Just a little reminder: Shikantaza Zazen is --not-- "Meditating"

[Jundo]

Shikantaza Zazen is --not-- meditating, nor a matter of posture or time. (Yes, this is the kind of statement about Shikantaza that really bothers folks. Unfortunately, so many people teach it as meditating in a certain posture for a certain time). It is not "meditating" because we sit in RADICAL goallessness in which there is nothing to attain, nothing lacking or more needed, but the sitting of sitting itself. Yes, we let thoughts go, do not grab on or become tangled in thoughts. Yes, a nice balanced posture is best so that we can also forget about the body and just let it go too. However, even if we sit for some minutes ... forget about time too, and let measuring go.

Why do we sit this way?

Very simple: In the delusion of life, we live always feeling we have to "do" something, that something is missing or needs adding, that we need to ponder and judge, that there are endless goals to obtain, things to fix, people to see and places to be. that time is money and more more more is better than less. Zazen is not that. Zazen is sitting as the one place to be, the one action needed in that time of sitting, nothing lacking and no other place to be or go. It is a "non-tool" for "non-fixing" beyond fixing or not fixing. Zazen is not a matter of time, thus we sit for certain lengths of time. Zazen is the way a Buddha sits sitting Buddha to sit Buddha sitting.

Just a little reminder.

Gassho, Jundo

STLah

[krissydear]

Thank you for this reminder. Hopefully, it is okay for me to reply.

Recently, I realized that even trying to ‘let go’ of thoughts during my zazen is counterintuitive. As I am a beginner, I often start out by following my breath and then slowly ‘letting go’ of the thoughts & feelings that arise. However, I often end up focusing so much on letting go that I cannot actually ‘let go.’ Even if I say ‘okay’ to most of my thoughts and then move on, I still feel attached to something.

I think my best ‘sits’ are ones where, upon the bell ringing at the end, I realize I have lost my sense of time, but it is difficult to achieve that consistently.

I hope that makes sense.

Gassho
Krissy
Sat/lah today

[Jundo]

Hi Krissy,


I sometimes compare what we do to those trick Chinese finger cuffs. Remember those?

You pull and you pull, thinking you must escape or obtain something ... and the cuffs just tighten. However, completely give up, relax, stop trying ... and you slip right out. Well, the way to relax and be still is not to try to "relax and be still" ... but to do nothing, relax and be still. Let it be, let it go ...

We don't try not to hit ourselves in the head with a hammer of thoughts. We just relax and put the hammer down. One of the Beginner's Series is about that ...

Sit-a-Long with Jundo: Zazen for Beginners (2)

https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?14894-Sit-a-Long-with-Jundo-Zazen-for-Beginners-%282%29

Gassho, J

SatTodayLAH

[Meian]

Shikantaza Zazen is --not-- meditating, nor a matter of posture or time. (Yes, this is the kind of statement about Shikantaza that really bothers folks. Unfortunately, so many people teach it as meditating in a certain posture for a certain time). It is not "meditating" because we sit in RADICAL goallessness in which there is nothing to attain, nothing lacking or more needed, but the sitting of sitting itself. Yes, we let thoughts go, do not grab on or become tangled in thoughts. Yes, a nice balanced posture is best so that we can also forget about the body and just let it go too. However, even if we sit for some minutes ... forget about time too, and let measuring go.

Why do we sit this way?

Very simple: In the delusion of life, we live always feeling we have to "do" something, that something is missing or needs adding, that we need to ponder and judge, that there are endless goals to obtain, things to fix, people to see and places to be. that time is money and more more more is better than less. Zazen is not that. Zazen is sitting as the one place to be, the one action needed in that time of sitting, nothing lacking and no other place to be or go. It is a "non-tool" for "non-fixing" beyond fixing or not fixing. Zazen is not a matter of time, thus we sit for certain lengths of time. Zazen is the way a Buddha sits sitting Buddha to sit Buddha sitting.

Just a little reminder.

Gassho, Jundo

STLah

Thank you for this.


kim
st lh

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[Tairin]

Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Kendrick]

Thank you, Jundo. /\

Gassho
Kendrick
Sat(and about to again)

[Mp]

Lovely, thank you Jundo ... a timeless reminder. =)

Gassho
Shingen

Sat/LAH

[Junkyo]

Thanks Jundo!

Gassho,

Junkyo
SAT

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[Shoki]

Thanks, Jundo. Of late it's been hitting me that just sitting is just sitting. No concepts, ideas, striving, targets. Not even really trying. I know we are all taught that but I only get flashes and bits of this clarity. Nothing that really sustains. Then I get flashes and bits of thoughts. Not runaway movies, just little blips. I toggle back and forth. Later I think, well maybe this is as good as it gets. It's like when just sitting really happens, I notice it. I am a guy doing it, not just the "itness" anymore. Then have to start over again. It's like a slippery fish in my hands.

Gassho
STlah
James

[Jundo]

Thanks, Jundo. Of late it's been hitting me that just sitting is just sitting. No concepts, ideas, striving, targets. Not even really trying. I know we are all taught that but I only get flashes and bits of this clarity. Nothing that really sustains. Then I get flashes and bits of thoughts. Not runaway movies, just little blips. I toggle back and forth. Later I think, well maybe this is as good as it gets. It's like when just sitting really happens, I notice it. I am a guy doing it, not just the "itness" anymore. Then have to start over again. It's like a slippery fish in my hands.

Gassho
STlah
James

Slippery fish jumps right into the boat. No traps or nets can hold it, yet it is always yours.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Kotei]

Thank you.
Gassho,
Kotei sat/lah today.

[Washin]

Thank you for the reminder, Jundo

Gassho
Washin
sattoday

[Seibu]

Shikantaza Zazen is --not-- meditating, nor a matter of posture or time. (Yes, this is the kind of statement about Shikantaza that really bothers folks. Unfortunately, so many people teach it as meditating in a certain posture for a certain time). It is not "meditating" because we sit in RADICAL goallessness in which there is nothing to attain, nothing lacking or more needed, but the sitting of sitting itself. Yes, we let thoughts go, do not grab on or become tangled in thoughts. Yes, a nice balanced posture is best so that we can also forget about the body and just let it go too. However, even if we sit for some minutes ... forget about time too, and let measuring go.

Why do we sit this way?

Very simple: In the delusion of life, we live always feeling we have to "do" something, that something is missing or needs adding, that we need to ponder and judge, that there are endless goals to obtain, things to fix, people to see and places to be. that time is money and more more more is better than less. Zazen is not that. Zazen is sitting as the one place to be, the one action needed in that time of sitting, nothing lacking and no other place to be or go. It is a "non-tool" for "non-fixing" beyond fixing or not fixing. Zazen is not a matter of time, thus we sit for certain lengths of time. Zazen is the way a Buddha sits sitting Buddha to sit Buddha sitting.

Just a little reminder.

Gassho, Jundo

STLah

Thank you for this teaching Jundo

Gassho,
Jack
Sattoday/lah

[Doshin]

Doshin
St

[vanbui]

Thank you Jundo for this insightful reminder.

Gassho
Van
Sat+lah

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