接心：Sesshin

 

 

Sesshin (Embracing the Mind)

 

Although sesshin (接心) is commonly written as “touching the mind,” it may also be written 摂心, meaning “embracing the mind.” Shortly after a group of Zoroastrian fire worshippers converted to Buddhism, the Buddha pointed to a nearby fire telling, “The world is burning.” He taught that the six sense faculties—eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind—are all burning (with the fires of desire, discrimination, and delusion). He therefore advised his disciples to guard the six sense doors, just as a turtle withdraws its head and four limbs into its shell for protection.

The Buddha himself, in addition to observing the annual three-month rainy-season retreat (vassa), occasionally withdrew alone from the noise and distractions of society to devote himself to extended periods of meditation. Following this example, the Zen tradition observes intensive meditation retreats lasting three months, one month, one week, one day, or other periods. During these retreats, practitioners settle and calm their minds through sesshin (intensive zazen), while also engaging in samu (work practice), in which they leave the meditation cushion and devote themselves wholeheartedly to physical work. These represent the complementary practices of stillness and activity.

Traditionally, sesshin has been practiced communally in monasteries and Zen centers, where practicing together naturally strengthens concentration and mutual encouragement. In recent years, however, we have sought to make sesshin accessible to those unable to attend in person by allowing individuals to participate remotely at the same time. Through Zoom and similar technologies, practitioners can remain closely connected despite geographical distance. In the future, it would be beneficial to develop even more accessible ways for anyone, anywhere, to participate in sesshin.

The Japanese expression meikyō shisui (“a clear mirror and still water”) describes a mind that is calm, transparent, and undisturbed, clearly reflecting the world as it is and responding appropriately. Zazen cultivates such a state. Just as water in a bowl naturally becomes calm and clear when the bowl is set down without disturbance, by harmonizing (ordering) the body, the breath, and the mind (chōshin, chōsoku, chōshin), we naturally enter the state of nirvāṇa, where the karmic winds have ceased. In that stillness, we directly realize the universal Dharma—the dependent co-origination and cessation of all phenomena.

A spinning top, when perfectly balanced, appears completely still even while rotating at full speed. In Japanese, such a top is said to be suwaru (“firmly settled”) and sumu (“clear and pure”). Likewise, the full lotus posture provides a stable three-point-support foundation through the crossed legs, allowing the upper body to remain upright, balanced, and properly aligned. Correct posture is essential for regulating the breath, and deep, harmonious breathing in turn unifies and harmonizes body, mind, and the surrounding world, just as the different colors of a rapidly spinning top merge into a single harmonious unity.

Throughout biological evolution, the karma necessary for survival has strengthened the Triple Poisons—desire, discrimination, and delusion. These appear as self-centered views, self-interest, attachment to the ego, discrimination between self and others, and the endless pursuit of desire. As a result, we fail to perceive the true nature of reality: the Dharma of Dependent Co-origination, the universal web of mutual relatedness and relativity extending throughout infinite space and time. Without this vision, genuine justice and harmony cannot prevail in the ordinary world. Zazen is therefore indispensable for directly awakening to the truth of the universe and cultivating wisdom.

As we have seen in the Twelvefold Dependent Co-origination, the root of suffering is craving, while the root of saṃsāra is ignorance—no witness of nirvāṇa. Liberation from suffering and saṃsāra, and the realization of immovability, fearlessness, and the deathless, depend upon eradicating these two roots. Today, humanity also faces collective karmic suffering in the forms of dictatorship, war, nuclear weapons, and global catastrophe. To resolve these, not only craving and nescience but also discrimination and hatred must be overcome. The conquest of the Triple Poisons is therefore essential.

May we all overcome desire, discrimination, and delusion together!

 

 

 

接心

 

接心は摂心とも書くが、ブッダ（覚者）は最近拝火教徒で集団改宗した人達に近くに起きた火事を指した「世界は燃える」と言い、人間の眼耳鼻舌身意が「熾燃と燃える」事を指摘した。そして徘徊動揺止まない六官を「亀が頭や四肢を甲羅に納め防護する様に戸締りするよう勧めた。

 

ブッダ自身も雨安居の他にも一人世の喧騒を避けて長期間坐禅を行うことがあった。禅宗ではそれに倣い三ヶ月の安居や一ヶ月、一週間、一日など集中的に瞑想をし自心を納め鎮める摂心・接心の坐禅と、坐布を離れて作業に集中する作務をする。これらは静中と動中の修行である。

 

普通接心は僧院・禅センターなどで集団で行い、それなりの効果があるが、最近こちらではそのような便の無い人の為に同時に遠方で個人参加できるようにし、ズームなどの手段を使って更に連絡を密にする様にしているが、将来は誰にも参加できる方法を考え普及した方が良い。

 

明鏡止水とは心が動揺せず透明静寂に物事・世界を反映し、対処できる様子を言うが、坐禅はお椀を静かに置けばその中の水が自然に透明清澄になる様に調身調息調心して業風の止んだ涅槃の状態に入り、そこで普遍的真理である一切現象の縁起・縁滅の法を覚証することが出来る。

 

独楽が一所に止まり（正）動揺せず完全に調和回転する状態を「据わる（坐る）、清む（澄む）」と言うが、結跏趺坐は両足を組み安定した三点支持を得てその上に上体を直立正斉に調身する事が調息に必須であり、調息（長息）が独楽の各色融合調和の様に心身界の調心に重要である。

 

動物として生存競争の為の業は貪瞋痴三毒の業を強化して来た事が我見・我利・我執・自他分別・欲望追求となり世界の本来の姿である法：縁起（時空無限因縁による相依・相対）世界が見えず公正が行われないない俗界から大宇宙真実を覚証・知恵にする為に座禅は必須である。

 

十二支縁起で見たように苦の因は欲、輪廻の因は無明（涅槃む覚証）であり、苦・輪廻の解決、不動・不畏・不死獲得はこの二根の根絶にある。集団業四苦（独裁・戦争・核・破局）の解決は二根に加え差別・瞋恚が重要であり三毒退治が必要である。三毒解決を皆ができますよう！

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