“Why did the jiki yell at me?”

We often get this question when a new student sits zazen (“sitting zen” or seated meditation). It’s common to lose concentration during zazen, and beginning students may also fidget, or shift in their seat in an attempt to get more comfortable.

When students move, the jiki will say clearly, “Don’t move!” Jikis may also say “Wake up!” when students are drifting off to sleep.

When students hear this correction for the first time, they may react with surprise, embarrassment, shame, or even anger.

Let’s learn more about the jiki’s role and why this correction is an act of compassion towards students.

The Jiki

The jiki is more than the person who starts and ends each zazen period with taku (wooden blocks) and inkin (bells). The jiki is responsible for the quality of the zazen and kiai (vital energy) of the entire group.  If they see students moving, the jiki knows that the student who is moving is not practicing zazen - they have become distracted. The “Don’t move!” instruction is intended to help the student settle back into the intent of zazen, to sit still without moving while deepening their exhalations. 

Students

“You don’t end up in a zendo if your life is going great,” says Scott Kiel Roshi. Indeed, students who sit zazen are there to work something out, or resolve duality, which requires an intense level of effort.

During zazen, we work together to create conditions wherein - in 30-45 minutes -  students can enter a state of samadhi (a state of relaxed concentration of no-self). To enter samadhi, stillness of body/mind is required.  When the student moves, we know that the student is not in samadhi. Further, one student’s movement may distract or cause other students to lose their samadhi. 

The jiki who instructs, “Don’t move” is like a guest in your home who smelled smoke and asked, “Is something burning?” The jiki’s correction is an act of compassion.