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While concentrating on the koan Who am I? or What is This? during zazen do you internally recite it on the out breath while stretching each syllable making the words long so that asking it once lasts the whole outbreath? Or do you repeat the question in a normal way during the start of the out breath and then let the out breath flow further silently until it finishes and then ask again at the start of the next outbreath?
April 9, 2016, 12:27 pm
Please don´t make it so complicated. After having practice the breathing sussokan for many years, it becomes natural to us. This base then let´s us concentrate on the koan only. When you sit down for zazen, please practice sussokan for a few exhalations and then only stay with becoming one with your koan. This way, the breathing as well as the koan will deepen your samadhi.