Opening the Hand of Thought: Foundations of Zen Buddhist Practice

by Kosho Uchiyama

You will easily understand what I mean if you compare the zazen posture to Rodin’s famous statue The Thinker (see figure 10). The figure sits hunched over, his shoulders drawn forward and his chest compressed, in a posture of chasing after illusions. The arms and legs are bent, the neck and fingers are bent, and even the toes are curled. When our body is bent and contorted like this, blood-flow and breathing become congested; we get caught up in our imagination and are unable to break free. On the other hand, when we sit zazen everything is straight—trunk, back, neck, and head. Because our abdomen rests comfortably on solidly folded legs, blood circulates freely toward the abdomen, and breath moves easily toward the tanden. Congestion is alleviated, excitability is lessened, and we no longer need to chase after fantasies and delusions. Doing correct zazen means taking the correct posture and entrusting everything to it.