Zazen with closed eyes?

[Jundo]

That is a most helpful example Jundo, thank you. I must admit that I have been obsessed with the idea of transcending suffering permanently for some years now. But the more I search for it, the more I suffer. When I sit Shikantaza and I just let it all be as it is, even the discomfort, then peace arises. And if it doesn't, I also feel at peace with whatever comes. It might not be enlightenment, but it is revolutionary to the way I see practice and how I live life. What a treasure.

Very nice. I think that the term enlightenment is something that may brings up all kinds of strange ideas. At least it did for me. So I thought about some state that is archived through practice and will las forever.. like a state of total clarity and bliss for the rest of my life that will liberate me from all dukkha. But I think more adequate may be the term awakening... Awakening to what? I think it's just to awaken to the reality just as it is, and look through the coloring of our delusional judgements, ideas, opinions, likes and dislikes...to awaken from the poisons of mind for this single moment. And we may fall into the old views the next moment, into Samsara.. I think that is what Dogen taught with practice-awakening or practice-realization. We can only now wake up from delusion,... And we can also fall back into Samsara. And so we keep practicing awakening on and off the Zafu and may be able to disentangle more and more from the habitual judgements, thinking, opinions, ideas, shoulds, and shouldn'ts... also in the daily life and make this way our life beyond the formal practice to some kind of practice.