To Our Dear Sangha

Sometimes there is confusion about meditation and zazen. Some people refer to zazen as “Zen meditation.” Some scholars incorrectly translate Zen Master Dogen’s teachings, using the English word “meditation” when Dogen uses “zazen.” In recent times, there are also some Zen monks who say that mindfulness and zazen are the same. So, of course there is confusion.

At Zen Online, we see a very clear and important difference between meditation and zazen. We hope this month’s newsletter will shed some light on this topic.

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(Translated by Madoka)

Understanding zazen by knowing how it is different from meditation

Before reading below, please understand that it isn’t my intention to say that either meditation or zazen is superior to the other. Also, before I encountered Zen, I practiced several types of meditation. I do not know every kind of meditation in the world, so my take on meditation is from my own experience with it. 

The reason I’m explaining the difference between zazen and meditation is because I meet many people who confuse them, and think they are doing zazen when they are not. Understanding the difference will help you to do zazen correctly.

First, to understand what Zen is, please try touching your cheek with your hand now. When touching, the actual sensation is there, right? With touch, there is the actual sensation itself. If you turn to the right, there is what is actually there to the right. If the thought, “I’m hungry” arises, there is “I’m hungry.” When a feeling of joy arises, there is the actual feeling itself. This is the way we are—the sensation itself, the view itself, the thought itself, the feeling itself. We use the word, “Zen” to mean what is actually real itself, and this is what we are. Because what is real is always just what it is, we also call it Dharma (universal law). (For a more detailed explanation about Zen, please see https://zen-online.info/what-is-zen/ ) 

From this, we can see that with touch, there is simply the actual sensation itself, and you do not implement any method for the sensation to be what it is. In other words, we can say, “Zen=what is actually real.” No method is required for what is actually real to be just the way it is. 

Next, I’ll explain meditation. Before encountering Zen, I practiced several kinds of meditation. What they all had in common was that they had a method to implement, such as chanting or focusing on breathing.

As I explained, Zen is what is actually real, just as it is, so there is no method. Meditation uses methods. Because Zen is not a method, zazen is simply “Zen=What is actually real itself” when sitting. And because there is no method, zazen is neither difficult nor easy. 

To read about zazen in more detail, please see the explanation on our website: https://www.zen-online.info/zazen

Zazen isn’t a method…what?!

The first time I heard Matsumoto-san say that zazen is not a method, I didn’t get it. Even though you don’t do anything, isn’t sitting with eyes open doing nothing also a method? In meditation, we might be mindful of breathing. In zazen, we don’t do anything. But we do sit doing nothing…so isn’t that a method?

At that time, Matsumoto-san had in-person zazenkai at an apartment in Tokyo, and dokusan was held in a small laundry room. I sat with my back to the sink, washing machine to my left, and Matsumoto-san always sat at the entrance of the shower room. It was quite a humorous set up.

Dokusan went something like this.

Me: What do you mean, zazen isn’t a method?!

Matsumoto-san: So, what is Zen again? (he waved a pool noodle in the air to show me Zen). This is Zen.

Me: OK…

Matsumoto-san waving pool noodle: This is zazen.

Me: Oohhhhh… I’m beginning to understand…

And here is the train of logic what went through my head:

“The word ‘Zen’ is used to mean what is actually real now. Self is an illusion, so there is no ‘me’ as a subject, and there is only what is actually real now (Zen). What is actually real now, facing forward, is the view of Matsumoto-san waving a pool noodle.

“Zazen is what is actually real (Zen) while sitting—also the current view of Matsumoto-san waving the pool noodle! Oh!

“Zazen is what is actually real now, without the existence of a self, so it is not the explanation (story/method) of what the illusion of self is doing or not doing. So that’s why Matsumoto-san says ‘what is actually real now = Zen = zazen!’“

Let me emphasize that it is not necessary to go through this logic again if it doesn’t make immediate sense for you. It only made sense to me because I had been doing zazen regularly for some time. And no amount of logic will enlighten you, so it is more important to do zazen than try to understand the logic. I share this story in hopes that it will help at least some people to sit without trying to create some state that feels like “zen,” and just sit.

If we focus on posture, one could argue that zazen is a method too. But the most important part of zazen is not the posture. The vital point of zazen is what is actually real now, because that is what enlightenment is. This is the reason for today’s photo.

Here it is again. The photo on the left is me meditating on a mountain in India. I was definitely using a method. I had my eyes closed, and was exploring “who am I?” I was totally neglecting what was real, and was exploring a concept with a method. The photo on the right is what was there facing forward, which is Zen…and zazen.

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