Meditation for the 21st Century

Linji Yixuan- the original founder of the Rinzai School

I first learned meditation, sitting at the home of a Rinzai Zen Buddhist monk. He was a professor at the University I attended and held regular meditations at his home. He taught the way he was taught, which was the way his teacher was taught. I was given basic instruction on etiquette (e.g., taking shoes off before entire the zendo, bowing to the altar, etc.), and how to sit (e.g., cross-legged, eyes closed, spine straight, hands in the Dhyana mudra, etc.). We would chant specific sutras in Japanese and sit in silence for 45 minutes, followed by more chanting and bowing. There were no dharma talks, there was no discussion afterward. In fact, when I asked questions, I was usually told to, “sit more.” This style of teaching was directing us to the understanding that we would not find the answers we were seeking by talking about it. The only way to reach enlightenment was to sit in silence until the ego let go of control and there was a direct experience of The Truth.

I respect this tradition and I gained a lot from my time at the Zendo, and at the same time, it frequently struck me that there were never more than 3 people at any of the meditations. This was at a time when research into the benefits of meditation was exploding. We were discovering that meditation can rewire the brain, it can improve attention, it can alter the immune system response, and it can aid in the treatment of a vast array of mental health concerns. The virtues of meditation were being shared in many magazines and TV shows, yet only a small percentage of people were actually meditating. Why the disconnect? After interviewing hundreds of clients and students, the most common concerns preventing people from beginning a meditation practice included the following:

• “I don’t know if I am doing it right”

• “I can’t keep my mind quiet”

• “I don’t have time”

• “I don’t know where to start”

• “I don’t feel comfortable going to a Buddhist center”

• “I tried meditation once and it made me anxious”