Zen Training: Methods and Philosophy

by Katsuki Sekida

This pioneering guide to  zazen— Zen-style seated meditation—provides practical instructions on how to begin or elevate your practice and progress along the Zen path
 
Zen Training  is a comprehensive handbook for  zazen , seated meditation practice, and an authoritative presentation of the Zen path. The book marked a turning point in Zen literature in its critical reevaluation of the enlightenment experience, which the author believes has often been emphasized at the expense of other important aspects of Zen training. In addition,  Zen Training  goes beyond the first flashes of enlightenment to explore how one lives as well as trains in Zen. The author also draws many significant parallels between Zen and Western philosophy and psychology, comparing traditional Zen concepts with the theories of being and cognition of such thinkers as Heidegger and Husserl.

Genres: Buddhism, Zen, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Religion, Spirituality, Meditation

264 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1975

Reviews

[Gonzalo Eduardo Rodríguez Castro · Rating 5 out of 5]

El libro más completo, serio, claro y espléndido que he leído al respecto. No se le escapó absolutamente nada. Una guía práctica para interiorizar esta incomparable corriente meditativa. Una obra que expande el Za Zen, no solo al momento de su práctica, sino también al presente del diario vivir. Magnífico.

[Kevin Chen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can you cease your thoughts just by tensing your body? If you can't, this book teaches you how. You'll be surprised how meditation is more than simply sitting in a room and breathing. You'll learn how to listen to your body, while managing your mind and stress.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you can get past the irony of learning about ineffable Zen teachings from a book, this is a very good Zen book indeed. It's one of the few that tells you specifically what to expect and what to do in 'zazen' or sitting meditation, which is where it all begins. Sekida is refreshingly straightforward and clear, and he keeps the koans to a minimum as he describes how to sit, breathe, and think in order to achieve samadhi. Any book that begins with a chapter on "one-minute zazen" gets high marks from this impatient Westerner. Recommended if you want to pursue Zen meditation, or if you just want to understand what all the non-fuss is about.

[Kapila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't pretend to understand most of this book. It was a heavy read, at times plodding - and yet I'm glad to have had the chance to read it. Certain passages struck me:

Someday you will have this kind of experience. And one day, when you emerge from it, rising from your seat, stepping across the doorsill, looking at the stones and trees in the garden, hearing some trifling sound, raising a cup to your lips or passing your fingers over a bowl, suddenly, you will find heaven and earth come tumbling down.

And:

Spring has come round.
A thousand flowers are in their lovely bloom.
For what? For whom?
-Hekigan Roku, Case 5

[Simge · Rating 2 out of 5]

Her ne kadar Doğu öğretilerine epey ilgi duyuyor olsam veya bu öğretiler "uzaktan" ilgimi çekiyor olsa bile, ilgili bir şey okuduğumda konuyu pratiğe dökebilmek için çok fazla emek ve zaman gerektiğini bir kere daha anlıyorum. Bunlar bir yana çok da sistemli olmak gerekiyor ilerleyebilmek için. Bazı önerileri uygulamaya zaman ayrılabilecek olsa bile (örneğin nefes pratikleri) bunu sistematik bir şekilde ilerletebilme konusunda kendime pek güvenemiyorum. Diğer taraftan da "samadhi" ye ulaşabilme fikri bana çok uzak geliyor, bunun mümkün olabileceği konusunda kişisel olarak şüphelerim var açıkçası.:) Bir insanın kendisini dış dünyadan düşünce bazında bu derece izole edebilmesi fikri bana çok ütopik geliyor; bu fikir, bana göre mi değil yoksa kestirmeci bir tavır benimsiyor oluşum mu düşüncemi etkiliyor, emin değilim, üzerine düşünülebilir bir konu. Yine de ilgilendiğim, hakkında bir şeyler öğrenmek istediğim bir konu ile ilgili okuma yapmış olmam beni mutlu ediyor, samadhi'ye ulaşamasam bile belli bir hedefe doğru küçük adımlar atmak da aynı derecede önemli sanki.

[Jose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guia prático para o estudo do Zen, adaptado para platéias ocidentais, tornando-o menos impenetrável.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's taken me months to read this book, which is highly unusual for me. But I enjoyed the reading and thinking on the reading. I do not practice zen but am occasionally driven to try and understand something about it, usually by reading books that leave me knowing less than I started out with. This book left me knowing less than I started out with as well, but I feel good about it, feel very zen and emptied by it. And I have learned so much about breath.

Also, this book has charts and tables and all kinds of analytical tools for people like me who really thrive on that kind of presentation of material. Sounds counter-zen, doesn't it? It's a relief to logical thinkers like myself to see how it can work together.

[Grant Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great introduction to meditation for people like myself who come from a religiously skeptical background. There’s a lot about the physiology of zen practice which I haven’t heard elsewhere. Its repeated exhortations to just try the techniques described and see what happens are refreshing because they ask for no metaphysical leaps. The few tie-ins to European existentialist philosophy were more comfortable to me than similarities to European religion I’ve encountered in other manuals for meditation. It’s my third time though and the kick I needed to get back on the mat.

[Peter Allum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good reference on Zen practice.

I first read this in March 2009 and added the following note: "heavy-going; didn't read in detail".

On re-reading in 2017, I found it much more valuable. The author, a lay Zen practitioner, provides very useful details on the mental experience at different stages of practice--with different levels of samadhi.

My Zen reviews, ranked

[Rui Carlos · Rating 3 out of 5]

An attempt to make Zen scientifically relevant and philosophically reasonable.

Sometimes long-winded, sometimes poignant and hits the mark.

Occasionally off-the-mark with suppositions of a scientific nature.

[Bretty585 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most comprehensive manual on the mechanics of zazen I’ve read. Clarified many aspects of breathing and posture for me. Highly recommended to any serious practitioner of Zen.

[Blaine Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first meditation book I bought back in the early 1980s when there was little out there to choose from, waaay before the mindfulness revolution.

Although it focuses on the specific technique of zazen in the Japanese Zen tradition, it's still one of the best books I have on the exact specifics of the meditation art. Each chapter provides a physiological-scientific approach, detailing the physiology of sitting posture, breath and breathing, spine, stomach, lungs, spleen positioning, breathing rhythms and air flows, an entire chapter on the physiology of attention and its connection with breathing and posture. Later chapters describe the various mental-body states that arise as a practitioner achieves deeper levels of relaxation and shamatha (calm-abiding), what the author calls "off-sensation", followed by an intermediary state of calm, prior to kensho which, in Zen, is considered a plateau achievement. Can't remember how kensho is related to satori but these later chapters give detailed descriptions of what a practitioner can expect as her practice advances.

This is an outstanding volume on the science of meditation from a Japanese Zen perspective, discussing both the physiology of meditation as well as the subjective-phemonenological milestones and benefits of the practice. It's still one of the best books on meditation out there.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is immediately useful and impactful and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn and practice zazen, the meditative discipline of Zen Buddhism.

There is zero mysticism in this book. It begins by describing the ideal postures and breathing techniques for zazen, making it possible to begin practicing right away. It goes on to map out our normal pattern of consciousness and how to quiet the mind, eventually emptying it completely. Emptying the mind is important part of Zen but it is not the ultimate goal. Emptying the mind stops the regular pattern of egocentric consciousness and helps the mind perceive the world in its pure form, that is, without relation to our own experience or ego. Imagine what it would be like to see a flower for the first time. Imagine not thinking in terms of "I".

This book reinforced for me the fact that my daily (seemingly lifelong) patten of consciousness can be altered and improved by reducing egocentric thoughts and increasing direct perception (pure consciousness) of the world and people around me.

[Bryce · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a zazen newb some of the technical info in this book had me tripping over my own feet. "Maintaining tension in the tanden? Silencing the second and third nen? Positive vs. absolute samadhi? What? Have I been doing this wrong all along?"

It's a lot to keep track of. But I talked to a teacher and he told me to chill out and find what works for me. With some distance, I better appreciate Sekida's detailed approach. There are lots of useful tools here, even for beginners like myself, so long as you don't get bogged down in the details. What has worked for me is picking and choosing certain bits—like "bamboo breathing"—and adopting them when it feels natural to do so.

Sekida's descriptions of his personal experience with kensho and absolute samadhi, and his explanation of how the two relate, were especially helpful. For someone just beginning in Zen and reading a bunch of books, the enlightenment experience can seem like a black box. Sekida opens it up and shows us the moving parts, without removing any of the wonder.

[Mackenzie B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admittedly kind of just skimmed this book because I don't get a ton of spiritual fulfillment from zen buddhism (as it has little emphasis on compassion). However, beyond the breath work portions of the book (probably the first 40% or so, which I find to be a bit tedious, though foundational to meditation practice) I feel that the author takes an interesting standpoint on Buddhism that combines some references to western philosophy and modern-day social life to Zen practice. Had I not already been very familiar with Zen practices and not been more attracted to other sects of Buddhism at the moment, I feel like I would have gotten a lot out of this book. However, since breathwork isn't of much interest to me, this book failed to be the holy tome it could have been and was merely a skimmed supplement to other books I'm reading at the moment.

Tl:dr: great guidance on breathwork, interesting modern and western interpretations on Zen practice, little insight into the areas of compassion or interrelation (which may just be the essence of Zen?).

[Nile · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very uneducated on Buddhism and zen culture prior to reading this, so I found this very enlightening. I went into this book looking to have my meditation technique improved and that's exactly what it delivered on. Not only did I learn about zazen, which refers to the physical act of meditating, but I was given this positive reinforcement about achieving that clear mind that I so desired, which Sekida refers to as samadhi. He talks about why you will fail very often in the beginning but that gives hope that with continuous years of practicing meditation everyday my technique will slowly improve and my usual way of consciousness and attachment to things and the delusions of the ego will eventually fall off entirely.

[Michael Sypes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book's earlier chapters with detailed instructions on Zazen. As the book goes further it becomes an ever increasing morass of unintelligible esoterica, typical of most of these kinds of books. "What is the sound of one clapping in a forest if no one is there to hear it?"
I read this off the book shelf at my karate dojo, but will look for a personal copy to actually try following the instructions to see how I do.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Readable and filled with insight. The author gives readers clear instructions on how to perform zazen breathing and sitting meditation along with explanations of what happens physiologically and psychologically in the body during various states of Zen wakefulness and attention.

This book also filled an important gap... [see the rest on my book review site.]

[Lakmus · Rating 3 out of 5]

A useful and practical introduction to Zen. Much recommended for fellow noobs who know nothing.

I mean to return to this book later on and read some chapters in more detail. The theorising on the nature of cognition and consciousness is also very interesting to me (and surprisingly some bits aren't too far off from what I've read in recent books and papers on the topic).

[꧍꧍-2 Integrated history-horizon Second · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not without the flaws - this advocates for very custom breathing system developed by Sekida which is not present in any main zazen practice books (Omori, Moore, etc.) and the style of philosophical discussions not particularly appealing, but otherwise practice descriptions are fairy specific and overall directions are well-written. Good for cross-referencing with other main Zen manuals.

[Thomas Rodebaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book that, many years ago, helped me make my first noticeable progress with zazen. There are many other books on Zen, but I haven't read another that does as much to encourage a beginning practitioner.

[Eric A. Drosnock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing insight to Zen practice and some serious depth in the second part that dives quickly into a mix of philosophy and psychology. Take your time and be ready to revisit this book further down your path.

[Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extraordinary work. Transcendental and peculiar in unusual ways. Not perfect in its writing, style, or conveyance of concepts, but it does not intend to be. A must-read for those interested in learning about Zen.

[Theodore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little book. Methods were straight forward; philosophy is interesting, at times simple and others complex.

I enjoyed the personal narrative of the author, along with the chapter describing the stages of Zen.

[Jim S · Rating 5 out of 5]

The meditation advice is a little suspect (don’t force your breath!), but the dharma is really solid.

I especially appreciated the overviews of two post-kensho models of awakening in zen.

The language was pretty approachable and a lot of the concepts were clearly explained!

[Gordia Leclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't just a book on how to properly meditate, but rather a great guide in the mindset of a Buddhist. It offers practical method, philosophy, and psychology all in one.

[C Settles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introductory read to Zen for those already familiar with Buddhism. Considrable detail on practice methods and reasoning behind them.

[Michael Karpusas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book that you feel reading over and over again.

[Jon Højlund Arnfred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just very decent and practical zen training advice.

[Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most practical books on Zen I’ve ever read. The writing style is definitely somewhat dated at this point, but the content underlying it is timeless. Really glad I read this one.