The importance of mudra in zazen
Kotishka
Veteran
When I started the path, I would sit crossed legged with my hands open covering my knees, then there was no real instruction except putting my hands one on top of the other, palm on palm or clasping them together. When I started to sit in the Zen style, I was told to make this funny shape they call the cosmic mudra (hokkai gyo in Japanese). Now I sit using a zafu, an Ikea stool, straight and adopting the cosmic mudra.
Well, my doubt was: to what point does it matter? What is the importance of mudra? I mean, can one sit zazen without doing the cosmic mudra? Well, I found this article of Uchiyama roshi explaining how this is simply the way this taste of Buddhism reflects or expresses the idea of offering "this body and mind to Buddha for the sake of Buddha".
It also explains how other practices might have other mudras or other ways to express Buddhadharma; and that it is not up to us to decide or critcise what other schools do. In a way, I think he stresses to any Zen practioner the usual: follow the 4NT, 8FNB and our texts if you wish, let others practice the way they seek/wish. In Dogen's Zen, this mudra symbolises this unity of body and mind, this offering and this gateway of connecting with Buddhadharma.
I also found in the text an important reminder of what is lacking or missing in Western mindfulness, which just concentrates on the peacefulness and relaxation derived from these type of practices. Basically, sitting for one's own sake is NOT Buddhadharma.
How to discern this? I think deep down I am sitting for my own benefit. They say this is why Right View is so important. I might re-visit this from a Zen perspective and also revisit Ajahn Sona's Right View video...
Peace!
Comments
The difficulty in switching up different mudras in Shikantaza, to bring about different experiences of meditation, is that such **deliberateness **detracts from the underpinning foundation of that practice. You could still call it meditation, just not Shikantaza.
It is not that different mudras don’t affect different flavors of meditation, it's that our choosing of one over another will often in later hindsight, be seen to have been more about self indulgence than of selflessness.
This is where a teacher who is familiar with your particular life koan might give some objective guidance on mudra choices that amount to skillful means for you. In that teachers absence, not switching up your mudras at this time will at least offer an ego during formal meditation, less avenues of potential meditative distraction.
Thanks @how that improves my understanding of what Shikantaza is all about, much appreciated 🙏