『Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind』 鈴木俊隆著（曹洞宗の禅僧）

Part 1 第１章　POSTURE
（以下２５ページ）　（ここ以下、2020年3月1日にやった。）
Now I would like to talk about our zazen posture. When ①
you sit in the full lotus position, your left foot is on your 　　　②
right thigh, and your right foot is on your left thigh. When 　 ③
we cross our legs like this, even though we have a right leg 　 ④
and a left leg, they have become one. The position expresses 　⑤
the oneness of duality: not two, and not one. This is the 　　　 ⑥
most important teaching: not two, and not one. Our body 　 　⑦
and mind are not two and not one. If you think your body 　 　⑧
and mind are two, that is wrong; if you think that they are 　 ⑨
one, that is also wrong. Our body and mind are both two 　　　⑩
and one. We usually think that if something is not one, it is 　⑪
more than one; if it is not singular, it is plural. But in actual　⑫
experience, our life is not only plural, but also singular. 　　　⑬
Each one of us is both dependent and independent.　　　　　　　　⑭
After some years we will die. If we just think that it is 　　⑮
the end of our life, this will be the wrong understanding. 　　　⑯
But, on the other hand, if we think that we do not die, this 　　⑰
is also wrong. We die, and we do not die. This is the right　　　⑱
understanding. Some people may say that our mind or soul　　⑲
exists forever, and it is only our physical body which dies. 　　 ⑳
But this is not exactly right, because both mind and body 　　　㉑
have their end. But at the same time it is also true that they　 ㉒
exist eternally. And even though we say mind and body, they 　㉓
are actually two sides of one coin. This is the right under-　　　　㉔
standing. So when we take this posture it symbolizes this 　　 ㉕
truth. When I have the left foot on the right side of my 　　　 ㉖
body, and the right foot on the left side of my body, I do not　 ㉗

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know which is which. So either may be the left or the right 　 ①
side.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 ②
The most important thing in taking the zazen posture is 　③
to keep your spine straight. Your ears and your shoulders 　　④
should be on one line. Relax your shoulders, and push up 　　 ⑤
towards the ceiling with the back of your head. And you 　　 ⑥
should pull your chin in. When your chin is tilted up, you 　 ⑦
have no strength in your posture; you are probably dreaming. ⑧
Also to gain strength in your posture, press your diaphragm 　⑨
down towards your hara, or lower abdomen. This　　　　　 ⑩
will help you maintain your physical and mental balance. 　 ⑪
When you try to keep this posture, at first you may find 　　 ⑫
some difficulty breathing naturally, but when you get accus- ⑬
tomed to it you will be able to breathe naturally and deeply. ⑭
Your hands should form the “cosmic mudra.” If you put　　⑮
your left hand on top of your right, middle joints of your 　　 ⑯
middle fingers together, and touch your thumbs lightly 　　⑰
together (as if you held a piece of paper between them), 　　⑱
your hands will make a beautiful oval. You should keep this ⑲
universal mudra with great care, as if you were holding 　　 ⑳
something very precious in your hand. Your hands should be 　㉑
held against your body, with your thumbs at about the 　　　　　㉒
height of your navel. Hold your arms freely and easily, and　　　㉓
slightly away from your body, as if you held an egg under 　　　㉔
each arm without breaking it.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　㉕
（ここまで2020年3月1日にやった）

（2020年4月5日はここから）
You should not be tilted sideways, backwards, or 　　　　　　㉖
forwards. You should be sitting straight up as if you were　　　　㉗
supporting the sky with your head. This is not just form or　　　㉘
breathing. It expresses the key point of Buddhism. It is a 　　　㉙
perfect expression of your Buddha nature. If you want true　 ㉚
understanding of Buddhism, you should practice this way. 　　 ㉛
These forms are not a means of obtaining the right state of 　　㉜
mind. To take this posture itself is the purpose of our practice. ㉝
When you have this posture, you have the right state of 　　 　㉞
mind, so there is no need to try to attain some special state. 　 ㉟
When you try to attain something, your mind starts to 　　　　　㊱
wander about somewhere else. When you do not try to　　　　　　㊲

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attain anything, you have your own body and mind right 　　 ①
here. A Zen master would say, “Kill the Buddha!” Kill the 　　②
Buddha if the Buddha exists somewhere else. Kill the Buddha,③
because you should resume your own Buddha nature.　　　　④
Doing something is expressing our own nature. We do not　⑤
exist for the sake of something else. We exist for the sake of　⑥
ourselves. This is the fundamental teaching expressed in the　⑦
forms we observe. Just as for sitting, when we stand in the　　⑧
zendo/we have some rules. But the purpose of these rules is 　⑨
not to make everyone the same, but to allow each to express 　 ⑩
his own self most freely. For instance, each one of us has his 　 ⑪
own way of standing, so our standing posture is based on 　　 ⑫
the proportions of our own bodies. When you stand, your 　　 ⑬
heels should be as far apart as the width of your own fist, 　　⑭
your big toes in line with the centers of your breasts. As in 　　⑮
zazen, put some strength in your abdomen(腹). Here also your 　　⑯
hands should express your self. Hold your left hand against 　 ⑰
your chest with fingers encircling your thumb, and put your 　 ⑱
right hand over it. Holding your thumb pointing downward, 　 ⑲
and your forearms parallel to the floor, you feel as if you 　　　⑳
have some round pillar in your grasp—a big round temple 　　 ㉑
pillar—so you cannot be slumped(くずれる) or tilted to the side.　　　　 ㉒
（ここまで4月5日ざっとやった。）

（ここ以下、4月26日にやる予定）
The most important point is to own your own physical 　　 ㉓
body. If you slump, you will lose your self. Your mind will 　　　㉔
be wandering about somewhere else; you will not be in your 　 ㉕
body. This is not the way. We must exist right here, right 　　　㉖
now! This is the key point. You must have your own body 　　　㉗
and mind. Everything should exist in the right place, in the 　㉘
right way. Then there is no problem. If the microphone I use 　㉙
when I speak exists somewhere else, it will not serve its 　　　　㉚
purpose. When we have our body and mind in order, everything㉛
else will exist in the right place, in the right way.　　　　　　　　　　㉜
But usually, without being aware of it, we try to change　　㉝
something other than ourselves, we try to order things 　　　　　㉞
outside us. But it is impossible to organize things if you 　　　　㉟
yourself are not in order. When you do things in the right 　　　㊱
way, at the right time, everything else will be organized. You　㊲

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are the “boss.” When the boss is sleeping, everyone is sleeping.①
When the boss does something right, everyone will do 　　 　②
everything right, and at the right time. That is the secret of　③
Buddhism.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　④
So try always to keep the right posture, not only when　　⑤
you practice zazen, but in all your activities. Take the right　⑥
posture when you are driving your car, and when you are 　　⑦
reading. If you read in a slumped position, you cannot stay　⑧
awake long. Try. You will discover how important it is to　　⑨
keep the right posture. This is the true teaching. The teaching⑩
which is written on paper is not the true teaching.　　　　　　 ⑪
Written teaching is a kind of food for your brain. Of course 　⑫
it is necessary to take some food for your brain, but it is 　　⑬
more important to be yourself by practicing the right way 　 ⑭
of life.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　⑮
That is why Buddha could not accept the religions existing ⑯
at his time. He studied many religions, but he was not 　　　⑰
satisfied with their practices. He could not find the answer　　⑱
in asceticism(苦行・禁欲主義) or in philosophies. He was not interested in 　　⑲
some metaphysical existence, but in his own body and 　　　　⑳
mind, here and now. And when he found himself, he found 　　㉑
that everything that exists has Buddha nature. That was his　㉒
enlightenment. Enlightenment is not some good feeling or 　　㉓
some particular state of mind. The state of mind that exists 　㉔
when you sit in the right posture is, itself, enlightenment. If 　㉕
you cannot be satisfied with the state of mind you have in 　　㉖
zazen, it means your mind is still wandering about. Our 　　　㉗
body and mind should not be wobbling(よろよろ歩く) or wandering 　　　　 ㉘
about. In this posture there is no need to talk about the 　　 　㉙
right state of mind. You already have it. This is the conclusion ㉚
of Buddhism.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　㉛