The Zuochanyi by Changlu Zongze

The Bodhisattva who studies prajñā should first arouse the thought of great compassion, make the extensive vows, and then carefully cultivate samādhi. Vowing to save sentient beings, he should not seek liberation for himself alone.

Then cast aside all involvements and discontinue all affairs. Make body and mind one, with no division between action and rest. Regulate food and drink, so that you take neither too much nor too little; adjust sleep, so that you neither deprive nor indulge yourself.

When you sit in meditation, spread a thick mat in a quiet place. Loosen your robe and belt, and assume a proper demeanor. Then sit in the full cross-legged position. First place your right foot on your left thigh; then place your left foot on your right thigh. Or you may sit in the half cross-legged position: simply rest your left foot on your right foot. Next, place your right hand on your left foot, and your left hand on your right palm. Press the tips of your thumbs together. Slowly raise your torso and stretch it forward. Swing to the left and right; then straighten your body and sit erect. Do not lean to the left or right, forward or backward. Keep your hips, back, neck, and head in line, making your posture like a stūpa. But do not strain your body upward too far, lest it make your breathing forced and unsettled. Your ears should be in line with your shoulders, and your nose in line with your navel. Press your tongue against the front of your palate, and close your lips and teeth. The eyes should remain slightly open, in order to prevent drowsiness. If you attain samādhi [with the eyes open], it will be the most powerful. In ancient times, there were monks eminent in the practice of meditation who always sat with their eyes open. More recently, the Ch’an master Fa-yün Yüan-t’ung criticized those who sit in meditation with their eyes closed, likening [their practice] to the ghost cave of the Black Mountain. Surely this has a deep meaning, known to those who have mastered [meditation practice].

Once you have settled your posture and regulated your breathing, you should relax your abdomen. Do not think of any good or evil whatsoever. Whenever a thought occurs, be aware of it; as soon as you aware of it, it will vanish. If you remain for a long period forgetful of objects, you will naturally become unified. This is the essential art of tso-ch’an. Honestly speaking, tso-ch’an is the dharma gate of ease and joy. If there are many people who become ill [from its practice], it is because they do not take proper care.

If you grasp the point of this [practice], the four elements [of the body] will become light and at ease, the spirit will be fresh and sharp, thoughts will be correct and clear; the flavor of the dharma will sustain the spirit, and you will be calm, pure, and joyful. One who has already achieved clarification [of the truth] may be likened to the dragon gaining the water or the tiger taking to the mountains. And even one who has not yet achieved it, by letting the wind fan the flame, will not have to make much effort. Just assent to it; you will not be deceived. Nevertheless, as the path gets higher, demons flourish, and agreeable and disagreeable experiences are manifold. Yet if you just keep right thought present, none of them can obstruct you. The Śūraṅgama-sūtra, T’ien-t’ai’s Chih-kuan, and Kuei-feng’s Hsiu-cheng i give detailed explications of these demonic occurrences, and those who would be prepared in advance for the unforeseen should be familiar with them.

When you come out of samādhi, move slowly and arise calmly; do not be hasty or rough. After you have left samādhi, always employ appropriate means to protect and maintain the power of samādhi, as though you were protecting an infant. Then your samādhi power will easily develop. This one teaching of meditation is our most urgent business. If you do not practice meditation and enter dhyāna, then when it comes down to it, you will be completely at a loss. Therefore, to seek the pearl, we should still the waves; if we disturb the water, it will be hard to get. When the water of meditation is clear, the pearl of the mind will appear of itself. Therefore, the Perfect Enlightenment Sūtra says, ”Unimpeded, immaculate wisdom always arises dependent on meditation.” The Lotus Blossom Sūtra says, “In a quiet place, he practices the control of the mind, abiding motionless like Mt. Sumeru.” Thus, transcending the profane and surpassing the holy are always contingent on the condition of dhyāna; shedding [this body] while seated and fleeing [this life] while standing are necessarily dependent on the power of samādhi. Even if one devotes himself to the practice his entire life, he may still not be in time; how then could one who procrastinates possibly overcome karma? Therefore, an ancient has said, ”Without the power of samādhi, you will meekly cower at death’s door.” Shutting your eyes, you will end your life in vain; and just as you are, you will drift [in saṃsāra].

Friends in Ch’an, go over this text again and again. Benefiting others as well as ourselves, let us together achieve full enlightenment.

from Bielefeldt, Carl. Dōgen’s Manuals of Zen Meditation. University of California Press, 1988.