According to Buddha, the three marks of existence are impermanence, no self and suffering. In my opinion, there is no better way to recognize these three attributes than to attend a sesshin. Modern society is increasingly coarse and contentious. For me, it helps to accept the three marks of existence, to acknowledge reality as it is, and to avoid clinging to our hopes and fears.
I spent last week in a Rohatsu sesshin, a silent retreat that celebrates the Buddha’s awakening on the eighth day of the twelfth month. Each day includes eight hours of sitting meditation interspersed with walking meditation. Also, there are chants, chores, and meetings with the teacher, as well as tai chi exercises and tea ceremonies.
We do NOT perform these rituals for their own sake, and we do NOT pursue these practices to attain perfection. Instead, we intend to increase our awareness and our mindfulness. Initially, these rituals can seem confusing; eventually, they can become comforting. As we drop into the rhythm of the sesshin, we focus more on what is happening in and around us.
We are attempting not to be distracted or to become distracting to others. As we become more aware of our own physical presence, we notice people who are aware of their physical presence, too. We can learn a lot about people whom we do not know when we live in close quarters with them. We notice people who are especially centered or courteous or good-humored, even in silence.
Often, we eat meals in oryoki style with three nested bowls. This practice involves a sequence of bells, chanting, opening the bowls, receiving the food, eating mindfully, and cleaning the bowls. Each bite counts. Every breath counts. Each motion counts.
Why would anyone spend a week in meditation?
There are Physical, Mental and Emotional Challenges
Physically, it is difficult to sit in meditation for hours at a time, for days at a time. In addition to NOT moving much, we are NOT eating much or sleeping much, either. Many meals are vegetarian. The sesshin begins early and concludes late. Once, I asked my teacher, “How do I meditate when I’m tired?” He answered, “Practice tired meditation,” maybe the most Zen thing that he ever said.
As Buddhism migrated from India to China to Japan (or Korea or Myanmar or Thailand or Tibet or Vietnam) to the West, Western practitioners adapted some traditional practices. For example, in Japan, Zen masters administer slaps to the back and shoulders with a keisaku, a flat, flexible stick (like the rulers that Catholic nuns used to wield). In the West, these slaps are voluntary.
Also, there is usually an invitation, often on December 8, to stay up all night in zazen or Zen meditation, to commemorate the Buddha’s enlightenment under the bodhi tree. During the sesshin, retreatants maintain a fixed sitting posture, with crossed legs and a straight back, maintaining a soft focus on the floor or the wall. (Try it for eight minutes, let alone eight hours or eight days!!)
Mentally, it can be difficult to reenter the world of bills and bosses and budgets, technology and tension and traffic. Imagine spending a week in silence, then driving home an hour in city traffic. Often, it takes hours or days to return to “normal,” whatever that is. Sometimes, it takes even longer.
Emotionally, it can be difficult to deal with the physical and mental challenges. Along with the austerity, discipline, and tedium, old emotional wounds can reappear as we draw within ourselves. Also, we can become annoyed by the actions of others or perplexed by the actions or words of our teachers, especially since our meetings with the teachers often focus on koan practice.
Why would anyone spend a week in meditation?
There are Physical, Mental and Emotional Benefits, Too
In The Way, I mention three fruits of practice arising from zazen or seated meditation. The first is joriki or concentration—single-minded attention, presence in the here and now; the second is kensho or seeing into one’s true nature; and the third is what Zen teacher Ruben Habito calls “embodying the peerless way”—integrating the kensho realization of lack of separation into our lives.
My wife, Jill, says that the silence can bring clarity. It allows us to drop barriers, get rid of ego-driven behaviors and thoughts, and locate our True Self (which is “no self” in Buddhism). In fact, meditation teaches us that the True Self might be very different from the constructed self that we display. Silence can also provide a sense of connection, which can be expansive and life-affirming.
The benefits can linger long after I return to my “normal” life. After such intense meditations, I am much more mindful, and I can more easily clear my head while driving or walking or writing. Also, I am much more aware of my physical presence, and that of others, and I am much more sensitized to the non-verbal cues that I am always receiving and sending.
According to the Buddha, the three marks of existence are impermanence, no self and suffering. In my opinion, there is no better way to recognize these three attributes than to attend a sesshin. Modern society is increasingly coarse and contentious. For me, it helps to accept the three marks of existence, to acknowledge reality as it is, and to avoid clinging to our hopes and fears.
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