Summary

Suzuki’s chapter titled “Posture” begins by describing the sitting posture for Zen meditation with the right foot on the left thigh and the left foot on the right leg. He immediately uses this physical position as a teaching of how we are not two and not one, but both dependent and independent, both plural and singular. He describes how the straight spine is the most important part of the posture. He details all the aspects of sitting up straight: how to hold the diaphragm, how to hold the chin. He describes that the hands should be in the “cosmic mudra” with the left hand sitting in the right, thumbs touching, forming a perfect oval, and touching your navel. Then he states that the form’s purpose is not to try to attain something. “To take this posture itself is the purpose of...