#zen practice

Although he recites few sacred texts, if he puts the Dhamma into practice, forsaking lust, hatred and delusion, with true wisdom and emancipated mind, clinging to nothing in this or any other world - he indeed partakes of the blessings of a holy life."

In Tibetan Buddhism, the Citipati, or “Lords of the Cemetery” are two mythological Buddhist ascetics, who were so deep in their meditation, they were caught unaware by a thief & beheaded even before they knew they were dead. They represent the eternal dance of death, and perfect awareness. :: [Red Pine (translator) :: Bill Porter (author)]

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"Meditation is done by our mind. But in zazen, we don't do anything with our mind. We don't count breath. We don't watch breath. We don't chant mantra. We don't contemplate anything. We don't try to concentrate our mind on any particular object. We have no techniques. We really just sit with both body and mind. We sit in an upright posture, breathe through the nose quietly, deeply, and smoothly from our abdomen. We keep our eyes open. Even when we sit in this posture, our mind is functioning. Our heart is beating; our stomach is digesting food. Each and every organ in our body continues to function. There is no reason that our brain stops working in our zazen. The function of our brain is to secrete thoughts. Thoughts well up in our mind moment by moment. But we refrain from doing anything with our thoughts. We just let everything come up freely and go away freely. We don't grasp anything. We don't try to control anything. We just sit.

This is such a simple practice. To be simple does not mean to be easy. It is very difficult and it is very deep practice. In zazen, we accomplish nothing. As Sawaki Roshi said, zazen is good for nothing. But zazen is itself Buddha Dharma. Refraining from doing anything, the self is illuminated and verified by all things. Just sitting is not our personal practice. But we let go of our karmic self that always wants to be satisfied."

- Shohaku Okumura, from "To Study the Self." The Art of Just Sitting: Essential Writings on the Zen Practice of Shikantaza, edited by John Daido Loori.

In The Shamanic Bones of Zen: Revealing the Ancestral Spirit and Mystical Heart of a Sacred Tradition, celebrated author and Buddhist teacher Zenju Earthlyn Manuel undertakes a rich exploration of the connections between contemporary Zen practice and shamanic or indigenous spirituality. Drawing on her personal journey with the black church, with African, Caribbean, and Native American ceremonial practices, and with Nichiren and Zen Buddhism, she builds a compelling case for discovering and cultivating the shamanic, or magical elements in Buddhism -- many of which have been marginalized by colonialist and modernist forces in the religion.

Manuel is an ordained Zen Buddhist priest who previously led the Kasai River Healing Sangha in Oakland and now lives in New Mexico where she leads the Still Breathing Zen Sangha. For many years Manuel has also practiced singing, drumming and ceremonies from a variety of Indigenous traditions including Caribbean, Native American Lakota and Vodou from Dahomey, Africa. She writes, "I wondered: if the shamanic bones or Indigenous roots that were suppressed in the rising of Buddhism were unearthed, would the practice make more sense to practitioners, especially to black, Indigenous and people of color?"

When we go walking there are often many reasons at work along with our muscles. There is the exercise and gaining distance from either where we started or from something that is troubling. Some of us are working toward the accomplishment that comes from getting to our destination or end of a section or the terminus. While others are after the invigoration that comes from being in nature. Finally whether or not we have a camera, sketchpad, or a great set of eyes, we are seeking beauty. 

Anyone attending to beauty along the trail, park, or backyard can easily appreciate the seven characteristics of Zen art that have been identified by the lay master Shin’ichi Hisamatsu (1889-1980). The first one is asymmetry, seen in things that are crooked or imbalanced. We can see this in trees everywhere we look except on that Christmas tree that fills the corner of your living room. We see it in the rock strewn creek tumbling down the nearby canyon. Nature has a way of not being balanced or orderly, more often it is unruly. 

The second characteristic of Zen art is simplicity. Nothing is cluttered just a simple space for a clear mind. Time is irrelevant and there is no sign of the rat race and deadlines that can plague us. 

The third characteristic is best described as a form of sublime austerity. I have seen this in the bent pines near the summit of Mount Baden Powell. You may have observed this in the weathered ways of old farm buildings. Those things that exhibit this feature are singular, one of a kind with what Christopher Ives describes as ‘quirky nobility’.

The fourth characteristic is naturalness. Many of us experience this in the way we feel strong and solid as we plant a step or sit down. There is no mind, no ego, simply a quiet strength and sincerity. 

The fifth characteristic is darkness. We can experience this walking through the woods at night. Another way is how we can be compelled to stare deeply into the glowing coals of a campfire.Sometimes I notice this characteristic walking through fog or noticing a fog shrouded peak. 

For the sixth characteristic of Zen art is freedom from attachment. I am reminded of a thru hiker I met once who told me his trail name was ‘Amtrak’. I asked him how did he come to get that trial name? His response, “ I get there when I get there.” Truly, freedom from attachment.   

Finally the seventh and last characteristic is tranquility. A state of not moving or stirring. Noting that chickadee alone on a low branch. Calming our minds and as the Zen teachers suggest, “stillness in moving, moving in stillness”