Zuowang Meditation is a practice of abandoning all thoughts, allowing the mind to become empty and calm(1).
Zuowang is one of the most prominent Daoist meditation practices(1) and it is based on the idea of sitting in forgetfulness(2). This meditation focuses on doing nothing and turning off your intellectual thoughts so you can enter pure awareness(2).
Zuowang Meditation requires you to imagine that your body is completely empty; there is no intellect, mind or thoughts. With none of the reasoning faculties present inside the body, what solely remains is awareness.(3). It is a meditation that you can practice throughout the day, no matter what activity the body is performing(3). As the practice eliminates the idea of mind, it destroys the ego. When that happens, the meditator achieves the state of pure consciousness(3).
History/Origins
Zuowang’s first mention can be found in the classical passage, Zhuangzi: a part of the discussion between Confucius and one of his disciples, Yan Hui(1). During this conversation, the disciple informs Confucius that he is getting better at attaining Dao (the moral way prescribed by Confucius for behaving in society). When the Master asked what he means, Yan Hui answered, “I have forgotten benevolence and righteousness.” Then Confucius guides him by saying that it was not enough and he still had a long way to go before he could attain Dao(1).
The next time they met, Yan Hui reported, “I am getting there.”
“How so?” asked Confucius.
“I Zuowang,” the disciple replied.
“What do you mean, you Zuowang?” inquired the Master.
To this, Yan Hui said, “I let my limbs and physical structure fall away, do away with perception and intellect, separate myself from my bodily form, and let go of all knowledge, thus joining Great Pervasion. This is what I mean by Zuowang(1).”
That is the origin of Emptiness Meditation or Zuowang.
Benefits of Zuowang Meditation
A research paper by Ramesh Manocha(4) suggests that meditation practices that lead to mental silence, have the ability to reduce depression and work-related stress. Thus, Zuowang Meditation can improve quality of life. Another study(5) has also revealed that continuous practice of mindfulness meditation has the potential to reduce psychological distress and improve job-related performance.
References
- Three Pines Press | New Visions of the Zhuangzi, Edited by Livia Kohn
- Inner Traditions/Bear | Greatest Kan and Li: Gathering the Cosmic Light by Mantak Chia and Andrew Jan
- Fingerprint! Publishing | 112 Meditations for Self Realization: Vigyan Bhairava Tantra, Translation and Commentary by Ranjit Chaudhri
- wikipedia.org | Zuowang | Modern interpretations
- Cambridge University Press | Acta Neuropsychiatrica | 2014 | Meditation, Mindfulness and Mind-Emptiness by Ramesh Manocha
- International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction | Volume 12 | 2014 | Meditation Awareness Training (MAT) for Work-related Wellbeing and Job Performance: A Randomised Controlled Trial by Edo Shonin, William Van Gordon, Thomas J. Dunn, Nirbhay N. Singh and Mark D. Griffiths
