By Stephanie DeBalko, Weekender Staff Writer
Exhaust your words, and empty your thoughts.
Upon arriving at Endless Mountain Zendo (EMZ), a Zen Buddhist practice center in Stillwater, this doesn’t seem like it would be such a tough thing to do. Tucked into a picturesque landscape, the center feels more like a retreat than anything: At first sight, its two cozy buildings beckon peace with simplistic, natural beauty.
Zazen, a type of Zen meditation, is practiced in a building called the zendo, and upon approaching the living quarters, you may be greeted by Xu, resident canine and lover of belly rubs. You’ll also be welcomed by Genro Lee Milton Sensei, the abbot and teacher, and Yayoi Matsumoto, director and resident nun, both of whom assert a calming, serene presence.
But even in this sumptuously mellow landscape, emptying your thoughts and staying still, which is what is required of zazen, is easier said than done.
“Zen is a transliteration of the Indian Sanskrit word dhyana, which roughly translates as meditation,” Matsumoto explained when the Weekender attended a recent zazen gathering. “Our meditative practice in Zen is to be here now in the present with the totality of ourselves, doing what we’re doing. Zazen means sitting Zen or sitting with present mindedness.”
Buddhist or not, zazen can be a useful tool for survival.
“A lot of people come to meditation with an interest in its health and well-being benefits, such as regulating blood pressure and bringing calm,” Matsumoto said. “There are physical, emotional and mental benefits for sure — it does tend to bring us balance, tranquility and clarity. Its even deeper purpose is to bring us in touch with our true nature.”
Milton and Matsumoto practice in the Rinzai Zen Buddhist tradition, though there are other traditions of practice.
“We tend to be lazy, and when we sit in meditation we may tend to spend the time daydreaming,” Milton said. “The style of Rinzai Zen is dynamic, and it encourages and prods us to be wakeful and one-pointed in meditation.”
He also noted that Rinzai is sometimes called “warrior Zen,” and though that sentiment is toned down a bit for Sunday gatherings, where newbies are welcome, it is in full swing for events called “sesshins,” one of which will be held the week of March 24-31 at the center. To attend a sesshin, one must have prior zazen experience.
“Sesshin is an intensive zazen retreat which typically lasts for a week or weekend,” Matsumoto said. “We rise at 4:30 in the morning and practice formally until 9:30 at night. The schedule includes zazen interspersed with chanting, outdoor walking, a work period, a Dharma talk and one-on-one meeting with Genro Sensei and vegetarian meals.
“During sesshin, participants keep silence, reside at the zendo and totally devote themselves to the practice of present mindedness, being like a monastic. No distractions.”
HERE, NOW
Unlike other forms of meditation, zazen is not guided, but that rule is omitted if you’re a first-timer at the 501(c)(3) non-profit. Instead of diving right into the practice, which usually goes from 8:30-10:30 a.m. on certain Sundays, Matsumoto takes newcomers aside for the first hour or so to touch on the basics and to offer techniques for withstanding and benefitting from a session: Posture, breathing and seated position, to name a few.
“Sitting zazen, we begin to have a real connection with our true nature or Buddha nature; it has many names,” she explained. “Then as we continue to practice, it becomes a little bit easier to access during daily life. Ideally we’re doing present-mindedness practice all day long. That’s easier said than done, and so we return to the formal practice of zazen.”
There are other aspects of zazen that help connect the practice to our day-to-day activities.
“Mindful walking and chanting practice can serve as a bridge from the utter stillness of zazen to the activity of every day life,” she explained. “Movement is introduced into our present mindedness.”
Matsumoto stressed the idea of finding what works for the individual, and when gathered in the zendo with the other practitioners, it’s clear everyone abides by this. In two long rows, each person chooses the cushion density and seating position they want.
The only time speaking occurs, aside from chanting, is when Milton gives a talk near the end of the session — the expression that opened the story came from a passage he read aloud from Japanese master Daio Kokushi’s “On Zen.”
“Buddhist teachings and practice help us live a happy and truly contented life in the here and now,” he said during the gathering. “The past and the idea of a future life are figments of our imagination and nothing more. The past? Where is that? The future? Where is that? What we have been and what we will be have no reality.”
OPEN-DOOR POLICY
While it may seem that it’s necessary to be a Buddhist to practice zazen or participate in a sesshin, that’s not entirely true.
“I consider myself a Buddhist, but you don’t have to (in order) to come and practice Zen,” said Kevin Hilsey, a Tunkhannock resident who’s been practicing with EMZ for about 10 years. “There are people who practice Zen who are Catholic, who have other faith traditions … Some people are more, say religious, in their practice, but Zen doesn’t require that.”
In fact, Milton and Matsumoto never seem to be forcing anything. Perhaps that has to do with their general approach.
“In Zen, there’s a saying: ‘If someone comes, welcome them. If they wish to go, don’t hinder them,’” he said. “If they do come, Buddhist teachings and practice will help, but what is truly important is the peace we find. To find the self is to realize abiding happiness.”
And while Matsumoto noted that there are some religious-tinged aspects to it, especially during sesshin, all that is required is tolerance.
“At EMZ, it is not necessary to accept a set of beliefs,” she said. “To practice here, one would need to be able to follow a Buddhist practice format, but one’s beliefs are one’s own.”
At the end of the day, zazen is really about being in the moment, something most of us tend to neglect to acknowledge in the midst of our busy lives and our seemingly never-ending problems.
“Because after all, being with your breath, what religion is that?” Matsumoto said, laughing. “We are a Buddhist place, but really, the deeper you go, it’s beyond Buddhist.”
