In Suzuki’s presentation of zazen, breathing functions as the living core of the practice, the concrete activity through which meditation is enacted. Once posture is settled, attention is directed to the breath, especially the exhalation, which is to be long, quiet, and complete. This breathing is not treated as a mechanical technique but as the basic activity that unifies body and mind and allows meditation to take shape moment by moment. By emphasizing breathing from the lower abdomen and allowing it to become deep and natural rather than forced, Suzuki shows how correct posture and correct breathing mutually support one another, giving rise to a settled, stable state.

Breathing also serves as the primary means of gathering and steadying the mind. Instead of struggling against thoughts, practitioners are encouraged to return gently to awareness of the breath, sometimes by counting or following it, using this simple act as a way to maintain presence. In this way, breathing becomes both the object of meditation and the bridge that quietly regulates body and mind, fostering a natural concentration rather than a strained effort. The breath thus embodies the spirit of “just sitting,” where calmness and clarity arise not from chasing special experiences but from fully inhabiting each exhalation and inhalation.

Finally, Suzuki links this way of breathing with the realization of what he calls “big mind” or original mind. Deep, quiet, and continuous breathing is presented as an expression of this fundamental mind, not a tool to acquire it. Because breathing is always available, it becomes the continuous thread of practice, extending beyond formal zazen into daily life. In this sense, breathing is both the path and its manifestation: the ordinary, ever-present activity through which the attitude of beginner’s mind is sustained and allowed to mature.