what is shikantaza?
how to do shikantaza?
why do i have to figure it out?
shikantaza is what happens when you sit
just sit
sit anyway
just get out of the way
jundo might say it is sitting as buddha
taigu might say it is being aware of what is happening
uchiyama might say it is coming back again and again to just sitting
someone else might say not getting lost in thought is shikantaza
but it doesn't matter
you may do these when you sit but not doing any of this doesn't make it not-shikantaza
all these methods are just pointers
the moment you take a "method" and call it shikantaza then regret arises when you notice you are not following the method
you don't accept what is happening when it doesnt fit into the method, whether it is getting lost in thought or feeling drowsy or something else
the method puts boundaries around what needs to happen during sitting and what should not
the method might also tell you to accept whatever else is happening, but as long as the mind has a method, i don't think we can do away with the boundaries it creates
so just sit without defining it, sit with the confusion and lack of direction, sit with your concerns on how ineffective it could be, letting go/letting be of the meditator or the one that is trying to get it right
a method might give you the feeling that you are going somewhere, when you take out the method you directly face that idea of going somewhere and the fear of going nowhere
all of this is crap too
just throw it away and sit
sit, it doesn't matter how you do it as long as you don't fight it
how to do shikantaza?
why do i have to figure it out?
shikantaza is what happens when you sit
just sit
sit anyway
just get out of the way
jundo might say it is sitting as buddha
taigu might say it is being aware of what is happening
uchiyama might say it is coming back again and again to just sitting
someone else might say not getting lost in thought is shikantaza
but it doesn't matter
you may do these when you sit but not doing any of this doesn't make it not-shikantaza
all these methods are just pointers
the moment you take a "method" and call it shikantaza then regret arises when you notice you are not following the method
you don't accept what is happening when it doesnt fit into the method, whether it is getting lost in thought or feeling drowsy or something else
the method puts boundaries around what needs to happen during sitting and what should not
the method might also tell you to accept whatever else is happening, but as long as the mind has a method, i don't think we can do away with the boundaries it creates
so just sit without defining it, sit with the confusion and lack of direction, sit with your concerns on how ineffective it could be, letting go/letting be of the meditator or the one that is trying to get it right
a method might give you the feeling that you are going somewhere, when you take out the method you directly face that idea of going somewhere and the fear of going nowhere
all of this is crap too
just throw it away and sit
sit, it doesn't matter how you do it as long as you don't fight it
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