Get rid of assumptions and take charge of your life.
Anxiety and stress come from things like assumptions, stereotypes, and common sense. The truth is, there are many options, but if you assume this is the only way, you will see only that, and you will be in a state of self-binding. So, by removing stereotypes, we are less likely to feel stress,” he says.
This is how Mr. Nishiyama, the chief priest of Daitaiji Temple, describes it. He operates a temple experience and overnight stay program in the hope that people will once again feel close to the temple, which used to be a place of consultation for local residents and a playground for children in people’s daily lives. According to Mr. Nishiyama, zazen not only relieves stress by removing assumptions, but also opens up new possibilities for oneself.
He says, “Getting rid of stereotypes and common sense means opening up new fields in business, and art and music have also evolved by breaking down stereotypes. For example, I like jazz, which was originally dance music played by an orchestra. It was originally dance music played by an orchestra, but it has been reshaped to be a form of personal expression. Zen is not only about eliminating stress and controlling the mind, but it is also very useful in terms of cultivating one’s own life, so I would like people to experience it.”
The sound of one hand clapping
The zazen experience lasts about one hour. Participants enter the Daitaiji zendo at 6:30 a.m. and are taught the purpose of zazen, how to fold their legs, how to tie their hands together, how to breathe, etc. Each 15-minute practice is repeated three times, with a question and answer session at the end of each session if there is anything of interest during the practice. Gradually, the students become accustomed to the practice, and by the third session, they experience the “Zen question-and-answer” session, which Zen monks perform in order to attain enlightenment.
In the third session, we experienced a Zen question-and-answer session, which is a practice Zen monks use to attain enlightenment.
“In a Zen question-and-answer session, for example, if you clap your hands with both hands, you hear a ‘clap, clap, clap. I am often asked this question. In fact, practitioners are not at all at zero, but are sitting in a hazy state, wrestling with Zen questions and answers in their minds.”
It may come as a bit of a surprise to learn that practitioners also sit in a hazy state, struggling with Zen questions in their minds. Once you learn how to do it, you can do it alone at home.
“I think it is better to do it in a place close to nature even if you do it alone, and many people have said so. When you do zazen, your senses are sharpened, and because you are in a neutral state, with no focus on any one area, all kinds of information can easily enter your mind. For example, the amount of light and shadows changes depending on how the sun rises that day, but if you are concentrating on something else, you will end your day without noticing. However, if my mind is in a neutral state, I feel that changes in brightness and wind can easily enter my mind. If you want to feel that, I think it is better to be in nature.”
In addition to zazen, Daitaiji offers other experiences such as sutra chanting and sauna, as well as overnight stays. Why not enjoy a sauna and an overnight stay at the temple the day before, then do zazen the next morning and return home with a peaceful mind? Of course, you can also go sightseeing on the same day. It will be an interesting trip that will change the way you see your surroundings and make you discover and realize many things.
