Posts Tagged → breathing

the length of a person’s life


 

The Buddha asked a monk,

“How do you measure the length of a person’s life?”

The monk answered, “By days.” The Buddha

said, “You do not understand

the Way.”

 

The Buddha asked another monk,

“How do you measure the length of a person’s life?”

The monk answered, “By the time that passes during

a meal.” The Buddha said, “You do not

understand the Way.”

 

The Buddha asked a third monk,

“How do you measure the length of a person’s life?”

The monk answered, “By the breath.”

The Buddha said, “Very well,

you know the Way.”

 

Sutra of Forty Two Chapters

full text translated by D.T. Suzuki

 

quietude whatever you are doing

courage, virtue, emptiness

 

Return the mind

to quietude whatever you are doing,

not imagining what is yet to come and not thinking

about what has already passed. After a long time at this, spirit and

energy merge, feelings and objects are forgotten; spirit solidifies,

energy congeals, and there is just one breath in the belly,

revolving without going out or in.

This is called womb

breathing.

 

The Cultivator of Realization

forget all about yourself

kodo sawaki roshi

 

Concentration is not

to try hard to watch something.

In zazen, if you try to look at one spot,

you will be tired in about five minutes. This is

not concentration. Concentration means freedom.

So, your effort should be directed at nothing. You should

be concentrated on nothing. In zazen practice we say that

your mind should be concentrated on your breathing,

but the way to keep your mind concentrated

on your breathing is to forget all about

yourself and just to sit and feel

your breathing.

 

…If you

continue this practice,

eventually you will experience the

true existence which comes

from emptiness.

 

Shunryu Suzuki