昨年の秋だったと思うけど、禅の修行を始めのです。
何でまた？と不思議に思う方もいらっしゃるかと思います。あの、煩悩の固まりのような田中一郎か、と。
はい、おっしゃる通り。私は煩悩の固まりなのです。だから悟りたい、という煩悩も人一倍激しいのです。
悟りたい煩悩って、一体なんだろう？と自分でも訝しむわけですが。
でも、今、ふと思ったのですが、「悟りたい煩悩」は煩悩の中でも最高クラスの煩悩なのではないか、と。
煩悩に最高クラスはないか。最低クラスはあっても。
私の禅の修行に関する他の記事はこちらです「坐年で、数年の迷いが吹っ切れた話」「臘八接心に参座して……」
Contents
毎日一注は必ず坐る
浜松の曹洞宗の名刹の老師に師事し、月に１度通って修行のようなものをしているわけですが、やはり新型コロナの影響を受けて、そこのお寺で行われる坐禅会はただいま中止中。しかし私はここで修行を止めるわけにはいかない、と、毎日、一注（40分）は必ず坐禅をするようにしています。
4月に入ってから、1日だけどうしても時間が取れず、坐れなかった日がありましたが、それからは毎日必ず坐っています。
眠くなったら、自分で自分の警策を
40分、坐禅を組むわけですが、やはりそれはまだまだ修行が浅い身。最初はいい感じで、呼吸に集中できて頭も何となくクリアになっていく感じがするのですが、10分過ぎたあたりから、どうも怪しくなってくるのです。
眠気が襲ってくるのです。
こういう時はどうするか。
お寺で坐る時は、雑念や眠気が現れた時は、警策（きょうさく）で肩をビシッと叩かれます。これを警策をいただくと言いますが、それほど痛くはないのですが、その瞬間に気がビシッと研ぎ澄まされます。
自分の部屋で坐禅を組んで眠くなった時は、自分で自分に警策を当てます。右手あるいは左手で、反対の肩をビシッと叩くのです。
老師から頂く警策には、足元にも及ばないのですが、それでも少し気が澄むようで、眠気は暫く去っていってくれます。
自分警策の果てに
昨夜は、坐禅に入るのが23時と遅くなりました。
Zoomでの打合せが長引いたりして、そんな時刻になってしまったのです。
私にとって、今は坐禅は楽しみの一つであり、当然、在家修行の一環なので、23時だろうが、飛ばすわけにはいきません。
曹洞宗の坐禅は、壁に向かって座ります。私の部屋にはちょうどいい壁が、本棚やテレビで埋まっていて、ベッドを挟んで壁に向かうことになります。ベッドの上にスマフォを置き、坐禅用のアプリを起動させる。
スタートで鐘が1点。40分経つと3点鳴って終了を告げます。
昨夜もベッド越しに壁に向かったのでσがう、既に23時。いつもは１０分後くらいにやってくる睡魔は、もう２、３分でやってきました。でも、大丈夫。私には自分警策という秘技があります。自分警策をビシッ。一瞬目は覚めますが、しかし昨夜またすぐ睡魔がやってくる。また、自分警策をビシッ。
さて、何度自分警策を繰り返したでしょうか。実は記憶がないのです。
スマフォが3点鐘を鳴らして、私の意識は戻ってきたのですが、その時、私の額はしっかりベッドの上にくっついていました。
実るほど頭を垂れる稲穂かな。
さて、これから今夜も、坐禅に入ります。頑張れ、俺。
It was last fall, I think, when I started my Zen practice.
Why? Some of you may be wondering, "What is this? What do you think? It is Ichiro Tanaka who is like a mass of vexation.
Yes, you're right. I am a mass of vexation. That's why the need for enlightenment is also more intense than most people.
What is this vexation for enlightenment? I'm not sure if I'm right or not.
But now, it occurs to me that the "vexation of enlightenment" may be the highest class of vexation.
Isn't there a supreme class in vexation? Even if there is a minimum class.
Here are some other articles on my Zen practice
I always sit down at least once a day
I've been studying under an old master at a famous temple of the Soto sect in Hamamatsu, Japan, and I go there once a month to do some kind of training. However, due to the influence of the new corona, the zazen meeting held at the temple is now on hold.But I can't stop practicing here, so I try to do zazen every day, at least once a day (40 minutes).
Since the beginning of April, there was one day when I couldn't sit down because I couldn't get time for it, but since then I've been sitting down every day.
If I get sleepy, I'll take my own precautions.
It's the first time I've done zazen for 40 minutes, but I'm still in the early stages of training. At first I felt good, I could concentrate on my breathing and my head was somehow becoming clearer, but after 10 minutes, it started to feel weird.
Drowsiness strikes me.
What do you do in a situation like this?
When I sit in a temple, I am tapped on the shoulder with a cautionary stick when I feel drowsy or distracted. This is said to be a cautionary stick, and although it doesn't hurt that much, it does sharpen my mind at that moment.
When I get sleepy in my room, I take a warning shot at myself. With your right or left hand, slap the opposite shoulder with a bang.
I am not even close to my feet, but I still seem to clear my mind a little, and the sleepiness goes away for a while.
in the end of one's self-cautionary stick
Last night, I went into zazen as late as 23:00.
I had a long meeting at Zoom, so I ended up at such a time.
For me, zazen is one of the things I look forward to now, and of course it's part of my layIt's the first time I've done zazen for 40 minutes, but I'm still in the early stages of training.
At first I felt good, I could concentrate on my breathing and my head was somehow becoming clearer, but after 10 minutes, it started to feel weird.
Drowsiness strikes me.
What do you do in a situation like this?
When I sit in a temple, I am tapped on the shoulder with a cautionary measure when I feel drowsy or distracted. This is said to be a cautionary measure, and although it doesn't hurt that much, it does sharpen my mind at that moment.
When I get sleepy in my room, I take a warning shot at myself. With your right or left hand, slap the opposite shoulder with a bang.
I am not even close to my feet, but I still seem to clear my mind a little, and the sleepiness goes away for a while.
in the end of one's self-protection
Last night, I went into zazen as late as 23:00.
I had a long meeting at Zoom, so I ended up at such a time.
For me, zazen is one of the things I look forward to now, and of course it's part of my practice, so I can't skip it, even if it's 23:00.
In Soto sect zazen, you sit against a wall. My room has just the right wall, filled with bookshelves and TVs, facing the wall across from my bed. I put my smartphone on the bed and activate an app for zazen.
At the start of my practice, the bell rings one point, and after 40 minutes, three points are rung to signal the end of my zazen practice.
Last night I also went through my bed to the wall, so σgh, it's already 23:00. The sleepiness, which usually comes about 10 minutes later, came in a couple of minutes already. But it's okay. I have a secret technique called self-policing. Sound off on your alarm. I am awake for a moment, but last night the drowsiness comes quickly again. Also, beep your own warning signs.
Now, how many times have I repeated my alarmist plan? In fact, I have no memory of it.
My smart phone rang a three-point bell and my consciousness came back, but then my forehead was firmly clutched to the bed.
If the ear of rice is fruitful, it will bow.
Well, I am going to start zazen tonight, too. Hang in there, me.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)