Is Shikantaza zazen?
Shikantaza (只管打坐) is a Japanese translation of a Chinese term for zazen introduced by Rujing, a monk of the Caodong school of Zen Buddhism, to refer to a practice called “Silent Illumination”, or “Serene Reflection”, by previous Caodong masters. In Japan, it is associated with the Soto school.
How do you practice Shikantaza?
All you should do is try and keep your back relatively straight (in other words, don’t slouch in a recliner). Place your hands on your thighs, close your eyes, and feel your breathing. Concentrate on the fact that you are breathing. Feel your in-breaths; feel your out-breaths.
Why is zazen so important?
Significance. Zazen is considered the heart of Japanese Sōtō Zen Buddhist practice. The aim of zazen is just sitting, that is, suspending all judgmental thinking and letting words, ideas, images and thoughts pass by without getting involved in them.
What is Zen meditation called?
Zen meditation, also known as Zazen, is a meditation technique rooted in Buddhist psychology. The goal of Zen meditation is to regulate attention. 1 It’s sometimes referred to as a practice that involves “thinking about not thinking.”
Who first taught Shikantaza?
Trust that when we just sit, we are embodying awakening itself. The word shikantaza—“just sitting” or “nothing but sitting”—is attributed to Eihei Dogen, the founder of the Japanese Soto school of Zen, who said he got the term from his teacher, Tiantong Rujing.
How do you follow Zen Buddhism?
By Leo Babauta
- Do one thing at a time. This rule (and some of the others that follow) will be familiar to long-time Zen Habits readers.
- Do it slowly and deliberately.
- Do it completely.
- Do less.
- Put space between things.
- Develop rituals.
- Designate time for certain things.
- Devote time to sitting.
What is Soto Zen meditation?
Sōtō, largest of the Zen Buddhist sects in Japan. It follows the method of quiet sitting and meditation (zazen) as a means of obtaining enlightenment. Fast Facts. Facts & Related Content. Soto.
Did Buddha do zazen?
Zazen refers to sitting meditation. It’s a meditative practice that’s meant to give insight into your true nature of being. Zazen originates from the teachings of Buddha, who lived in India 2,500 years ago and founded the religion and philosophy of Buddhism.
Is zazen a religion?
Zen is not a philosophy or a religion. Zen tries to free the mind from the slavery of words and the constriction of logic. Zen in its essence is the art of seeing into the nature of one’s own being, and it points the way from bondage to freedom.
What is Zen breathing?
Sākyamuni eventually denied Appāna-kajhāna (No-breathing Zen), a practice of hindering breathing, of inhaling and exhaling, through one’s mouth and nose. “No-thinking” harmonizes the body, breathing and mind to form a harmonious whole, whereby we are able to contemplate the real existence of changeful things.
How is shikantaza different from other types of meditation?
Unlike other forms of meditation, shikantaza doesn’t involve concentrating on an object, such as your breath or a mantra. It is “objectless meditation,” where you focus on everything you experience – thoughts, sounds, feelings – without attaching to any of them.
What’s the difference between Koan Zen and shikantaza?
The first and second are the same both in koan Zen and shikantaza. However, the third, adjusting the mind, is done very differently in the two practices. To do shikantaza, one must have a firm faith in the fact that all beings are fundamentally Buddhas.
What does it mean to just sit in shikantaza?
In shikantaza, we try to go even further, to non-thinking, to objectless meditation. To find that blue sky that lies behind he clouds of thought. Don’t worry about that. Just sit, let the thoughts come and go, and, when you get lost, come back to your breath, again.
Do you need mental alertness to do shikantaza?
If one’s faith in that fact is shaky, one’s shikantaza is also shaky. In doing shikantaza you must maintain mental alertness, which is of particular importance to beginners-and even those who have been practicing ten years could still be called beginners!
