The Practice of Zazen Meditation
Zazen meditation dates back to ancient Chinese Buddhist works detailing a form of seated meditation called zuòchán. The term zazen is informally used to refer to all forms of Buddhist seated meditation. Still, it is typically thought of, at least among Westerners, when discussing Japanese meditation practices, and more specifically in Zen Buddhism. Zazen meditation is performed differently depending on the school of Buddhism one follows, most practice quiet meditation whilst seated in a lotus position. Some schools may follow teachings encouraging breathwork, and others may direct practitioners to mentally repeat a koan or mantra.
In practice, there are five types of zazen listed by Hakuun Yasutani. The types are as follows:
bompu, developing meditative concentration to aid well-being;
gedo, zazen-like practices from other religious traditions;
shojo, 'small vehicle' practices;
daijo, zazen aimed at gaining insight into true nature;
saijojo, shikantaza
(Source)
“Zazen is the study of the self. Master Dogen said, “To study the Buddha Way is to study the self, to study the self is to forget the self, and to forget the self is to be enlightened by the ten thousand things.” To be enlightened by the ten thousand things is to recognize the unity of the self and all things. The Buddha sat in meditation to realize his enlightenment, and for 2,500 years this meditation tradition has continued, passed down to us from generation to generation.” - Excerpt from Zen Mountain Monastery
You may think meditation is sitting and letting your mind wander, but surprisingly it’s more effort than that. Have you ever tried to not think about something? Have you ever tried to have your mind slow down and just perceive your surroundings? Zazen meditation is like being awake but your internal voice is turned off. You are experiencing the outer world without thought. This practice allows you to build your concentration, reduce anxiety and stress levels, and promote an overall good mood.
However, this isn’t the core reason Buddhists practice meditation. The ultimate goal is to discover what Buddhism calls ‘our true nature.’ According to Buddhism, our true nature is beyond how we self-identify, beyond our self-imposed limitations, we are more than our misled idea of who we think we are and what we must do to maintain this false idea.
Recent research has also shown that meditation could be a game changer when it comes to slowing the effects of ageing both physically and cognitively. Oxidative stress is one of the top factors in the ageing process. As we age, our DNA accumulates damage from our environment, we have cells that can repair most of the damage, though sometimes it is beyond repair. Most of the damage is due to oxidative stress, which means our bodies don’t have enough antioxidants to fix the damage of free radicals. A study from 2009, showed that practising zen meditation was shown to enhance antioxidant activity - antioxidants are vital molecules that fight off free radicals in our bodies. Free radicals damage our cells and cause homeostatic disruption (link). Clinically, meditation was found to significantly reduce stress and blood pressure, and be beneficial for a variety of conditions.
Another key factor in the ageing process is the shortening of telomeres, which protect our chromosomes. The telomeres naturally shorten as we age, thus reducing the amount of protection to our chromosomes - which can lead to premature ageing and leave our DNA more susceptible to the development of disease. A recent study compared the telomere lengths of long-term trained meditators and a control group. Findings showed longer telomeres in the meditators than in the control group (link).
This means that long-term meditation, and subsequent benefits such as emotional control and self-regulation, could reduce the amount of damage our body is taking internally. The longer our telomeres, the more protection our DNA has, which means a reduced chance of developing age-related diseases. These types of studies are uber important as they truly underline the mind/body connection and just how important it is to take care of both mental and physical health.
To recap, practicing zazen meditation is more than sitting mindlessly and it can do more for you than just stress-relief. It’s an ancient practice that has been benefitting followers of Buddhism for centuries and is now practised amongst health and wellness enthusiasts as well as encouraged by mental health professionals. It is obvious it takes patience and commitment to achieve these wonderful benefits that can come from meditation and I would encourage everyone to give it a go, not only for your mental health but for preventative purposes as well.
You can learn more about zazen and how to properly practice this meditation at the following links: