Zazen

The practice of Zazen is at the heart of Zen Buddhism. It was through this practice that, some 2 600 years ago, 

Siddhartha Gautama, guided by his existential quest, awakened to the reality of his life within this great everything, 

hence the name given to him: Buddha in Sanskrit, meaning Awakened One. He then spent his life passing on the understanding of his awakening. Thus, from generation to generation, from patriarch to patriarch, the practice of zazen has been passed down to us, unbroken.

Zazen refers to the sitting posture of the body, and to the state of being seated. 

The mental attitude specific to this practice is called Shikantaza: just sitting — the famous letting-go we often hear about. 

This is because, unlike other spiritual practices, zazen requires no mental support, no visualization to achieve a special state.

Shikantaza is a central notion of the Sôtô School of Zen, founded by the monk Eihei Dôgen. 

It was in 1223, during a long journey to the sources of Zen in China, and with the man who became his master, 

that Master Dôgen experienced Shikantaza. This profound realization formed the basis of his teaching on his return to Japan.

Of course, in our lives, the mental organ is a precious tool. It helps us analyze, plan and communicate. 

However, when it becomes the only way we perceive the world, it traps us in an unending flow of thoughts. 

This overactivity can lead to the illusion that we are our thoughts and by identifying ourselves with our mind, 

we create a separation between ourselves and the rest of the world. We lose touch with the intimate dimension of life, 

the one that unites us with each other. This leads to all kinds of suffering, both for ourselves and for others. 

And so we spend our lives looking outside ourselves for ways to fill the void we create.

In the sitting posture of zazen, the body is motionless,  tension-free, the breath is free to come and go. 

We let our thoughts come and go without interfering, letting go of our inner dialogue and calming the mind. 

Master Dôgen speaks of being resolutely seated. An immobile and vigilant presence. 

One of the natural repercussions of zazen practice is that we naturally reconnect with the intimate dimension of life, 

which lies at the heart of our human experience, where intimate understanding comes not from reasoning, 

but from a direct, non-conceptualized experience of life. 

We are then reminded that, beneath the diversity of forms and thoughts, we share the same essence.

So, even if it’s only for a brief moment during each zazen, little by little in our daily lives, we cultivate a more authentic presence, 

in our relationship with ourselves, as well as in our interactions with others.

A subtle but powerful process of reconnection with our true nature.