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(4) Having breakfast : Rules of having breakfast are somewhat complicated. Ways of using bowls. Chopsticks, small dish-cloths, or eating rice porridge are regulated in detail. Here I will consider about the process of changes brought about by concentrating his attention on his action and the psychological meanings of them. Acquiring mastery of these rules is very similar to that of acquiring any techniques in general and follows a sequential procedure. The first stage is to break down rules into smaller components and master them one by one. This is done for the purpose of learning the co-ordination of relationship between cognition and behaviour. The second stage is to reunite components that had been broken down.
As this process progresses. a practitioner can reach the point where all actions can be performed automatically without conscious attention paid to them. In the third stage, a practitioner”s intention to accomplish the rules. and actual accomplishment of them unite completely as one.
This stage is often called SHUKYAKU-GOITSU (unification of subjectivity and objectivity), MUGA (selflessness or self-renunciation) or ZAMMAI (this word denotes a state in which the mind is free from distraction, is absorbed in intense, purposeless concentration). Concisely stated, in this third stage one”s intention disappears and only accomplishment of rules exists. As it can be seen in the examples above, chief characteristic of active Zen is to bring about the new awareness to daily activities through concentrating his attention upon such action and unifying his subjectivity and objectivity by intense absorption.
Static Zen (ZAZEN)
Static Zen (Zazen) essentially does not differ differ that much from Active Zen in the sense that its goal is to follow the way of Buddha-Way. In daily life, Static Zen is integrated in active Zen. They affect each other, and together they deepens the stage of enlightenment. The mental state attained in Zazen maintains its effect in daily activities.
Zazen consists of an interaction between the following elements : CHOSHIN (regulation of body), CHOSOKU (regulation of respiration) and CHOSHIN (regulation of mind). Following is a brief summary of these elements :
(a) CHOSHIN : Chosin consists of arranging one”s posture. Having set all relations aside and having put everything to rest controlling one”s posture, a practitioner sits in full or half lotus position with eyes open and hands positioned to form the symbol of Cosmic Mudra (JOIN). A round cushion is set under the hips. and the back is straight. A right triangle is formed between both knees with the coccyx as the pivotal Point. and the center of gravity is placed in the middle of this triangle.
(b) CHOSOKU : Chosoku consists of arranging and controlling one”s respiration. In the beginning of this this exercise. the practitioner counts his breaths, beginning with one-two-three and so forth Once accustomed to this, the practitioner then changes to long exhalations and short inhalations. when doing this while seated in a lotus position. the pattern of respiration becomes one of abdominal breathing with the diaphragm working strongly and stomach pressure concurrently rising.
(c) CHOSHIN : Chosin consists of arranging or controlling one”s mind through a process consisting of several stages. In the first stage this exercise begins with one”s concentration focused upon the respiration. This focusing upon one point is an active attempt to try to exclude all other thoughts from entering the mind. However. paradoxically. doing this focused; concentration actually activates the flow of unrealistic mental phenomena. Unrealistic phenomena in this case are defined as images, ideas thou…
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