Someone posted, a touch apologetic because they could only sit Shikantaza Zazen for 7 minutes at lunch most days. He said it is better than nothing. Someone else asked me why bother to sit at all if Zazen is "good for nothing," and we are seeking no pay-off from Zazen.
Zazen is sat without thought of reason or pay-off, and is good for nothing ... and thus we sit each day for a time, totally embodying this good for nothing, sitting just to sit, in radical equanimity, nothing more in need of doing, no other place to run to and be. Thus, Shikantaza Zazen is the medicine for our constant samsaric need to run, get, do, achieve, fill a lack, judge and be paid. There is no thing more to attain, and that is good! This Zazen is the Buddha enlightened by the Morning Star, whole in its shining, shining just to shine.
We sit whether 7 minutes, 7 days or 7 years. There is a time to sit long, a time to sit short. Sometimes sit for a moment, sometimes retreat for a week if one can, avoiding neither. But ALWAYS recall, no matter how long or short one sits, that Zazen is NEVER about time, and even one moment of Zazen holds all time, from Big Bang to the end of the universe and beyond. Truly. Each sitting is the only sitting, with no before or after. ** In fact, one could sit for 7 lifetimes chasing something, never arriving, always wanting more, with your own mind placing the goal and golden ring ever out of reach.
Just Sit in radical equanimity, letting thoughts go, untangled, not one more thing to do, no other place to be in the universe, but sitting when sitting ... sitting as the alpha-omega, sitting for sitting's sake.
** However, we sit each day for a certain few minutes, as it usually takes a few minutes to settle down from our running / chasing / getting / doing / judging life and realize that it is not about the minutes at all. Thus we sit for some minutes each day.
Gassho, J
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