Zazen
To practice zazen, we sit, facing a wall, on a cushion (zafu), legs crossed in the lotus or half-lotus position.
The pelvis is tilted forward so that the knees can push the ground. From this base, the spine
is stretched and the top of the head pushes the sky. The chin is pulled in, the head is straight,
the shoulders relaxed. The eyes look down at a 45 degree angle. The tip of the tongue touches
the front of the palate. The left hand rests on the right hand, palms upward. The thumbs touch at their tip,
forming a continuous line. The hands rest on the thighs and are in contact with the abdomen.
The conditions for total stillness are thus created. Body and mind united, concentrating on deep, slow,
calm and powerful breathing, the mind becomes as clear as a cloudless sky.
It is through this practice that Shakyamuni became Buddha. Not through buddhism, it did not exist. Not through the sutras, they had not yet been written.
« When the mind dwells on nothing, true
mind appears. » Diamond Sutra
French version of the texts from Zen, by Bovay, Kaltenbach and De Smedt, Albin Michel Publishing, 1993