Basic Meditation Instruction
A guide to our 25-minute meditation sessions
- Posture: Sit on a cushion or chair with your back straight but not rigid. Keep your eyes half-open, your gaze resting about 6 feet in front of you.
- Hands: Place your hands in your lap, forming the “cosmic mudra” – left hand on top of right, palms up, thumbs touching to form an oval.
- Breath: Focus on your breath. Don’t try to control it, just observe its natural rhythm. Try counting each exhale from, one to ten, then start over.
- Mind: When thoughts arise, don’t engage with them. Simply acknowledge their presence and return your focus to counting breaths.
- Time: A bell will ring to begin and end the session. If you become uncomfortable, adjust your posture mindfully, maintaining your concentration.
- Attitude: Approach the practice with a sense of openness and curiosity. There’s no goal to achieve – just be present in each moment.
Remember, consistency is key in Zen practice. Regular 25-minute sessions can lead to profound insights and a deeper sense of presence in daily life.
Jian’s Daily Coffee Meditation
with the Three Jewels
Settle — Buddha
Cue: Before you lift the cup, take one conscious breath.
Let the morning quiet hold you. This awake, silent awareness is your Buddha-nature—already
perfect, already home. Rest here.
The First Sip — Dharma
Cue: Lift the cup. Feel the warmth. Take the first slow sip.
Let the taste fully arrive—bitter, sweet, warm. Notice how it blooms and fades. This is the
Dharma: everything arises, teaches you, and dissolves. Nothing to hold onto, everything to
taste.
The Web — Sangha
Cue: Hold the cup in both hands. Feel its warmth as an embrace.
This coffee is a gift from countless hands: farmers, roasters, rain, sun, the earth. You are not
alone. This warmth is the Sangha—the community of all beings holding you in this moment.
Refuge in Every Sip
Cue: Continue sipping slowly. Let each sip be a gentle bell.
The silence around you is the Buddha. The fleeting taste is the Dharma. The invisible web of
support is the Sangha. Every sip is a full circle of refuge. You are held, you are taught, you are
home.
When the cup is empty, place it down gently … it is a sacred vessel. Carry the silence and
warmth into your day.
(Jian David Klinger Roshi is a teacher in the Single Flower Sangha lineage. He welcomes individuals interested in joining him online for individual or/and group koan study and practice. Jian also offers individual Zen practice and inquiry via Zoom. See his entry on the “Teachers and Senior Dharma Students” page.)