How students should prepare for zazen
Shared by Kaz
In 2012, Rev Ito shared with students how students should be prepared to come to our zendo for zazen. “Rinzai hakone zendo zazen kokoroe”. I added explanations.
- 礼儀作法 (reigi saho): Etiquette & be courteous. Students should respect the zendo and other students. Students can clean and set up our zendo where we meditate. To be courteous to others, students can avoid disturbing others by arrive early and try move less during zazen.
- 坐してかんがえよ (za shite kangae yo): Just sit. Do not think anything. Don’t think about what you are going to do later today or what happened to you earlier, just sit to be yourself.
- 坐をきめよ (za wo kime yo)（座相）zasou: Find your center and sit. Students can move bodies from side to side and front and back to find their center.
- 背筋 頭 丹田 (sesuji atama tanden): Let your body to sit. Straighten your spine and align your head. Focus on tanden, 2.5 inches below your navel. Your mind and everything sit in tanden.
- 気息を坐らせよ (kisoku wo suwaraseyo): Control your breath. 1/3 should be inhaling, and 2/3 should be exhaling. Try longer exhaling.
- 丹田を落ち着かせここが己の住処なり (tanden wo ochitsukase kokoga onoreno sumika nari): Focus on tanden. Breathe slowly and abdominally.
Here is recording of teisho by Rev Ito from 7/22/2012.
Hakone Zendo 