This practice, often recommended for beginners, brings attention to each breath and helps to still
and focus the mind.
The count may be done on either the inhalation or exhalation. The count is
done either up to three or up to ten and then repeated for the duration of the sitting period. If the
count is lost, then the practitioner returns to one.
“Count your breath. That is already letting go of the past, letting go of the future, letting go of wanting, attaching, checking and holding. ” (Zen Master Dae Bong)
Having a great question is fundamental to Zen practice. The questions most often used are “What
am I?” or “What is this?” (in Korean “Shi Shim Ma?”). Let go of all thinking, opinions and desires
and continually return to the questioning.
This practice is usually co-ordinated with the breath.
The question may be asked during the inhalation, followed by a prolonged “Don’t Know” on the
exhalation; or the question may be asked on the exhalation. Both techniques promote a return to
the before-thinking mind.
A Student asked: What is the relationship between asking “What am I?” and the flow of thoughts, perceptions, etc.? For example, do you address the question to particular thoughts, pains in the knee when sitting, etc.? When a thought comes, do you ask whom this thought is coming to? How do you work with problems such as fear and anger? Should one acknowledge the fear and then ask who is experiencing the fear? Or should they just let it all happen and pour all their energy into the great question?
Zen Master Seung Sahn: True “What am I?” is the complete question—only don’t know mind. All your questions are thinking. If you keep the complete “What am I?”, then you don’t know “What am I?” All thinking has been cut off, so how can a question appear? Asking who is thinking is not the correct way. This is opposites thinking. These are opposites questions, not the complete question, the perfect question. Pain is pain, the question is the question. Why ask the question about pain? Actions such as anger and fear are made by past karma, so the result is actions done in anger, etc.
Using a mantra to calm the mind and strengthen the center is another technique used by Zen
practitioners.
The main difference between the mantras is the length of the mantra used and the
mantra’s direction. Generally the more incessant the thinking, the shorter the mantra should be.
The usual technique is to recite the mantra constantly, paying attention to it and allowing all
other thinking to drop away. This takes some practice since it is very easy to let one part of the
brain “chant” the mantra while the other part is thinking about dinner or going to the movies.
When this happens, gently bring the mind back to the mantra without any judgement. The most
common mantras recommended for beginners are the two listed below.
1) Clear mind, clear mind, clear mind, don’t know
This mantra is usually suggested to beginners in conjunction with a breathing exercise. Breathe
in to a count of 3, saying “clear mind” at each count and breathe out to a count of 7 saying
‘dooooonnnn’t knnnnooooooow’ just once for the whole 7 count. The count may vary with the
individual, but the exhalation must be more than twice as long as the inhalation.
2) Kwan Seum Bosal
This is the Korean name of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Avalokitesvara. This mantra is commonly suggested for people whose minds cannot be quiet one minute or who cannot concentrate
for very long. Because it is short it can be repeated over and over (usually with a set of beads for
counting). The usual recommendation is for 3000 to 10000 a day for someone who really wants
to clear their mind of a particular problem. It is also used on a daily basis by many people as part
of their sitting meditation technique.
More advanced students often use the entire Great Dharani as a mantra, reciting it sub-vocally
as fast as possible over and over again.
