Why Shikantaza is Complete, Boundless and Unlike Any Other Way, Period, End of Story

[Jundo]

Thanks, Jundo!

I looked up Zhanglu Zongze’s "Guidelines for Seated Meditation" (Zazengi). It seems like Dogen's Fukanzazengi is just an editing of this ... some of the similarities are uncanny (even including the dragon and tiger similes: "One who attains this state of enlightened mind is like a dragon that has touched the water and freely roams the sky, or a tiger whose roar echoes through the deep mountains.")

The most interesting part is how much they differ about what to think about:

Dogen:
(source)

Zhanglu Zongze:

(source)

It makes me wonder if Dogen thought that talking too much about what your mind should be doing during zazen was actually counterproductive. The bolded text, however, reminds me a LOT of the suggestions from the beginner videos. We can't exactly dig these guys up and ask them what exactly they were getting at, so I guess it will remain an enigma. I just found it very interesting that the "thinking of not-thinking" section of Fukanzazengi is seemingly the most difficult thing for modern newcomers to figure out, probably often chalked up to how people back then may have just spoken and thought differently, and yet Dogen's predecessors (or contemporaries?) had more specific instructions that modern teachers provide.

Gassho,
Kenny
Sat Today

Hi Kenny,

It is much more than a rewrite. He was obviously working from it, but then made extensive changes. Dogen borrowed the sections on the mechanics of sitting, but completely rewrote the sections on the spirit and attitude of Zazen, the purpose and spirit. The changes are fascinating. He did write quite a bit in Fukanzazengi about what to do with the mind.

A couple of examples ...

Zongze has an emphasis on Samadhi and the Bodhisattva Vow ...

The Bodhisativa who studies prajna should first arouse the thought of great compassion, make the extensive vows,
and then carefully cultivate samadhi. Vowing to save sentient beings, he should not seek liberation for himself
alone.

Dogen changed this to his questions on Original Enlightenment and the meaning of Practice ...

Fundamentally speaking, the basis of the way is perfectly pervasive; how could it be contingent on practice and
verification? The vehicle of the ancestors is naturally unrestricted; why should we expend sustained effort? Surely
the whole being is far beyond defilement; who could believe in a method to polish it? Never is it apart from this
very place; what is the use of a pilgrimage to practice it? And yet, if a hair's breadth of distinction exists, the gap is
like that between heaven and earth; once the slightest like or dislike arises, all is confused and the mind is lost.

On the mind, Zongze wrote this ...

Once you have settled your posture and regulated your breathing, you should relax your abdomen. Do not think of
any good or evil whatsoever. Whenever a thought occurs, be aware of it; as soon as you aware of it, it will vanish.
If you remain for a long period forgetful of objects, you will naturally become unified.

Dogen ...

Once you have regulated your posture, take a breath and exhale fully. Swing to the left and right. Sitting fixedly,
think of not thinking. How do you think of not thinking? Nonthinking. This is the essential art of zazen. Zazen is not
the practice of dhyana: it is just the dharma gate of ease and joy. It is the practice and verification of ultimate
bodhi. The koan realized, baskets and cages cannot get to it.

Gassho, J

SatTodayLAH

[Washin]

Washin
sat/lah

[Jika]

Jika

[Jakuden]

Thank you, the broken record always ends up being a useful reminder and an interesting discussion

Gassho,
Jakuden
SatToday/LAH

[Jundo]

I just wrote this elsewhere to some folks who might confuse my statement with "Shikantaza is the best of all ways, for all people, all the time" ...

Shikantaza is the superior, superlative, best way of Zazen, better than any other ... for me and for those for whom it is the superior, superlative, best way of Zazen, better than any other. For other people, some other way of Zen Practice, Buddhism or other religion (or no religion altogether) may by the superior, superlative, best way, better than any other. For those people, Shikantaza may be a bad way. Shikantaza is "Complete, Boundless and Unlike All Else Period End of Story" in just the same way that every mountain and grain of sand is "Complete, Boundless and Unlike All Else Period End of Story. "

I just want to be clear on that.

However, when we sit Shikantaza, one sits as all the universe pouring into and from every mountain and grain of sand. Understand?

Gassho, J

STLAH

[SNPII]

I do not understand. But I did just right a post months beginner's thread that may shed some light as to where I'm at?

Sat2day

In Sincerity
Shane

[Seishin]

Thank you for this

[Meian]

Jundo,

Thank you. Expressed so clearly for me. This is why I sit.

Gassho
kim
st/lh

[Shoki]

This is the reason why I love Treeleaf. A big bunch of zen nerds.

Gassho /LAH
Sat2day
James

[Getchi]

Gassho Jundo

Thankyou for sharing this path and teaching, and thankyou to all living this lifestyle and manifesting thiswisdom.


Gassho,
SatToday
LaH.

[Seibu]

You see, Shikantaza is to be sat with a sense that there is nothing else but Shikantaza, nothing more needed or which can be needed outside the act of sitting Shikantaza itself.

Clarity will be known. Wisdom and Compassion manifests which carries off the cushion. Wonderful insights may be had, as well as crystal moments of oneness or abiding bliss. Openings, ranging from shallow to boundless, will all timelessly happen, as well as very deep states of Samadhi concentration. However none of that is, and it must not be, the point at all. There can be no other point besides sitting, and sitting is the point that sweeps in all of time and space as its own singularity.

For this reason, any form of Zazen or meditation (even if superficially resembling aspects of Shikantaza) which aims for concentrations states, peace, bliss, clarity, feelings of oneness, Kensho (Seeing the Nature") experiences, mystical insights or anything at all --- you name it ---- cannot be Shikantaza. Period.

Gassho, J

SatTodayLAH

Thank you for sharing. This reminds me about the moment I realized this: a while ago I was surfing the web trying to figure out the meaning of the various rakusu colors. At some point I stumbled upon a website where a Roshi was shown (I forgot his name) in two pictures. In the left picture he was wearing a western style suit and in the right picture he wore the traditional priest robes. Both pictures were taken during zazen. In the description it said something along the lines of that it doesn't really matter what he wears. While making lunch that same day, it suddenly struck me like lightning: attaining enlightenment or kensho is impossible. How can we attain it if we already have Buddha nature? The whole experience made me laugh and cry, and I started to see everything, including shikantaza in a new light. There is nothing to attain because we already are. I had been chasing an expectation I didn't understand.

When I watched your third video for newcomers about posture, breathing, and mind it made sense when you said "if your zazen isn't going the way you want it then that is your zazen that day." I'm not saying it is easy but being aware of it changed my experience.


Gassho


SatToday (What does LAH mean by the way?)

[Jishin]

While making lunch that same day, it suddenly struck me like lightning: attaining enlightenment or kensho is impossible. How can we attain it if we already have Buddha nature? The whole experience made me laugh and cry, and I started to see everything, including shikantaza in a new light. There is nothing to attain because we already are. I had been chasing an expectation I didn't understand.

Hi,

I think Dogen had this this same question. If there is no attaining with nothing to attain then why practice. He answers this question at the very end of Genjōkōan. Practice is the expression of Buddha nature. It is nothing that we have but something that we express.

Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_

[Jundo]

At some point I stumbled upon a website where a Roshi was shown (I forgot his name) in two pictures. In the left picture he was wearing a western style suit and in the right picture he wore the traditional priest robes. Both pictures were taken during zazen.

Sounds like this just might have been my teacher, Nishijima Roshi ...



He used to described the underrobes as a formality based on tradition, and sometimes "like dressing up like 1000 year old Chinese people" for a costume party. It is the top robe, the Kesa, that we value as a symbol and embodiment of the Zen Path.

As to the color of the Rakusu, that really has no meaning except that some Sangha (such as San Francisco Zen Center) have decided within their own community that a certain color may mean something (e.g., brown is for teachers). That is just their rule, and really any dark and sedate off-black, brown, blue or the like is fine. For some priests in Japan, the Rakusu can be quite fancy, but that is really a kind of fashion ...



Gassho, J

STLah

[Mp]

Hi,

I think Dogen had this this same question. If there is no attaining with nothing to attain then why practice. He answers this question at the very end of Genjōkōan. Practice is the expression of Buddha nature. It is nothing that we have but something that we express.

Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_

Nicely said Jishin. =)

Gassho
Shingen

Sat/LAH

[Seibu]

Hi,

I think Dogen had this this same question. If there is no attaining with nothing to attain then why practice. He answers this question at the very end of Genjōkōan. Practice is the expression of Buddha nature. It is nothing that we have but something that we express.

Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_

Thank you for mentioning Genjokoan. I really have to get back to that. Later on, the moment I described reminded me of Fukanzazengi in which Dogen speaks about practice-realization. It did not make me question the use of practice, but rather allows me to practice shikantaza without secretly hoping for something special to happen.


Gassho


SatToday