南直哉師から教わったことWhat I learned from Minami Jikisai the Preceptor

教え側の教えの違いによって

Depending on a different way to teach

学ぶ側の学習程度は変わるだろうか

 will learners level be changed?

私は長年その結果の違いについて関心を持ち

I have been interested in such results for many years

事例のデータを集めてきた

 so, I have been collecting some data

以下はその過程で得られた事例の一つである

The following is one of those cases I gathered in the processing

南直哉(みなみじきさい)という仏教の僧侶がいる

There is a Buddhist priest named Minami Jikisai

彼は僧侶でありながら作家でも知られている

While being a priest also he is known as a writer

彼は日本福井県にある曹洞宗の本山永平寺で

20年間修行をしたのち

Since he had ascetic practice for 20 years at Eiheiji which is

  Soto sect of headquarters in Hukui prefecture Japan

今は2か所のお寺で住職と住職代理を務めている

Currently, he is serving as a chief priest and a deputy priest at two temples

先月末、彼が院代（住職代理）として勤めている

青森県むつ市にある恐山、菩提寺で

At the end of last month, at the temple of Bodaiji

  which is in Mt. Osore, Mutsu city, Aomori prefecture

  the place where he is working as a second principal priest

彼が直接坐禅を指導すると知って

Knowing that he will teach Zen-training course directly

何か月も前から申し込みを入れておき

I applied for the course a couple of months ago

先月の8月に彼の教えを受けるため

恐山に行ったのであった

That was why I visited Bodaiji to take his teaching in August last month

13年か前に独学で坐禅を始めてから

Since I began to learn Zazen in self-study about 13 years ago

できる限り多くお寺での坐禅指導を受けてきたが

I have been taking Zazen coaching at temples as much as I could

頻度が少ないこともあり

But because of lesser experiencing

まだ基本の姿勢もしっかり把握していなかったので

Also, I could not yet catch even basic postures

恥じることがないように

In order, not to be ashamed

事前に坐禅の行い方の予習もしておいての参加であった

It was the participation with preparation advance

  about how to do Zazen for the course

集合時間になるまでの待ち時間は長く感じたのに

Although waiting felt longer until the meeting time

始まる前の手順説明はすごく短く感じた

His orientation for a procedure before practicing felt very short

彼から坐禅を行う前に 最低限に守ってもらいたい

心構えについての伝達事項があった

He told us about readiness that we should keep in mind

  below minimum rules before the Zazen practice

①参加した人の過去の坐禅経験の確認

    Checking how much previous experience participants had with Zazen 

②持参しているものを各自の部屋に置いてくる

    Put back participant’s belongings in their rooms

③どこの場所で行うか、またどうやっていくのか

    Where is the practice room and how do we get there

④手の持ち方とその位置

    How to position hands in relation to body

⑤坐禅中は沈黙を守ること

    How to keep silent during Zazen

⑥背中を伸ばし両耳が真っすぐ上になるように姿勢を正す

    Stretch back and correct posture to make sure both ears are straight

⑦喉を真っすぐにするなど

    Make bronchial tube(throat) straight etc.

本堂に入る前の長い廊下でも

At the long corridor before getting into the main room

歩き方の形式の説明があり

There was an explanation of a walking form

本堂に入る前にも入り方についても

Also, we were told how to enter the main room 

足の運び方の順番など手本を見せながら

要点を簡単明瞭に伝えてくれた

He clearly and simply told those essentials  

  by showing model forms such as how to carry feet and which order

本堂に入ってから

After we got into the main room

①座り方

    How to sit

②手の置き方

    How to put hands

③呼吸の仕方

    How to breathe

④外からの音の扱い方

    How to treat sounds from outside

⑤浮かんでくる考えを止めようとせず

    外から聞こえてくる音を取り入れるなど

    Try not to cut the thinking and

     how to take in external sounds that are coming to listen etc.

彼の伝い方は極めて簡単だったので

His guidance was extremely easy

参加者全員が彼の指示に従い

All participants followed his instruction

てきぱき動くことができた

They could move efficiently

彼のことの伝える言い方は

The way he tells us was

細かい形式は簡単に伝えつつ

Instructive detail forms simply

大義の本番に備えて

To get ready for the actual event as the main meaning

心が乱されないようにさせる確かさがあった

His voice had certainty that can make my mind undisturbed  

実際、坐禅態勢に入ると

When we started to get actual Zazen form

静かな声で

He says in a quiet voice 

体の中心をどうやって見つけるか

 How to find the center point of a body

正しい姿勢をどうやって保つか

 How to keep a proper posture

外から聞こえてくる音が

 Hear sounds from outside

体の感覚器官を通って

 It gets through body sensory organs

そのまま体から通り抜けていけるようにする

 Making it go through body as it was heard

聞こえてくる音をそのままにしておくことによって

 By leaving sound as it was meant to be heard

聞こえている自分と

 A self which is heard 

聞いている自分の区別が無くなることを言った

 Myself which is hearing a sound

  he told us that those distinctions will be gone

彼の静まった声に身を任せていると

While I was entrusted to his calm voice

次に行う動作に合わせて

思考の流れもぴったりと合っていった

My movement fit perfectly

  with the flow of thoughts

彼の指示とおりにしたら

By following his instruction

雑念にとられることが無く

Without a bothering mind

足の痛みやしびれがあっても

Even though there were leg numbness and pain

姿勢や呼吸に意識をもっていくことができた

I could keep the focus on posture and breathing

彼の教え方は余計な説明が一切無かった

His way of teaching had no unnecessary explanation at all

守るべき最低限の形式を伝え

Telling us the minimum forms we should follow

形式を守るための余計な心配りを減らしてくれた

He reduced unnecessary worries of form with rules one must follow

だが、その形式を行う過程で生じる心の変化には

However, emotion inevitably changed

 the processing of forms

取り扱い方が詳細に説明される

 The way to handle them was explained in detail

動作を行うことで生じる心の変化も

Also, the mental change caused by doing movement,

どのように変わっていくかが説明されていたので

and how it will be changed, was explained too

それらに迷うことが無くなる

So, it leads to no confusion

彼の教えは行うことによって

正しい行いを行えるようにさせてくれた

His teaching made me do Zazen properly

By the correct way, it should be done

参加者全員の行動から

From the movements of all participants

確かに学んでいたことが明らかになった

I could find that they certainly learned from him