Full lotus position

This is one of the zazen (seated meditation) methods, in which one sits with both legs crossed. "Za" means to place the feet together, and "Za" means the top of the foot. The person sits with both legs crossed and the top of each foot placed on the opposite thigh. It is also called "zenka" or "honkaza". There are two types of this position: "kissho" and "gouma". "Kissho" is a sitting position in which the left foot is placed first on the right thigh, then the right foot on the left thigh, and is the way Buddha sits when preaching. "Gouma" is a sitting position in which the right foot is placed on the left thigh, then the left foot on the right thigh, and this sitting position is used in Tendai and Zen. The sitting posture of statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in exoteric Buddhism is "gouma" and "gouma" is considered to be a ritual in esoteric Buddhism. Placing only one foot on the thigh is called half lotus position (hankafuza, kenza).

[Rikiyama Ishikawa]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

坐禅(ざぜん)法の一つで、両脚を組んですわる方法。跏は足を組み合わせる意、趺は足の甲。両脚を組み、左右の足の甲を反対側のももの上にのせて安坐する。全跏(ぜんか)、本跏坐(ほんかざ)ともいう。吉祥(きっしょう)坐と降魔(ごうま)坐の2種がある。吉祥坐は、先に左足を右のももの上に置き、次に右足を左のももの上に置く坐法で、仏の説法時の座り方である。降魔坐は、右足を左のももの上に置き、左足を右のももの上に置く坐法で、天台や禅はこの坐法による。顕教(けんぎょう)の仏菩薩(ぶつぼさつ)像の坐相は降魔坐で、吉祥坐は密教の法儀とされる。片足だけをももの上に置くのを半跏趺坐(はんかふざ)（半跏坐、賢坐(けんざ)）という。

［石川力山］

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