{"id":106969,"date":"2023-06-29T16:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-29T20:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=106969"},"modified":"2023-07-05T09:54:37","modified_gmt":"2023-07-05T13:54:37","slug":"how-to-practice-zen-buddhism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-practice-zen-buddhism\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Practice Zen Buddhism: Keys to Everyday Awakening"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever experienced Zen? Where’s the place to start? How is the Zen practice of meditation<\/a> different from other methods?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alan Watts says that there\u2019s more to Zen than just a set of philosophical principles or a chronology of religious movements that you can understand on an intellectual level. Zen is also something that you can practice in your own life, at the level of your embodied experiences in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue reading to learn how to practice<\/a> Zen Buddhism according to The Way of Zen<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How to Practice Zen Buddhism<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although we’ll examine how to practice Zen Buddhism, we’ll also see why Watts argues that Zen isn’t a practice, per se. He explores the ways that Zen is often experienced, including the starting points for someone new to Zen. He also outlines the traditional practices of Zen, such as meditation, Koan training, recreation, labor, and breathing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Is It a Mistake to Think of Zen as a \u201cPractice\u201d?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s common but not entirely correct to refer to Zen as a practice. Watts explains that to understand Zen, you have to experience it. But that doesn\u2019t actually mean practicing<\/em> it in a formalized, structured way. Paradoxically, you can\u2019t truly practice Zen if you\u2019re pursuing it as a goal<\/strong>. Similarly, Watts writes that Zen life begins with the understanding that you can\u2019t practice Zen to become a Buddha<\/a> because you are already a Buddha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To experience Zen, you don\u2019t need to practice any method in particular, nor do you have to do or think about anything specific. Watts explains that Zen isn\u2019t a means to the end of awakening; instead, awakening, or satori<\/em>, comes when you don\u2019t have a goal in mind and are instead just experiencing the present moment in the concrete world<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Not everyone agrees with Watts\u2019s interpretation of the Zen teaching that you are perfect as you are and have just lost touch with your true nature. Journalist Jules Evans writes that according to the Buddhist nun Tenzin Palmo, you can glimpse your true nature<\/a>, but you still need to practice to experience enlightenment. Evans explains that the risk inherent in following Watts\u2019s philosophy is that you can become complacent, even egotistical, and fail to change your habits even when they cause suffering to you or to other people in your life.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where Should You Begin if You Want to Experience Zen?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s one thing to understand the basic principles of Zen<\/a>, but it\u2019s another to express those principles in the way you live. Watts offers two suggestions for beginning: The first involves stepping away from your abstract idea<\/a> of the world, and the second involves seeking to experience the real, concrete world instead. We\u2019ll look more closely at each of these suggestions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let Go of Illusions and the Goals That Follow From Them<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

To begin living a life of Zen, you first have to stop pursuing goals<\/a> that reflect the abstract idea of the world<\/strong>. Watts writes that this means letting go of trying to experience the good without the bad: When you understand their relativity, then you can appreciate that there aren\u2019t goals that can be set or achieved. Stepping away from illusions also means loosening your grip on trying to plan for a future that, according to Zen, doesn\u2019t exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you internalize the idea that there\u2019s nothing to be gained or obtained in life, and nothing except the present, then you can realize that none of your abstract ideas about self-improvement remain relevant to your true self<\/a>. The way you do things matters more than the specific things that you do (or goals you set). Watts writes that Zen doesn\u2019t demand that you engage in any specific practice or course of action: You can experience Zen in any activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: If you\u2019ve ever noticed that you don\u2019t tend to feel happier after achieving a goal you\u2019ve set for yourself\u2014a phenomenon attributed to what psychologists call the hedonic treadmill<\/a>\u2014then the Zen idea of stopping yourself from pursuing goals might appeal to you. But it\u2019s not quite as simple as dropping goals altogether: Buddhist monk Kinrei Bassis writes that the idea of \u201cseeking nothing\u201d is to stop looking for life to give you what you want, and instead focus on what it already gives you<\/a>. This teaching also aligns with what psychologists recommend if you want to get off the hedonic treadmill<\/a>: One way to do that is to pay attention to the positive things and acknowledge the things you feel grateful for.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experience the World Around You<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The logical counterpart to stepping away from your abstract idea of the world is opening yourself to experiencing the real, concrete world instead<\/strong>. Rather than naming and classifying experiences, observe them and encounter them as they really are. Watts explains that Zen masters don\u2019t spend their time talking about Zen. Instead, they experience Zen by focusing on the tathata<\/em>, the suchness or the concrete reality, of the world around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Experiencing the world directly is easier said than done. In The Happiness Trap<\/em><\/a>, Russ Harris\u2014who teaches Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a mindfulness-based form of psychotherapy\u2014writes that you have an observing self and a thinking self<\/a>. Your observing self<\/a> watches the thoughts you think, the sensations you feel in your body, and the world you observe with your senses. Your thinking self naturally interprets what your observing self experiences directly and distracts you from the immediacy of reality. By connecting with your observing self, you can stop identifying with your thinking self.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Is Zen Expressed?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a basic principle of Zen that you can experience awakening at any point without having to participate in particular activities or meditate on specific ideas. However, Watts also writes that many traditional activities have historically been associated with the experience of Zen. We\u2019ll describe the activities that have traditionally been used as an expression of Zen, including meditation, koan training, work, recreation, and breathing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meditation<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

One traditional Zen practice is sitting meditation, or za-zen<\/em>, where you look at the world without thinking about it in abstractions<\/strong>. Watts explains that this practice helps you to see the \u201csuchness\u201d of the world since it involves letting your ideas about it fall away and experiencing reality as it exists right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Za-zen<\/em> involves attending to what\u2019s happening in the present moment, feeling a continuity between yourself and the world, and observing the absence of a boundary between your mind and the thoughts that run through it. This is a common way to express Zen, and Watts writes that Rinzai and Soto Zen monks spend a significant amount of time in the practice of za-zen<\/em>. For them, the translation \u201csitting meditation\u201d is literal: They practice za-zen<\/em> sitting on a cushion in lotus pose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Watts\u2019s interpretation of za-zen<\/em> has attracted controversy. Tim Lott writes that, throughout his body of work, Watts dismisses za-zen<\/em> as unnecessary<\/a> to the practice of Zen, an interpretation Lott characterizes as \u201cradical.\u201d Similarly radical is Watts\u2019s rejection of the traditional Buddhist idea of rebirth and the conventional understanding of karma<\/a> as a system of rewards and punishments that transcends the human lifespan, according to Lott. But he explains that Watts saw his job in The Way of Zen <\/em>as teaching the reader to think clearly, which is challenging when Zen is counterintuitive to someone with a Western perspective, and to help the reader accept that two contradictory ideas can be true at the same time.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Koan Training<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Another traditional way of expressing Zen is the sanzen<\/em>, where pupils in the Rinzai School visit Zen masters to present their understanding of Zen stories<\/strong>: kung-an<\/em> or koans. Watts explains that, in koan training, a student undergoes a series of 50 tests that take the anecdotes of historic Zen masters as their material. The student has to demonstrate that they understand the meaning of the koan. But, they can\u2019t explain the story in just words: The demonstration must be nonverbal and intuitive, and the student discovers its form in the process of coming to understand the koan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the student has found an answer to the koan, they present it to the Zen master using a verse from the Zenrin Kushu<\/em>, a compilation of Zen writings. The student carefully selects the verse to convey what they learned from the koan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Some experts say that koan training is one of the most meaningful practices<\/a> in Zen Buddhism, even though the koans themselves are sometimes described as nonsensical. In The Three Pillars of Zen<\/em><\/a>, Philip Kapleau Roshi writes that the purpose of koan training isn\u2019t to lead us to enlightenment, but to \u201cmake us lose our way and drive us to despair.\u201d That despair breaks down your assumptions and patterns of thinking so that you can discover a new perspective.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recreation and Work<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Recreation and work offer another way to experience and express Zen. Watts explains that some Zen practices don\u2019t emphasize za-zen<\/em>; Instead, they teach people to use their everyday work and pursuits as a means of meditation<\/strong>. He notes that, traditionally, rituals like tea ceremonies, arts such as brush drawing and flute playing, and athletic pursuits like ju-jutsu, fencing, and archery all serve as a mode of meditation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A traditional Japanese tea ceremony, or Chan-o-yu<\/em>, translated as the \u201cart of tea,\u201d offers one way to express Zen. The tea ceremony is a ritual that, according to Watts, requires a total immersion in the present moment, as tea is prepared and served in a traditional but secular ritual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Other experts agree that the Japanese tea ceremony is rooted in Zen thought<\/a> and intends to bring participants\u2019 attention fully to the present. It takes 10 years of study to fully master the ritual of the tea ceremony and the 37 steps it takes to brew, serve, and drink tea in the ceremony.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditional forms of art offer another way to understand and experience Zen (whether you\u2019re practicing the art or just appreciating it)<\/strong>. Watts characterizes Zen art as an expression of the artist\u2019s experience of the present moment. Sumi-e, a style of calligraphic painting, expresses spontaneity in its depiction of natural scenes. Haiku, a short form of poetry, expresses the concrete reality of a moment in time, evoking its particular mood or sensation. These arts are intended to be practiced without making an effort, performed without separating thought from action and undertaken without setting goals for the practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Today, the form of art that\u2019s most closely associated with Zen<\/a> is monochromatic ink painting. But all forms of Zen art are meant to evoke the simplicity and importance of the natural world, so they all express two concepts called wabi<\/em> and sabi<\/em>. While Watts characterizes these as moods, art experts say that they\u2019re more amorphous and express concepts such as rusticity, melancholy, loneliness, naturalness, and age, so that the simple image in a painting or a haiku becomes evocative of something much deeper.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even work can serve as an expression of Zen<\/strong> when you approach it in the right mindset. Watts explains that historically, many professions and traditional crafts in Japan were regarded as lay methods for learning the principles of Taoism, Confucianism, and Zen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: The importance of using your everyday activities to practice your spirituality recurs in many traditions. For example, in The Art of Happiness<\/em><\/a>, the Dalai Lama\u2014who is the leader of the Yellow Hat<\/a> school of Tibetan Buddhism\u2014writes that it\u2019s important to take opportunities in your everyday life<\/a> to practice a spiritual teaching or to learn a spiritual lesson. In practice, this requires maintaining a calm mind that enables you to be present and observant and being disciplined about practicing the spiritual lessons you\u2019ve learned even in everyday situations.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breathing<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Finally, you can learn to express Zen in one of your most fundamental physiological activities: breathing. Watts notes that any activity can function as meditation. But no matter what practice you adopt for practicing Zen, a key part of Zen is breathing<\/strong>. Watts explains that, when we breathe reflexively, our breath tends to be shallow. Proper breathing for the experience of Zen starts with the exhale, which should completely empty the chest and abdomen of air. Then, the inhale follows easily. The goal is not to breathe as an exercise but to become aware of and observe your breath as it moves in and out of your body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: According to other experts, breathing correctly is a crucial part of experiencing Zen. Zen master Ken Kushner writes that breathing for Zen meditation involves breathing from the hara<\/em><\/a>, or lower abdomen. Experts say that it\u2019s similar to the belly breathing that\u2019s taught in yoga, with one difference: While in belly breathing, the lower abdomen expands during inhalation and contacts during exhalation, in hara<\/em> breathing, the lower abdomen remains expanded on exhalation. Learning to breathe correctly enables you to direct your mind during meditation, and Kushner has developed several exercises to help you find your hara<\/em><\/a>.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you ever experienced Zen? Where’s the place to start? How is the Zen practice of meditation different from other methods? Alan Watts says that there\u2019s more to Zen than just a set of philosophical principles or a chronology of religious movements that you can understand on an intellectual level. Zen is also something that you can practice in your own life, at the level of your embodied experiences in the world. Continue reading to learn how to practice Zen Buddhism according to The Way of Zen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":101789,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,43,6],"tags":[1085],"class_list":["post-106969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-self-improvement","category-spiritual","tag-the-way-of-zen","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Practice Zen Buddhism: Keys to Everyday Awakening - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Zen is something you can enjoy at the level of your embodied experiences in the everyday world. 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