MEDITATION INSTRUCTION
You are invited to participate as Rev. Clairissa offers basic instruction in our tradition of Sōtō Zen or Serene Reflection Meditation, exploring how the moment-to-moment practice of meditation can sustain us through and beyond the arising of fear in everyday life, in “Leap Beyond All Fear!”
Before you start the recording, gather the items you will sit on as you listen to these instructions on how to do formal meditation. This could be a sturdy chair which allows you to sit with your knees slightly lower than your hips, or a forward-tilting meditation bench for kneeling, or a firm round meditation cushion. If you are using a bench or cushion, have a soft meditation mat or folded blanket on the floor beneath you.
In the room where you will be listening, set up your meditation seat to face a blank wall, so that your head can be about three feet from the wall when seated. It can be helpful have a terrycloth hand towel or a small pillow handy, to place across your lap to support your hands and keep your shoulders from becoming tense while sitting, if you find you need it.
Should you have questions about the posture and mind of meditation, the monks are available to answer them and to assist you in setting up your sitting place and meditation practice, especially if you need to adapt your meditation position. The monks can be reached via our website:
https://wallowabuddhisttemple.org
The Litany of the Great Compassionate One, a joyous verse from which opens the talk, is one of our most basic scriptures. To hear the monastic community of Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey recite it in English, go to this link: