Bodhi Sangha
Bodhi Sangha is the name of the worldwide network of Zen practitioners and disciples of then Zen master Fr. AMA Samy and his successors Johannes Fischer (Germany) and Carl Hooper (Australia). Bodhi Sangha members come from many different countries all over the world. They train together in a spirit of sisterhood/brotherhood. Their groups are open to all people who want to meditate together. Bodhi Sangha profoundly supports the Southn Zen center of Fr. AMA Samy, Bodhi Zendo in Perumalmalai, and the work of Little Flower for social projects for marginalized people in.
Sangha in a traditional sense means a community of the followers of Buddha, in the past the order of ordained Buddhist monks or nuns. Today and especially in Western countries, sangha also refers to laypeople who are practising in a Buddhist or Zen spirit. The original meaning of bodhi is awakening. Buddha came to awakening under a bodhi tree. Bodhi describes the realisation of emptiness as the true nature of the universe and of the non-duality of world and Self, nirvana and samsara.
Zen Meditation
“Sit solidly in samadhi and think not-thinking. How do you think not-thinking? Non-thinking. This is the art of zazen. Zazen is not learning to do concentration. It is the dharma gate of great ease and joy. It is undefiled practice-enlightenment.†(Dogen, Rules of Zazen: Zazen-gi)
Zazen, seated meditation, is the basic practice in zen. In Soto zen it is called shikantaza, just sitting. You will benefit from learning from teachers and masters, but finally you have to experiment and test for yourself what is good for you, and what will help you towards realization. There are three dimensions to zazen: bodily posture, breathing, and mental attitude and vision.
viertel lotusTake a good, comfortable posture. Take a posture according to your physical conditions: full, half or quarter lotus, burmesian or seiza posture. You can also sit on a chair, preferably with some back rest for the lower back, your feet firmly planted on the floor. Let your whole body rest on the cushion and the floor. Keep your back straight, with lower back a bit curved forwards.
Let your head be held up, with chin a bit in. Let your shoulders be relaxed and the chest open. Hold your body loose and relaxed but steady, straight up and firm.
If your legs go to sleep, adjust a bit their position to relieve the pressure and avoid sleeping legs. Often you may feel tension in some part of the body, particularly neck, shoulders, lower back. Ease the part if it is cramped or held tight. But do not try deliberately to do something to that part of the body. Rather, after setting yourself at ease and being properly seated, just stay aware of the tension or pain.
Sometimes it helps to imagine healing breath being breathed in and out through that part of the body; and do not overdo it. If you think that your posture is not certain, ask the leader to check and adjust your posture. After that, just be, let-be and be aware. Often when no thoughts bother you and you are in lucid concentration, your body will feel like being pulled in and contracted, or feel heat; just let it be. Do not let yourself fall into a trance.