Whether you are a beginner or an old-timer, discomfort and/or pain during zazen is inevitable,
for any number of reasons.
First, physically: sitting for long periods of time can make the knees, the shoulders, the neck, or
the ankles hurt. Don’t try to deny the pain, befriend it. With proper breathing and
concentration, you can sit with the pain. In this sense, pain can be a useful factor in “putting it
all down” and focusing on the present moment. When you open your senses to panoramic
awareness and focus on your breathing, the pain is less troublesome and usually passes.
Second, emotionally: body and mind are connected. If you are stuck in a troublesome frame of
mind, your body will become uncomfortable. Your posture won’t feel right; you’ll feel physically
unstable and unable to settle down into zazen. The physical discomfort can contribute to a
more agitated state of mind. The more agitated the mind, the more uncomfortable the body.
This is a tough spot to be in. With all your concentration, focus on your breathing and subtly
adjust your posture. If you can calm the body, usually the mind will follow.
As I reflect on my own early experiences, I think that when you’re young, (as I was when I first
started), the pain is more intense because the youthful mind is a busy one. Sometimes the
physical pain from sitting long periods of zazen all day for 7-days (sesshin) was excruciating and
that set my thinking mind on fire. I tried fighting it and got more agitated. It seemed like it was
taking forever for the jikijitsu to ring the bell. Finally, in the midst of all that mental and physical
pain, all you can do is surrender to it and let it all go. That takes practice.
What you’re really letting go of is the “self.” This is how you befriend the pain. It takes practice
and it’s a matter of finding the right balance between body and mind – kind of like walking a
tightrope. Look out, put it all down, don’t get stuck. Focus on posture and breathing.
Everyone deals with pain differently. But it is inevitable if you sit for long periods of time or if
you sit for several periods in a row, like during zazenkai and sesshin. But you do get used to it
over time, and then it’s just pain. Now that I’m old and have arthritis in my hip, my knee, and
my neck, I’m almost always in pain when I sit. I’m used to it, but it still hurts!
In a much greater sense, life is pain – the First Noble Truth. Pain of one kind or another is
inescapable throughout our whole lives. Sitting zazen in pain teaches us, over time, how to deal
with pain in general. It’s good practice. Don’t give up.
I hope this is helpful.
Seido
