of mental activity (concentration). Actually this division is only a convenience for the sake of explanation. In practice zazen is the unification of breathing, posture and concentration. Each aspect affects and is affected by the other two. In the Ways, one finds these principles of breathing, posture, and concentration applied to specific activities.
I will now discuss in turn the three component processes of breathing, posture and concentration.
BREATHING
The importance of proper breathing in Zen cannot be overstated, yet the concept that breathing can be a key to spirituality is still a foreign one to most Westerners. While Western people may accept the importance of breathing in athletic endeavors or in relaxation exercises, they do not generally see breath control as a prerequisite for a spiritual experience.
The major differences between breathing in Zen and what most people would consider "normal" breathing is that in Zen it is much slower and is controlled by the muscles of the lower abdomen, not those of the chest. The average person breathes at a rate of approximately 18 respirations per minute. Zen masters have been found to breathe at a rate of 4 respirations per minute or less during zazen.
In order to understand the nature of abdominal breathing in zazen, it would be helpful for me introduce two important Japanese terms that are generally unknown to Westerners. The first is hara. Physically, hara refers to the entire lower abdomen, the part below the navel. The second term is the tanden, which is the point approximately one and one half inches below the naval and is the center of the hara. In the Zen tradition, the tanden is seen to be the center of the person, both physically and psychologically. Physically, it is the person's center of gravity. Psychologically, it is seen as the center of the personality.
To say that breathing in Zen is abdominal is to say that it is controlled by the muscles of the hara. Inhalation is accomplished by relaxing the muscles of the hara. This automatically relaxes the diaphragm and air is effortlessly brought into the lungs, just as relaxing the bulb of a medicine dropper draws water up the pipette. The result is that the lower abdomen protrudes. Once the lungs are full, the person bears down on the muscles of the hara and begins the exhalation. This initial bearing down at the beginning of an exhalation is referred to as "setting" the hara. The exhalation lasts considerably longer than the inhalation. The feeling is that the air is being forced directly downward into the hara. Actually, the tensing of the hara muscles contracts the diaphragm, forcing the air out of the lungs. The muscles are contracted in such a way that the hara remains protruded and the area immediately above the naval becomes concave, with the naval pointing up. The lower abdomen remains protruded throughout both inhalation and exhalation; hence the origin of the term "Buddha belly." After continual practice, the contour of the Zen student changes. His lower abdomen remains slightly protruded and the area above it remains concave even when he is not sitting zazen. In zazen, the student constantly monitors his breathing. When he notices that the quality of his breathing has deteriorated, he adjusts it so that it is correct.
Hara is a word that has no equivalent in English. Not only does it literally refer to the geographical area of the body roughly described as the lower abdomen but it also is a word replete with psychological and spiritual connotations. To say that someone has "hara" conveys the sense that he is balanced, secure both physically and psychologically.1 From a physical standpoint, the person with hara has a lower center of gravity than does the person with the traditional Western postural ideal of "stomach in and chest out." It is literally more difficult to tip over a person with hara, a principle that is very important in all of the martial arts and in Japanese Sumo wrestling. The person with typical Western posture is top heavy due to muscular tension in the upper body, and thus is less balanced.
To say that someone has hara also conveys the sense that he is in balance emotionally. He does not fly off the handle, he can take in his stride whatever problems come his way. In Japanese, to say that one's hara rose or that one "lost his hara" means that he has lost his temper.
To say that one has hara also implies a sense of courage, the ability to face adversity with poise and dignity. In this regard, Von Durckheim related the following account of an event that took place during World War II:
When the leader of the Japanese Women's Associations, on her return from a visit to Germany, spoke in a lecture of the impressive air-raid precautions she'd seen there, she added "we have nothing of all that but we have something else, we have Hara". The interpreter was greatly embarrassed. How should he translate that? What could he do but simply say "belly"? Silence, laughter. Only a few Westerners understood what was meant, but the Japanese knew that the lecturer had quite simply meant that power which, even if it gave no protection against annihilation by bombs, yet made possible an inner calm from which springs the greatest possible capacity for endurance.2
Hara also conveys a sense of generosity. While in English we would say that someone has a big heart, in Japan they would say that he has a big hara. Hara also implies strength. To do something with hara means to do something with all your might, to give it your best. The person with hara is seen as being physically stronger and stronger of character.
The connections between the physical and psychological aspects of hara are not just metaphorical to the Zen student. With training, he comes to understand that his psychological state fluctuates with the quality of his breathing. He learns that when he is carried away by anger or when he is overcome by fear or anxiety, his breathing becomes fast and shallow. He loses the pressure in his lower abdomen and his center of gravity rises towards his shoulders. He becomes physically less stable. He also learns to control his emotional reactions by controlling his breathing. Through proper breathing in the middle of adversity, he can maintain his psychological equillibrium.
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