Zazen Admonitions (坐禪箴)

About 坐禪箴

Japan · by 道元撰

111 · about 1 min

The Zazen Admonition is an important Zen work composed by Dōgen Zenji, founder of the Japanese Sōtō school. Dōgen traveled to Song Dynasty China during the Kamakura period to seek the Dharma, and upon returning to Japan, he established the Japanese Sōtō school, emphasizing the silent-illumination Zen practice of shikantaza (just sitting). This admonition, in concise language, elucidates the essence of zazen, pointing out that zazen itself is the Buddha’s activity and the way of shedding body and mind. It advocates the nonduality of practice and realization. As a distilled expression of Dōgen’s core teachings, the Zazen Admonition laid the theoretical foundation for the practical system of Japanese Sōtō Zen, profoundly influencing the development of Japanese Zen Buddhism. It is revered as a fundamental guideline for Zen practice.