for ourself and others. And, the Yoga of Zen should help people with their sitting pain.
4. Practitioners of Buddhism have always been socially engaged as a major expression of their practice. Modern Buddhists and Zen practitioners continue to express their practice and understanding outside the meditation hall from the personal to the global arenas. We hear daily about the suffering in all the corners of the world. And I am not alone in believing that life on this planet may not continue for much longer without the benefits of all of our efforts. How can a Zen practitioner help? Zen is all about the present moment. The question then is "How can I bring my understanding of practice to the present moment?" or more practically "Is what I am doing right in this very moment a reflection of my deepest intention?"
It seems to me, as a Zen practitioner, that if we act moment after moment based on our fundamental intention, then we will be doing our part to heal the ills of the world. What prevents us? Well clearly, if we do not fully embody our true self and have not refined our fundamental intention then we will not be doing our part. So we do need to sit. But even very advanced teachers with deep understanding can find themselves acting in ways that are not helpful, just like the rest of us. Beyond doing even more sitting and trying to be mindful, the Zen student has very few tools to help them in the midst of daily living. To help life on the planet is to continue, the Yoga of Zen should bring our practice and understanding to our activities in the present moment.
5. Even though the approach to sitting that I'm trying to talk about is physical, it should not explicitly try to divide the body, mind, emotions. This is not about 'Joe taking his body and making it sit better'. It's about how to fully engage the whole mind/body/emotional self - which I call Joe - to just fully sit. It should not exclude anything.
6. Feeling our body, relying on our senses has got to form the basis of the Yoga of Zen, right? My body does not feel right, not upright, too twisted or bent. Based on my interpretations of pain and proprioception I'll change my posture. Or my teacher if telling me to sit up straight, so I'll try to change my posture to till it feels more upright. Or reading Dogen, I'll try to align my nose with my navel by how it feels. Or I'll look at a senior student and try to sit in a way that is as relaxed as I think she is. The big problem here is that although we are constantly fed information based on our senses our interpretations, opinions, judgments can not be trusted. Uh oh! I'm like a ship in the ocean and I just found out my compass is unreliable!! You don't have to believe me, but it's true. Maybe later I'll try to prove this point. I very much wish I had adopted this guideline years ago...
7. Honoring both the difference and lack of difference between self and other sounds like it should be here, but I don't know why.
8. No one should get hurt. Sitting is not nearly fun enough to risk getting hurt. And the Yoga of Zen should be helpful for those in all abilities. It's only right.
Whew! That was way too long: sorry! Will try to be more brief in the future.
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