Not a great sit.

[Seiko]

There are no obstructions or interruptions to Zazen, no thoughts that disturb ... unless your own mind clings to such happenings, and judges, defines and feels "this is obstruction" "this is interruption" "this is disturbance" between your own ears.

If one drops away all ratings and judgements between the ears of "this is an obstruction ... interruption ... disturbance" ... then all is just circumstances, things as they are, shining in equanimity.

Then ... thoughts or no thoughts, focusing or not focusing, illumination or no illumination, doorbells ringing, baby crying (including getting up to tend to the baby if needed), noise or silence, beautiful garden or ugly wall, hunger and obnoxious cousins, sleepy or not sleepy, fainting or not fainting during Zazen (including immediately getting that checked at the doctor!), aches and pains and monkey mind ... are all just circumstances, things precious "just as they are," shining sacred and unique in equanimity ... when one drops judgements of "this is obstruction, interruption, disturbance" from mind. Then, baby crying is a Buddha crying, doorbells are temple bells, obnoxious relatives are the passing breeze, and even aches and pains and monkeys are the whole universe aching and paining and monkeying around.

Yes, we do as we can to let go of thoughts, to not grab on to long trains of thought and let them pass ... Yes, we "sit" in some balanced way, as the body allows ... but Zazen is Good, thoughts or no thoughts or whatever the posture.

Furthermore, attain the most perfect bliss, the deepest concentration of mind, the most wondrous insight and it is also Good Zazen if one does not cling to the bliss, the concentration, the insight. Some times there may be bliss, concentration and insight ... and sometimes not ... and it is still all Perfect, Good Zazen! When bliss or no bliss happens it is also, equally, circumstances, sacred, just things precious as they are, no different from crying babies and mind monkeying. Bliss or no bliss, all sacred, unique, precious in the moment.

On the other hand, attain the most perfect bliss, the deepest concentration of mind and insight day after day ... and it is Bad Zazen if one clings to such or feels that "Good Zazen" is found only in such states of bliss, concentration and insight. In fact, all one has attained is a limited insight.

Shikantaza Zazen is counter-intuitive in this way.

Gassho, J

stlah

Thank you Jundo.

Gasshō
Zeiko
stlah

[Jundo]

One of the things I really appreciate about shikintaza is this emphasis of all zazen being good zazen and everything being complete and perfect just as it is. It is encouraging to me, because frankly, my mind is a racing mess most of the time, flitting from thought to though at breakneck speed. Under any other circumstances I’d feel like a complete failure, but here I can feel like it just is what it is and that’s ok. It keeps me coming back to sitting over and over again.

Gassho,

And yet, and yet ... as Rev. Uno says in the video ... while ALL Zazen is Good Zazen, we also should not sit there just wallowing in thoughts, day-dreaming, lost in our cluttered minds. Unless there is some medical reason that doing otherwise is totally unavoidable (and I doubt that), do follow the breath.

If that does not work, for extreme cases, I even sometimes recommend a mantra (it can be any meaningful, rather positive but neutral expression, such as "Peace" "Allow" "Here" or countless others, but only for very extreme cases) or, as recommended by Master Keizan, even a Koan phrase until the mind settles a modicum. Keizan writes in Zazen Yojinki:

If dullness or sleepiness overcome your sitting, move to the body and open the eyes wider, or place attention above the hairline or between your eyebrows. If you are still not fresh, rub the eyes or the body. If that still doesn't wake you, stand up and walk, always clockwise. Once you've gone about a hundred steps you probably won't be sleepy any longer. The way to walk is to take a half step with each breath. Walk without walking, silent and unmoving.

If you still don't feel fresh after doing kinhin, wash your eyes and forehead with cold water. Or chant the "Three Pure Precepts of the Bodhisattvas". Do something; don't just fall asleep. You should be aware of the great matter of birth and death and the swiftness of impermanence. What are you doing sleeping when your eye of the way is still clouded? If dullness and sinking arise repeatedly you should chant, "Habituality is deeply rooted and so I am wrapped in dullness. When will dullness disperse? May the compassion of the buddhas and patriarchs lift this darkness and misery."

If the mind wanders, place attention at the tip of the nose and tanden and count [follow] the inhalations and exhalations. If that doesn't stop the scattering, bring up a phrase and keep it in awareness - for example: "What is it that comes thus?" or "When no thought arises, where is affliction? - Mount Sumeru!" or "What is the meaning of Bodhidharma's coming from the West? - The cypress in the garden." Sayings like this that you can't draw any flavour out of are suitable.

If scattering continues, sit and look to that point where the breath ends and the eyes close forever and where the child is not yet conceived, where not a single concept can be produced. When a sense of the two-fold emptiness of self and things appears, scattering will surely rest.
https://antaiji.org/archives/eng/zzyk.shtml

Note that Keizan is not recommending a long term practice of "Koan Introspection Zazen." He is recommending a temporary focus and anchor for those times when the mind is particularly stormy.

All Zazen is Good Zazen, but that does not mean that any old sitting around, stewing and lost in thoughts, is good.

Gassho, J

stlah

[DGF]

And yet, and yet ... as Rev. Uno says in the video ... while ALL Zazen is Good Zazen, we also should not sit there just wallowing in thoughts, day-dreaming, lost in our cluttered minds. Unless there is some medical reason that doing otherwise is totally unavoidable (and I doubt that), do follow the breath.

If that does not work, for extreme cases, I even sometimes recommend a mantra (it can be any meaningful, rather positive but neutral expression, such as "Peace" "Allow" "Here" or countless others, but only for very extreme cases) or, as recommended by Master Keizan, even a Koan phrase until the mind settles a modicum. Keizan writes in Zazen Yojinki:



Note that Keizan is not recommending a long term practice of "Koan Introspection Zazen." He is recommending a temporary focus and anchor for those times when the mind is particularly stormy.

All Zazen is Good Zazen, but that does not mean that any old sitting around, stewing and lost in thoughts, is good.

Gassho, J

stlah

Thank you Jundo this is very helpfull.

I also think it would be amazing to have the soto zen priest Rev. As a guest speaker. You could feel his energy it was beautifull.

Diana
Gassho
Sat

[Shujin]

This topic resonates with me; prior to a change in medication, my ADHD made sitting quite difficult. Although I tried different approaches, it was often like alligator wrestling inside my head. Poor Shugen had to deal with me at a week long retreat during this time. Things are more balanced now. There are good days and not so good, but I'm happy to have a bit of peace on the cushion. As Ankai wrote, I think it's helpful to talk about the not-so-great moments. I spent a long time feeling that I was doing something wrong, and that my peers were doing zazen the correct way.

Gassho,
Shujin

sat today

[Jacob Janicek]

The best sitting seems to happen for me when I'm not trying to "get" anything out of it. I still have that habit of approaching zazen like something that's supposed to get me somewhere or improve me in some way, like everything else I reach for in my life. As if on top of all the other needs that I think I have, zazen is just one more. One more what?

Gassho,
Jacob Jay
Sat today

[Jundo]

As if on top of all the other needs that I think I have, zazen is just one more. One more what?

A lovely Koan.

Gassho, J

stlah