**Zazen Practice Overview:**
– Zazen is a meditative discipline in Zen Buddhism.
– Methods of zazen vary across schools, including anapanasati, repeating phrases, and open monitoring.
– Rinzai school combines zazen with koans, while Sōtō school emphasizes shikantaza.
– Five types of zazen: Bompu, Gedo, Shojo, Daijo, and Saijojo.
– Practitioners sit in a zendo using cushions (zafu) and mats (zabuton).
– Postures include full-lotus, half-lotus, Burmese, and Seiza, with modern adaptations like chairs.
– Bell ringing marks the start and end of zazen periods.
**Zazen Techniques and Training:**
– Initial training in zazen resembles samatha meditation.
– Focus on breath and mindfulness exercises, progressing to koan-practice or shikantaza.
– The aim is to develop concentration power and present-moment awareness.
– Koan introspection is a key aspect, deepening awareness and suspending judgmental thinking.
**Key Texts on Zen Practice:**
– ‘Zen Mind, Beginners Mind’ by Shunryu Suzuki.
– ‘The Three Pillars of Zen’ by Philip Kapleau.
– ‘Dogens Extensive Record: A Translation of the Eihei Koroku’ by Eihei Dogen.
– ‘The Way of True Zen’ by Taisen Deshimaru.
– ‘Dogens Manuals of Zen Meditation’ by Carl Bielefeldt.
**Further Reading and External Links:**
– Various texts like ‘Zen and the Brain’ and ‘Beyond Thinking’ offer deeper insights into Zen practice.
– External links to resources related to zazen practice and influential figures like S. N. Goenka and D. T. Suzuki.
– Scholarly works such as ‘Concentration and Meditation’ by Christmas Humphreys provide academic exploration of Zen Buddhist theory and practice.
**Zen Practice Books and Scholarly Works:**
– Books like ‘On Zen Practice: Body, Breath, Mind’ and ‘Finding the Still Point’ offer practical guidance for beginners.
– Scholarly works like ‘Dogens Extensive Record’ and ‘The Art of Just Sitting’ delve into the philosophical and practical aspects of Zen meditation.