The origin of zazen

Zazen is a Practice Free from Any Dogma, Accessible to All, Regardless of Religious or Political Beliefs.

The origin of zazen lies in the long, silent sitting of Siddhārtha Gautama Shākyamuni. He decided to sit in stillness, unmoving, until he could understand the nature of human suffering. Upon realizing this understanding, Siddhārtha became Buddha Shākyamuni (Shākyamuni the Awakened). He then taught The Four Truths of suffering: an observation that suffering (dukkha, dissatisfaction) is inherent to the human condition, interwoven with moments of joy and satisfaction. Through deep meditation, he understood the causes of suffering: attachment, aversion, and ignorance (the belief that things and beings exist independently). He then taught ways to address this suffering.

Shortly before his passing, the Buddha stated that all his teachings (Dharma) are “a raft meant for crossing over, not for clinging to.” His teachings are a vision to explore and experience, not to follow as dogma!

The Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition, and therefore Zen, expands on understanding the deep nature of all things and beings: emptiness.

Dōgen Zenji (1200-1253), founder of Soto Zen in Japan, describes zazen in the Shōbōgenzō Zuimonki as follows:

It is essentially pure and bare sitting (shikantaza), which leads to the dropping away of body and mind.