What makes Zen..'Zen'?

[dharmasponge]

Hi everyone,

I've been lurking as ever but have a question

When we sit, and let go....of everything, what makes the practice specifically a 'Zen' practice?

Or is it Zen up to the cushion then when sitting does the 'Zen(ness)' go too?

Thanks in advance!

Tony...



Sat Today

[Jishin]

Hi,

Interesting question. I don't know what makes zen zen. You mean shikantaza? Sitting, not grasping or avoiding thoughts, with spacious awareness, like a mountain with clouds coming and going?

I don't understand the question.

Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_

[Jishin]

What makes Zen..'Zen'?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juElohSYUiM

Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_

[dharmasponge]

Hi,

Interesting question. I don't know what makes zen zen. You mean shikantaza? Sitting, not grasping or avoiding thoughts, with spacious awareness, like a mountain with clouds coming and going?

I don't understand the question.

Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_

Ok....what makes you a 'Zen' Buddhist? Just sitting? Thats not unique to 'Zen'. Is it the 'Soto(ness)'? If so what is that and what distinguishes it from anything else?

[Jishin]

Ok....what makes you a 'Zen' Buddhist?

You.

Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_

[Jundo]

I don't know.

We just have our way of going about things.

An apple is not an orange and I'm not sure why ... but, oh, the Sweet Deliciousness!

Gassho, J

[dharmasponge]

You.

Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_

Ok.......so does this mean that you would be content to drop all of your 'Zen(ness)' in favour of Tibetan(ness) or Ch'an(ness) and still feel comfortable in your practice?

[dharmasponge]

I don't know.

We just have our way of going about things.

An apple is not an orange and I'm not sure why ... but, oh, the Sweet Deliciousness!

Gassho, J

Hey Jundo!

I guess I am asking this as I have become aware of the potential for there being LOTS of ego involved in our (ones) practice - albeit extremely subtley. Like tradition, colour of robes, shape of Buddha statue etc....not sure where I am going with this but there's a thorn there somewhere

[seeker242]

I always like this little quote from the Bloodstream Sermon.

Buddha is Sanskrit for what you call aware, miraculously aware. Responding, arching your brows, blinking your eyes, moving your hands and feet, its all your miraculously aware nature. And this nature is the mind. And the mind is the Buddha. And the Buddha is the path. And the path is Zen. But the word Zen is one that remains a puzzle to both mortals and sages. Seeing your nature is Zen. Unless you see your nature, it’s not Zen

[Jishin]

Ok.......so does this mean that you would be content to drop all of your 'Zen(ness)' in favour of Tibetan(ness) or Ch'an(ness) and still feel comfortable in your practice?

I don't know.

Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_

[Kyonin]

I have no idea.

I just sit. Sometimes I have coffee before that.

Gassho,

Kyonin
#SatToday

[Jundo]

Hey Jundo!

I guess I am asking this as I have become aware of the potential for there being LOTS of ego involved in our (ones) practice - albeit extremely subtley. Like tradition, colour of robes, shape of Buddha statue etc....not sure where I am going with this but there's a thorn there somewhere

Statue or no statue, robe or no robe does not matter.

Traditionally we put a statue, it reMINDS us of something. We wear a robe because we get cold when naked and for monks, one size fits all (my Teacher, Nishijima, used to call it "dressing up like old dead Chinese men") But one can also sit naked without a statue.

In Shikantaza, there is a way of sitting (all about which we talk about day after day around here). It is a technique of no technique that is very effective.

Gassho, J

[Mp]

An apple is not an orange and I'm not sure why ... but, oh, the Sweet Deliciousness!

When I sit, I am a Zen Buddhist. When I sit, I am not a Zen Buddhist. =)

Gassho
Shingen

#justsat

[Jishin]

When I sit, I am a Zen Buddhist. When I sit, I am not a Zen Buddhist. =)

Gassho
Shingen

#justsat

When I sit, I am Shingen. When I sit, I am not Shingen.

Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_

[Mp]

When I sit, I am Shingen. When I sit, I am not Shingen.

Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_

When I sit, I have Jishin's great beard. When I sit, I do no have Jishin's great beard. But when we sit, we both have that beautiful bald head! =)

Gassho
Shingen

#sattoday