Note f134 — THE MEDITATION HALL, AND THE IDEALS OF THE MONKISH DISCIPLINE

Tso ch‘an is one of those compound Buddhist terms made of Sanskrit and Chinese. Tso is Chinese meaning “to sit,” while ch‘an stands for dhyāna or jhāna. The full transliteration of the term is ch‘anna, but for brevity’s sake the first character alone has been in use. The combination of tso-ch‘an comes from the fact that dhyana is always practised by sitting cross-legged. This posture has been considered by the Indians the best way of sitting for a long while in meditation. In it, according to some Japanese physicians, the centre of gravitation rests firmly in the lower regions of the body, and when the head is relieved of an unusual congestion of blood, the whole system will work in perfect order and the mind be put in suitable mood to take in the truth of Zen.