by nitsuj » Sun Jul 03, 2011 12:01 am
Good question,
I have been a less than regular practitioner of Soto Zen Buddhism for roughly 10 years now. I think it is safe to say that when using the word "zazen" you are referencing the seated meditation practice of Zen Buddhism.
Zazen in this regard is generally practiced with no particular goal in mind. Zazen in it's own IS the goal. We are not trying to stop the thoughts, we merely let them come and go, without pursuing them. This is called "just sitting". When we first start out, we will often observe the breath, even counting the breath. With experience we may choose to cease this.
Relaxation is key--- how else are you going to sit for long periods day in and day out? Often we might find instructions to focus on the navel, or dantien (false dantien). According to Dr. Yang Theory, this would lead Qi into the small circulation path, but with out embryonic breathing (real dantien), you are not able to store the Qi to abundant levels.
In zazen, we don't lead energy. We don't accumulate energy. We don't prepare for more advanced meditation. We just sit, concentrated and mindful, with nothing to gain.