How do Zen Buddhists meditate?
Your mind should be focused solely on your breathing, noticing the inhalations and exhalations. The best way to begin is to count: 1 for the first inhalation, 2 for the first exhalation, 3 for the second inhalation, 4 for the second exhalation, and so on up until 10 and then begin again. If you lose count, don’t worry: just begin again at 1. When a thought arises, let it go and return to counting your inhalations and exhalations. The best book to read is still Roshi Philip Kapleau’s THE THREE PILLARS OF ZEN. It has detailed drawings of all the classic meditation postures and instructions on how to focus the mind.
