4

The Practice of Zazen

It is not my intent to force meditation on any reader. Therefore, those who would prefer not to explore the practice of Zen, as well as those who are already well versed in the practice of zazen, can simply skip this brief instruction.

The applied practice of Zen is called zazen, and is equally simple and complex. The external form is the simple part; ideally, one sits as upright as possible on a meditation pillow in one of three postures (see pages 19–21). These positions allow contact with the floor, which creates support for building a firm physical foundation. Another option is to sit on a meditation bench. For those who are not flexible or do not own a meditation bench, a chair can also be used to sit and meditate. ...

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