Zen Buddhist Meditation Practice
By Axel Gjertsen
Zen Buddhism is really popular among meditators in the West. In this post we’ll take a close look at the unique flavors of zen practice.
Have you ever stepped inside a Japanese temple? They’re full of character and charm; with its sliding doors, Japanese-window panels and tatami mats covering the floors. It feels special just to be there.
Zen Practice
The words zen practice suggest that you continue with the practice even after you’re done meditating in the temple. Unlike swimming where you stop once you get out of the water, the zen practice continues outside the meditation hall.
We can divide the meditation practice into three categories:
Meditation practice in the temple.
Awareness practice, called samu.
Meditation retreats, called sesshins.
Meditation Practice
The daily meditation practice starts early in the morning, usually before daybreak. The meditators sit along the walls inside the temple and meditate with their backs as upright as possible and with the chins somewhat tucked in. In Japanese, the word zazen is used for meditation.
After about 45 minutes everyone stands up to continue with walking meditation, for about a quarter of an hour, which in zen is a group practice where the meditators walk clockwise in a circle inside the temple.
It’s really powerful to do both the sitting and walking meditation as a group. This builds up a lot of mental energy which supports concentration. In that respect, group practice makes it easier to meditate.
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Zen Buddhist Meditation Practice
