I have heard some folks recently criticizing Soto Zen practice (including a Rinzai priest who should know better) because our emphasis on sitting Zazen with thoroughly "nothing to attain" supposedly ignores Great Awakening, Great Enlightenment.
Nothing could be further from the truth!
In fact, sitting radically with all goals dropped, nothing more to attain, nothing lacking and nothing more in need of doing, sitting as the Morning Star shining just to shine, -IS- a Doorless Doorway to Great Awakening. "Bodymind drops away," the "little self" with all its desires and judgements is dropped away, and there is "non-experienced" Great Awakening ("non-experienced" for no separation at all). I say it is "a" doorway, because it is far from the only one. Pouring oneself into a Koan phrase, for example, or a Mantra or the like can also be such a powerful doorway.
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However, Shikantaza's radical sitting of the self-free-of-the-self is an excellent path to realization of the radical Equanimity, Peace and Wholeness of a Buddha, realizing the dropping away of self/other and all divisions. Even notions of "enlightenment vs. delusion" are dropped away, leaving just Great Enlightenment. All things, beings (us included) and moments of time are immediately realized as magnificent faces of each other thing-being-moment and the whole thing. Truly, all things become Great Enlightenment, all things just what they are, all things each other. All lack is fulfilled! Old Dogen writes in Daigo, Great Enlightenment, that ...
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Sitting for sitting's sake, all borders dropped away, what more can there be? Great Awakening is thoroughly shining (大悟徹底). All is then, as Master Dogen writes in Fukanzazengi, the light that is turned within, yet there is no longer inside apart from out. Zazen is "the Dharma Gate of Joyful Ease," as "bodymind drops away, one's original face is manifest."
Then, rising from the cushion, back to the world of me and you, things to do and things that sometimes lack, the Great Awakening is put into action!
All this from the power of so-called "Goalless" sitting, thus the Goal proves won from the startless start.
. tsuku.jpg
Gassho, J
stlah
.
Nothing could be further from the truth!
In fact, sitting radically with all goals dropped, nothing more to attain, nothing lacking and nothing more in need of doing, sitting as the Morning Star shining just to shine, -IS- a Doorless Doorway to Great Awakening. "Bodymind drops away," the "little self" with all its desires and judgements is dropped away, and there is "non-experienced" Great Awakening ("non-experienced" for no separation at all). I say it is "a" doorway, because it is far from the only one. Pouring oneself into a Koan phrase, for example, or a Mantra or the like can also be such a powerful doorway.
.
However, Shikantaza's radical sitting of the self-free-of-the-self is an excellent path to realization of the radical Equanimity, Peace and Wholeness of a Buddha, realizing the dropping away of self/other and all divisions. Even notions of "enlightenment vs. delusion" are dropped away, leaving just Great Enlightenment. All things, beings (us included) and moments of time are immediately realized as magnificent faces of each other thing-being-moment and the whole thing. Truly, all things become Great Enlightenment, all things just what they are, all things each other. All lack is fulfilled! Old Dogen writes in Daigo, Great Enlightenment, that ...
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Thus, the Himalayas are greatly enlightened to benefit the Himalayas. Wood and stone are greatly enlightened taking the forms of wood and stone. Buddhas' great enlightenment is greatly enlightened for the sake of sentient beings. Sentient beings' great enlightenment is greatly enlightened by buddhas' great enlightenment. This goes beyond before and after. Beyond the conventions of time. Great enlightenment right at this moment is not self, not other. Great enlightenment does not come from somewhere else – the ditch is filled in and the stream is stopped. Neither does great enlightenment go away.
Sitting for sitting's sake, all borders dropped away, what more can there be? Great Awakening is thoroughly shining (大悟徹底). All is then, as Master Dogen writes in Fukanzazengi, the light that is turned within, yet there is no longer inside apart from out. Zazen is "the Dharma Gate of Joyful Ease," as "bodymind drops away, one's original face is manifest."
Then, rising from the cushion, back to the world of me and you, things to do and things that sometimes lack, the Great Awakening is put into action!
All this from the power of so-called "Goalless" sitting, thus the Goal proves won from the startless start.
. tsuku.jpg
Gassho, J
stlah
.
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