" Within every moment of thought you should see yourself that your fundamental nature is pure. You should cultivate for yourself, pratice for yourself, and accomplish for yourself the enlightenment of buddhahood."
--Huineng [1]

So how do I do Zazen? Part 2: Breath

   Nothing needs to be consciously done to the breath, simply let the body breathe naturally. During zazen the breath tends to become slower, deeper, finer and more regular, but not always. Allow the breath to do whatever it does, noticing and accepting the changes, but not trying to force anything in particular to happen. This parallels exactly what we do with the mind; become calm and receptive and then wait and see what happens.

   Although no effort is made to control the breath, attention is placed on it. It is a very useful object of concentration, because as long as we are living it is accessible. During meditation, when the attention wanders, simply bring the mind back to the breath. The experience of the breath is invariably in the present moment; thus, forming the habit of returning to the breath creates the habit of coming back to the present.

   Counting the breath can be a useful method of gaining concentration. Count each breath on the exhalation, from one to ten. At ten, drop whatever thoughts have made their way into the mind, and begin again at one. It is just enough structure to help remind the mind to pay attention, ‘to come back to one.’ When the attention has wandered, one finds that the counting has ceased, or that counting continued mindlessly.

   The sitting posture is one that gives the most freedom to the diaphragm, allowing full, uninhibited breathing. This freedom can be obstructed by thoughts, feelings, or by poor posture. Emotions may cause muscular tension in the chest and shoulders, hindering rib expansion, or in the abdomen, limiting free movement of the diaphragm. Slumping forward restricts the belly’s ability to expand on the in-breath, keeping the breath in the chest. With deep, clear breaths the chest moves very little, and all the motion comes from within the abdomen. Noticing the tension is the first step in releasing it and settling into full, easy breathing. It is also useful not to wear tight clothing, especially around the waist, that would constrict expansion of the belly.

Posture
   ---Legs
   ---Torso
   ---Hands and head
>Breath
Bowing
Mind
Where
When


[1]Hui-Neng, pgs 60-61 in The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Chinese Patriarch, trans. by J., McRae. (2000) Numata Center, Berkeley CA.