We at the Missouri Zen Center were recently invited to a college class on Happiness to show why and how to do sitting meditation. It was a beautiful autumn day with bright sunlight shining on yellow, red, and brown leaves. Amazed at the brilliant colors and filled with joy on seeing them, I remembered an 800 year old great gingko tree at Zuioji Temple in Japan, where I practiced under my teachers Tsugen Narasaki and Ikko Narasaki many years ago. Whenever I recall its abundant resplendent yellow leaves in autumn, a Zen phrase comes to mind: The body exposed to golden wind.

I told the students that “just sitting” (shikan-taza, intent sitting) is the direct and practical way to happiness. Anyone can witness this “come and see” way here and now without discrimination of race, religion, gender, generation, age, area, etc. It is good for oneself and others in the beginning, in…