THE PRACTICE OF ZAZEN, SAIKENJI
Zazen
Saikenji Temple, Japan
Saikenji is a Buddhist temple located in Hamamatsu city, 252 km outside Tokyo. The monastery’s temple was built in 1480. The name of the temple (loosely translated) means, the point from where you can see the West, that is, where India is, the land where the Buddha was born and is the land of Pure Paradise. In Saikenji you can practice zazen and the formula of the teaching is expressed as follows: becoming one with everything in the world.
The abbot of the monastery is called Kothen Roshi and he has visited us several times in Athens as a guest of Zen Center Athens. He is a very simple and nice person but behind this simplicity, there is the spiritual breadth of a Master and Guide on the path of Zen.
It was evening when the group we had formed representing Zen Center arrived in Japan. Tokyo glowed through the thousands of lights that marked the city at night. The long journey and fatigue were forgotten all at once. The Master’s daughter was waiting for us at the airport. Her look and the gentleness in her speech and movements made me feel at ease. The first glance at the surroundings was flooded with an unfamiliar language whose ideograms looked like paintings scattered around the room. Of course, there were instructions in English, but my attention was trapped in the calligraphy of unfamiliar symbols.
The kindness of the people is very distinctive and the way they move through the space has grace and beauty. We headed to the railway station. So, to reach the city of Hamamatsu we had to change trains three times. I remembered the pictures I saw in brochures about trains in Japan. Speed, absolute punctuality in schedules, orderliness in boarding and disembarking, the courtesy of the conductors who crossed the cars at regular intervals and the cleanliness made me feel good. I make no secret of the fact that I began to compare Greek public transport and often the miserable conditions we experience on it.
We arrived in the city and then in three cars (there were ten of us) we headed to Saikenji Temple. The night was not letting the ravenous eyes be filled with the impressions of the surroundings. No other monks reside in this temple, only the Master and his family. They waited for us at the entrance and welcomed us with hugs and smiles. Yes, the dream began to come true.
We passed the beautiful gate of the monastery. The sounds of the night became the first sounds. Hot food and tea awaited us. What a joy! We all sat together at the low tables exchanging news and information. Sharing tastes, impressions and the presence of Roshi leading our path to the study of Zen. His three daughters were helping with the translation. Of course, besides language we could communicate with eyes, gestures and a kind heart. For the heart began to “open up” spontaneously, without intention and the light began to shine and guide the events.
The teacher’s girls led us to the places where we were to stay. Five women together and five men in the next room, together. The sliding doors “opened” the Japanese way of living. I like that there are no doorknobs. That everything slides quietly and can change the configuration of the space quickly. I like the tatami that coats the ground and the futon mattresses that you fold up in the morning and become comfortable beds at night. We were greeted with an early wake up call and preparations for the initiation ceremony for those who wanted to become monks. We were even expecting the intensive zazen practice that we would do all the days of our stay at the monastery.
The daylight revealed a beautiful landscape! Through the windows I got my first glimpse. Blue skies, super bright sun and Japanese architecture, which is very special, on the temples that were on the site. I ran outside like a little kid to embrace everything and fill my lungs with the air of Japan! The songs of the birds mingled with the silence of the landscape. Large gardens, towering bamboo trees and other species. Flowers, arocarias but also a small stream flowing quietly under the carved marble bridge. Temple coloured and zen garden with rocks scattered, irregularly around the site. A quick first look and we all gathered for the morning meal.
Preparation for the initiation began. I had prepared for this some time in advance with absolute care and awareness. Because I have been practicing zazen since 1986, I knew what my heart wanted and followed it. We opened the boxes of robes that we were to ritually receive and wear. Everything is a symbol for me. And these monk’s robes symbolize what one wants to realize during one’s life. At least that’s how I understand it.
The ceremony was a new light in my life. And so it is. All events have special weight and special significance. They were all done with the guidance and dynamic presence of the Master. Something important but at the same time something you let go of without clinging to it. But isn’t that what Zen is all about? Commitment to the present moment as it is. Not looking back to the past or the future and letting things come and go like clouds running in a blue sky. We continued with our uninterrupted zazen practice. Waking up at 4am and going to bed at 9pm. The experience of studying this practice in its “source” is something very special. It’s true that it’s impossible to put it all into words. Words are too poor to describe what I was feeling. The song of the birds was the music that embraced the events. The shadows and light alternated as the hours ticked by and we stood still to watch the tip of the nose or a spot on the wall. The particular energy charge in the zendo was shaping my soul. Roshi’s silent presence was felt by the rustle of his clothes as he entered the space. At the same time, there was the opportunity to have personal contact with the Master. Each of us could see him privately in a room specially set aside for this purpose and converse with him on any topic of concern. Personal contact with a Zen Master is something very special. In his presence, tensions are erased and he truly becomes a clear mirror in which you are reflected.
The days flowed like a quiet river. I didn’t even know when they had passed. Touring the grounds of the monastery put me in better touch with this culture and its spiritual symbols. Beauty, delicacy and order are pervasive everywhere. Walking through the gardens over and over again allowed me to breathe better, feel the energy of these places and quiet myself internally. Connecting with the people (my classmates that is and others) who shared all of this opened my heart. I felt beautiful. The meetings with the Master, the food we shared and his kindness to answer all our questions made me feel at home.
Above all, however, the zazen itself embraced and shaped everything. The illusions that characterize us as a human species are beginning to lose their hold on us. Everything melts away in the face of this practice that simply tells you to sit. Sit against the wall in the right posture and watch your breathing. Nothing else. Experience the present moment as it is without judgment and investment. And as Shohaku Okumura Roshi says “zazen is good for nothing”. What can one say? Nothing.
Eleftheria Kazantzi