In one of the famous shrines here in Kamakura, I went to an open Zazen session, a meditation session held every Friday from 5-6 pm. I wanted to experience the real thing in Japan, in one of the most authentic Zen places on earth. There were about 50 persons, mostly men and even business men that came after work. We were asked to seat ourselves on the tatami and not to talk. Then a Zen monk came in traditional clothing and started to explain something in Japanese.He held a long stick in his hand, I started to feel uneasy about the long stick, but decided not to run away screaming and kicking and lay low.... After the sound of the singing bowl we closed our eyes and started the meditation. Suddenly I could hear clapping sounds, then nothing for a little while and then again, 2 clapping sounds.... I was not at ease to open my eyes and be caught in sneeking.... but finally my raging fantasy was too much and I decided to open my eyes when I heard the clapping, thinking that if the monk was making those sounds, he surely would not be looking my way whilst doing them.... and indeed, I saw him clap on the shoulders of the participants, bowing to him to receive the blows. Can you imagine how my little European brain was saying 'no way, I have done nothing wrong, I do not deserve this, I don't want it' !! So I decided, as I heard he was approaching my seat, to keep my eyes firmly closed. I finally sensed he was looking at me, as a potential victim of his brutal stick, but no, I pretended not to participate... He passed.
After the lesson, I got the chance to ask a Japanese elder man what this clapping was all about. He explained that the monk intended to clap on the shoulders of the participants to relieve them from excess energy that comes with office work, and as such restore the energy balance of the body. Now I understood !! But what an experience, and how strange to be so uneasy about things one does not understand ... fantastic experience in one of the most beautiful places on earth (for me).
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