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Big in Japan: 4 easy steps to blissful meditation
All this month, Big in Japan is bringing you a special series on Zen. From ancient scriptures and Buddhist mantras to austere minimalism and the sound of nothing, we'll do our best to help you find your own little slice of inner peace and enlightenment...Zen (?) is about as intricate, layered and complex as a lotus flower in full bloom, though the mysteries of this ancient Eastern philosophy are not as incomprehensible as you might imagine. On the contrary, the ability to calm the body and mind, and experience insight into the nature of your existence, is entirely within your grasp.
For starters, it helps to know that the fundamentals of Zen Buddhism lie in a practice known as zazen (??) or literally 'seated meditation.' Since practitioners of Zen believe that new perspectives and insights on existence will lead you down the road to enlightenment, meditation truly holds the key for unlocking your inner self.
On that note, today's post is all about the 4 easy steps to blissful meditation (^_^)
Looking to discover the Buddha-nature within through meditation and mindfulness of daily experiences? Here are some quick and easy steps for reaching nirvana:
1) Assume the position. In Japanese seated meditation or zazen, there are three different types of leg positions: full-lotus, half-lotus and seiza (kneeling posture). All three have their varying degrees of pain and discomfort, though no one ever said that the road to enlightenment was easy!2) Mind your posture. Your mother was right - a straight back and a strong spine really will serve you well in life. If your body is threatening to turn into a jellyfish, you can reinforce your posture by sitting on a small pillow or cushion. You can also fold your hands together over your belly, which is the body's natural center of gravity.
3) There is no spoon. Start breathing deep from the belly, lower the eyelids halfway, and then find that sweet spot between conscious distraction and unconscious sleep. In the early stages of learning zazen, you need to develop your concentration skills by focusing on the natural rhythms of your breathing.
4) Reach nirvana. The fourth and final step in blissful meditation isn't something you can expect to achieve in the first session, but it's a respectable goal nevertheless. The key in zazen is to develop what is known as 'one-pointedness of the mind,' which allows you to focus all of your attention on a kÅan (å ¬ę”) or singular object of meditation.
Here is the cool part:
KÅan generally contain aspects that are inaccessible to rational understanding, such as the famous question, "Two hands clap and there is a sound, but what is the sound of one hand clapping?"
So, if you want to answer questions that are not answerable by mere intellectual reasoning, then practice these four easy steps to blissful meditation, and start uncovering the secrets of the universe.
Want to learn more? Sure you do!
Be sure to check Big in Japan all this month as we delve deeper into the subtle art of Zen (ē¦ ).
** All images courtesy of the WikiCommons Media Project **
Filed under: Asia, Japan, Big in Japan
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Sam Oct 28th 2008 10:16AM
Hey Matt,
Great article and a really good read (esp. when I'm at work).
I found your article linked to a new site I was looking at that is kinda like digg, except for only Japan related stuff:
http://www.japansoc.com/
-Sam
(btw, this is Sam from LC)
Matthew Firestone Oct 28th 2008 10:18AM
Thanks for the digg-esque vote of confidence, and glad to hear that you liked this little article!
Not much to report really - just writing, writing and writing these days, so no news is good news (^_^)
Best,
Matt