The Kyosaku

At the Zen Center this morning, we talked about one of the most misunderstood aspects of Zen practice - the use of the kyosaku, or "the blow of compassion."

The kyosaku is an oak stave, usually about three to four feet long, used by Soto Zen teachers to strike students, upon request, on the shoulders. It is often mistaken for a "beating," or misinterpreted as either masochism on the part of the receiver or sadism on the part of the one dealing the blow.

During sitting meditation, a student may decide to request the stick by putting his or her hands together and raising them above the head. The zendo attendant will then get up and take the kyosaku from its position on the alter, holding it up and bowing ceremoniously before approaching the requester. The attendant then bows to the requester before tapping him or her on the shoulder with the stick so that the requester knows that the attendant is there, followed by two swift strikes to the fleshy muscle between the neck and shoulder. The strikes are usually characterized by a loud smacking sound.

Does it hurt? I've requested it several times, and will admit that there is an initial sting to the strikes, followed by a sensation of warmth that travels through the body from the point of impact. I would not call it pain, but I would not call it pleasure either.

So why is this done? At what point during sitting meditation does one think that getting hit on the shoulders with a stick is a good idea? As I said, I've requested it many times, and have found that it has at least three benefits to my sitting practice:

1. If one is drowsy, the jolt of adrenalin resulting from the strike wakes one up better than a shot of espresso.
2. I often carry stress in my shoulders (some people carry stress in the jaw). During long sitting periods, my shoulders will start to tighten and rise up, and something about the kyosaku relaxes the muscles, sort of like a good shiatsu massage.
3. It brings you into a high state of awareness of the present moment. I can guarantee you that in the seconds between the first blow to the right shoulder and the second blow to the left, you're not thinking about anything else or anywhere else, and your full attention is on the here and the now.

A momentary sting is a small price to pay for these benefits. However, I have heard people assume that the stick is used to "punish" students for poor practice, or fidgeting during sitting, or bad posture. Not true.

I have heard people speculate that students request the stick as a form of absolution for their imperfect effort or lack of enlightenment. Not true.

I have even heard racist theories that the kyosaku is an example of "Asian cruelty," proof that Zen is some barbaric or sadistic practice, and that teachers select students for "beatings" in order to assert dominance. These theories do not even warrant a response.

The founder of my lineage, the Rev. Soyu Matsuoka, explained the use of the stick as "blowing thoughts out of the mind." However, due to the many misunderstandings, it has largely fallen out of use in America, although it was an essential part of Matsuoka's tradition (the first book of his collected teachings is titled "The Kyosaku" - buy it). My teacher, Rev. Taiun Michael Elliston, is committed to carrying on the tradition of the kyosaku, as am I. It may turn out to be the distinguishing feature of the Matsuoka tradition.