A question on thoughts...

[Jundo]

But, and this is pure speculation, although it seems true to me - every kind of meditation ends up being Zazen.

I wish that it were so ... and it may be so in some or many cases eventually ... but many forms of meditation do end up as an endless run for deep concentrations, highs, bliss states, wild visions, unusual mind states, messages from beyond, la la land ...

... so, no, not all are alike.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Shinshou]

I read a passage from "Opening the Hand of Thought" last night that seems appropriate to this question of allowing/chasing away thoughts. Uchiyama describes Zen Buddhism as the recognition and acceptance of both the absolute and relative truths of life. I think zazen is like this. On an absolute level, this mind is the Buddha mind, clouds and blue sky are no different, all is Buddha nature, so why "do" anything. But on a relative level, there is a way to "do" shikantaza that is different from other meditation, it has a specific technique. Accepting these both as a koan - a paradox - has solved many of these questions in my own practice.

Shinshou (Dan)
Sat Today

[Jundo]

I read a passage from "Opening the Hand of Thought" last night that seems appropriate to this question of allowing/chasing away thoughts. Uchiyama describes Zen Buddhism as the recognition and acceptance of both the absolute and relative truths of life. I think zazen is like this. On an absolute level, this mind is the Buddha mind, clouds and blue sky are no different, all is Buddha nature, so why "do" anything. But on a relative level, there is a way to "do" shikantaza that is different from other meditation, it has a specific technique. Accepting these both as a koan - a paradox - has solved many of these questions in my own practice.

Shinshou (Dan)
Sat Today

Yes, and basically that is how Zen folks see reality itself as put together far beyond just the sitting of Zazen itself. The absolute and the relative, emptiness and form, same yet not ...

Gassho, J

STLah

[ChrisMa]

Excellent points, thank you both. Sometimes I see Zazen as the microcosm of the macrocosm. Sitting with the great paradox of reality and embodying it in the posture and attitude, letting everything be just as it is.

But really that's just a mental perspective that occurs from time to time. There is no microcosm or macrocosm. There's only the reality. The attitude of Zazen does have a skillful way of pointing towards it, though.

Gassho,

Sat Today,

Chris

[Rich]

It takes a little trust and faith to let go of thinking and just be.

Stlah


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[Rich]

In a sutra Buddha said COMPREHEND THE IMMATERIAL. Thought is the inner material, When thoughts disperse and there’s just space that’s the immaterial

Stllah


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[Tairin]

It takes a little trust and faith to let go of thinking and just be.

Tairin
Sat today and lah