Zen Road [Publications | Zen, Simply Sitting | A Zen monk’s commentary on Dogen’s Fukanzazengi by Philippe Coupey]
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zen, zazen
and the people
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– a web resource by friends of Zen monk Philippe Coupey

publications

“all you need is a zafu and some courage”

Philippe Coupey brings Dogen’s Fukanzazengi to the 21^st Century

“I have no doubt whatsoever concerning the absolute necessity of sitting in front of a wall with no purpose and no goal,” declares Zen monk Rei Ryu Philippe Coupey in the first chapter of his latest book, Zen, Simply Sitting.

But “a long practice is not always easy,” he admits, “especially when you realize that it involves putting up with other people.”

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Coupey’s candor and conviction permeate Simply Sitting, his commentaries on Master Eihei Dogen’s Fukanzazengi, a central text in the Zen tradition. Written by Dogen in 1227 and revised by him in 1242-43, the original “Universal Guide to the Practice of Seated Meditation” is a short work which aims to transmit the essence of Zen practice as Dogen learned it from his master, Tendo Nyojo. It contains a surprising amount of concrete how-to (“place your right foot on your left thigh…”), but also refers to important moments and figures in Zen history to explain why such practice is necessary.

“I think that everyone who practices zazen should know this text,” says Coupey in his preface to the book. “Not necessarily by heart…but by thoroughly understanding its meaning.” His commentaries will help today’s reader do just that. Coupey has a gift for making the here and now part of the natural flow of Zen history, subtly showing us how the teaching and practice continue much as they did hundreds, even thousands of years ago: the master-disciple relationship, the posture, our distractions and failings, our aspiration to something higher. His distinct mixture of old and new can be seen in the list of the “Zen” stories he tells in the course of the book, where the well-known “Gutei Holds Up His Thumb” and “The Parable of the Lost Son” appear alongside “Shusso Can’t Find the Rave Party” and “Two Motorbikes for the Monk.” This inclusion of the contemporary actually gives the book a timeless quality, and makes us feel a real connection with the Zen ancestors.

Coupey’s previous books include The Voice of the Valley and Sit, teachings by his master, Taisen Deshimaru, which he edited; and In the Belly of the Dragon, his own commentary on Master Sosan’s Shinjinmei.

“I decided to comment on the Fukanzazengi because it’s the basic teaching of zazen posture and zazen mind, as expressed by Dogen,” says Coupey. “Also, while there are many translations of the Fukanzazengi available, a complete commentary on the text is very difficult to find. Even Master Deshimaru never did one.”

No Place Like Hohm

Zen, Simply Sitting is published by Hohm Press, a publishing house run by the Western Baul guru Lee (“Mr. Lee”) Lozowick, who also happens to be a friend of Philippe Coupey’s.

“Lee has always been helpful, has always supported me,” said Coupey in a recent interview in Paris. “I spent 18 years looking for a publisher for Sit in the U.S. In the end, Lee was the one who did it. Why did it take 18 years? Because at the time, Deshimaru wasn’t respected in any way in the States. But that’ll come around…”

Coupey met Lozowick over 15 years ago, through a fellow monk and Deshimaru disciple, Jean-Claude St. Prix.

“Lee was very fine,” recalls Coupey. “I went to where he was staying in France. He was with his disciples, sitting a bit higher up, his followers around him on the floor. He invited me to sit up with him — like Mahakashyapa sharing the Buddha’s seat — and we both talked, and the disciples listened. It was quite nice — he’d never met me, but he immediately made me the guest of honor.”

Lozowick is a disciple of Yogi Ramsuratkumar in the Baul tradition, which draws on elements from Tantra, Sufi Islam and Buddhism and emphasizes singing as an expression of one’s love for God. A dedicated and tireless teacher, he is the author of numerous books on spirituality, the eponymous leader of a rock group and a blues band named Shri, and director of ashrams in Arizona, France and India. He is known for his own particular brand of “crazy wisdom” and his sometimes outrageous teaching style. (Even Wikipedia refers to his “reputation for crass and provocative behavior.”)

“Lee is absolutely scandalous,” says Coupey admiringly. “Macho? Racist? Sexist? Lee says anything he wants, and it comes out fine. He’s fresh air, he’s naturally himself, he’s not laying anything on anybody. He’s one of the most important gurus in the Western world.”

For several years now, Coupey and Lozowick have had a standing rendezvous in Paris, and if you happen by the aptly named Café de la Liberté in the 14^th arrondissement on the right day in June, you’ll see the masters and their disciples occupying most of the sidewalk tables: Mr. Lee and his students, blue-eyed, long-haired and ruddy-cheeked, and Dragon Mind and his Zen disciples, sporting more urban complexions and much less hair. What draws these two men together in friendship? Their common American heritage? Their irreverence? Mutual respect for their teaching?

“Lee’s the only American master of any denomination who’s willing to be friendly with me,” says Coupey.

Zen readers hope their collaboration will continue.

Excerpts from Zen, Simply Sitting by Philippe Coupey:

Zazen has absolutely nothing to do with sitting or lying down.
You have to understand this with your body. A master should understand that you don’t explain the Dharma with your mouth; a disciple should understand that you don’t practice zazen with your legs. Zazen isn’t limited to the seated posture. It’s not just a matter of crossing your legs, keeping your back straight and your chin in. Remember the beginning of the Fukanzazengi where Dogen clearly states that zazen itself is Buddha: no separation.

I am sometimes asked if it’s possible to do zazen lying down. If that’s the best you can do — in other words, if you are bedridden or paralyzed or otherwise incapacitated, and not just hanging around in bed hoping to sleep a little longer — then yes, you can practice zazen lying down. The breathing will be slightly different than in the seated posture, but otherwise it’s the same: don’t follow your thoughts.

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Going forward is a matter of everyday living.
Progress — going forward — has nothing to do with being smart. It’s an everyday thing. In this passage of the text, “everyday living” means the immediate, fundamental nature of each day…the fundamental truth of our daily lives. Eating, sleeping, talking, going to the toilet, doing gassho (bowing) before and after moving in the dojo: this is the stuff of awakening, of great freedom. No need to be smart.

Our practice of shikantaza (just sitting) has nothing to do with intelligence or its lack, because it has no goal. So there’s no need to learn some special technique. There’s no particular skill, aptitude, talent, competence, or qualification required. There isn’t any hierarchy to advance in. All you need is a zafu (cushion) and some courage. Why courage? Because it’s not easy to come regularly to zazen, especially when you have problems. You have to find the courage to come and sit even when nothing and nobody encourages you to do so.

Master Deshimaru used to encourage us by saying that if we practiced zazen we would become great leaders. I can’t say that. I would just say that it’s a question of correct effort, the effort to go towards the truth by destroying everything produced in your head, because it’s false, just so many illusions. Destroy them with zazen, with the breath that levels all. And don’t be discouraged when the illusions come back. That’s the human condition.

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Zen, Simply Sitting: A Zen monk’s commentary on the Fukanzazengi by Master Dogen, by Philippe Coupey. Published by Hohm Press (www.hohmpress.com), Prescott, Arizona, USA. Available through all the usual virtual and flesh-and-blood booksellers, as well as through Zen Road.