How Katsuki Sekida taught Zen meditation (his style and techniques to reach samadhi)

This is another in a series of articles I call “Conversations with robots.” In this article I did into the style of meditation taught by one of my favorite Zen, Zazen, and meditation teachers, Katsuki Sekida.

Question:

Provide a brief summary of how Katsuki Sekida taught people how to meditate, such as in his book, Zen Training. How did he teach people to sit in Zazen? What techniques should we use while meditating?

Robots:

Sekida’s teachings offer a practical, clear framework for developing both concentration (samadhi) and insight (vipassana) through Zazen. His methods aim to transform meditation into a profound exploration of awareness and self.

Key details

According to Sekida’s teachings, here are the key details for sitting zazen and the techniques to use during meditation:

Sitting Instructions:

1. Sit on the front third of a firm cushion (zafu), which raises your hips and tilts your pelvis forward
2. Cross your legs in either:
   • Full lotus (each foot on opposite thigh)
   • Half lotus (one foot on opposite thigh)
   • Burmese position (both legs resting flat) if lotus positions aren’t comfortable
3. Keep your spine naturally straight, as if pulled up from the crown
4. Tuck your chin slightly
5. Rest your hands in your lap in the cosmic mudra (left hand on right, thumbs touching lightly)
6. Keep your eyes half-open, gaze resting about 3 feet in front of you

Meditation Techniques:

Here’s a short summary of what he taught:

1. Breath Control:

   • Focus primarily on the exhalation
   • Let the breath reach down to the tanden (area below navel)
   • Keep exhalations long, smooth, and quiet
   • Don’t force the inhalation; let it happen naturally

2. Counting Method:

   • Count each exhalation from 1 to 10
   • If your mind wanders, start again at 1
   • Eventually, count both inhalations and exhalations
   • Use this as a foundation for developing concentration

3. Mind Management:

   • Don’t try to stop thoughts
   • Let thoughts come and go without engaging them
   • Return attention to the breath whenever you notice wandering
   • Maintain what he called "first nen" (pure attention) rather than getting caught in "second nen" (reflection) or "third nen" (self-consciousness)

4. Body Scanning:

   • Periodically check your posture
   • Release tension in shoulders and face
   • Keep your hands soft but stable
   • Maintain alertness without rigidity

And here’s a longer discussion of the details of what he taught:

Sekida introduced a method called counting the breaths (susokukan). Practitioners silently count each exhalation from one to ten, then restart. Later, they move to following the breath (zuisokukan), simply observing the breath without counting.

Sekida emphasized the hara (the lower abdomen) as the center of focus. Breathing deeply into the hara connects the mind and body, promoting a sense of groundedness.

Sekida taught practitioners to maintain awareness of thoughts without suppressing them. Instead, one observes thoughts as they arise and lets them pass, returning attention to the breath or posture. This cultivates equanimity and insight into the nature of the mind.

Sekida believed in wholehearted effort, describing meditation as “sitting with your whole body and mind.” He encouraged practitioners to fully immerse themselves in the practice while maintaining relaxed awareness.