Can someone definitively explain to me the differences...?

[Ikkyu]

... between Samatha, Vipassana, Zazen, Anapanasati, and Shikantaza? I'm quite confused.

At my meditation group I learned Zazen, which I know incorporates Anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing). But then what is Shikantaza? I've heard it's "just sitting", and yet they say that in Rinzai groups shikantaza isn't practiced (while what they too seem to do, along with the Soto, is just sit). Then I've got people telling me that there's something called Samatha, and that it's distinct from something else called Vipassana. I've tried Googling all this and I've only come to understand that Vipassana is insight and Samatha is concentration. But then what is Samadhi? And aren't insight and concentration both used in Zazen? Is it all the same?

[Finnjames]

Those are good questions to satisfy your intellectual curiosity. But as a daily practice you may just want to continue using the form of meditation you have been taught. Be honest with your teacher about what you are experiencing there, and s/he will offer suggestions for how to move on if that is appropriate.

As I understand it, Rinzai Zen encourages the use of koans as meditation subjects while Soto Zen encourages shikantaza (which is indeed "just sitting", though it's both harder and easier than that definition might suggest) meditation though the teacher may take up koans in dharma talks. At least that's the way it works in the Soto group I sit with.

The terms vipassana, samatha, samadhi aren't used in the group I sit with, but they are important concepts for Theravada meditation--or at least they were used in the S.N. Goenka vipassana course/retreat I attended. It's my feeling, though, that what these refer to also plays a part in Zen meditation. So if you are doing Zen meditation you will eventually experience them even if you don't know their names.

But once again, it might be best to just continue doing the form of meditation you have been taught and checking in with your teacher.

[Astus]

Samatha - meditation with the aim to calm the mind, usually by focusing on a single object
Vipassana - meditation with the aim to gain wisdom, usually by different methods of analysis of different subjects
Zazen - it means sitting meditation, doesn't qualify anything beyond that in and of itself
Anapanasati - it means awareness of breathing in and out, there are different forms of this practice in both Theravada and Mahayana
Shikantaza - a practice specific to Soto Zen where there is no object maintained nor analysis performed
Samadhi - it basically means the state of concentrated mind, can also mean a specific attainment within meditation depending on context

There are some glossaries you can use to look up basic words, like this one: Buddhism Glossary, and on Wikipedia that has links to further articles: Glossary of Buddhism

[Ikkyu]

Samatha - meditation with the aim to calm the mind, usually by focusing on a single object
Vipassana - meditation with the aim to gain wisdom, usually by different methods of analysis of different subjects
Zazen - it means sitting meditation, doesn't qualify anything beyond that in and of itself
Anapanasati - it means awareness of breathing in and out, there are different forms of this practice in both Theravada and Mahayana
Shikantaza - a practice specific to Soto Zen where there is no object maintained nor analysis performed
Samadhi - it basically means the state of concentrated mind, can also mean a specific attainment within meditation depending on context

There are some glossaries you can use to look up basic words, like this one: Buddhism Glossary, and on Wikipedia that has links to further articles: Glossary of Buddhism

Thank you for the clarification.

Now technically isn't Anapanasati the same as Samatha in that they both focus on a specific object (the breath)?
And isn't the goal of Zazen in the Rinzai tradition also just Anapanasati most of the time? I have never been given a koan (although I'm not too far along th way yet) and I assume that even when monks are given koans in the Rinzai traditions they still spend a considerable amount of time "just sitting". Considering that the ulterior motive of Anapanasati in Zazen has always been presented to me as "eventually moving on from the breath" to deeper meditations or "objectless meditations", dont some Rinzai meditations qualify as Shikantaza?

[oushi]

I assume that even when monks are given koans in the Rinzai traditions they still spend a considerable amount of time "just sitting".

Some teachers say, that you need to enter samathi to bring the koan in, and just repeat it while in samathi. Shikantaza is different. I think this quote points directly to what it is: "Reality tells us what we need to do, otherwise we sit cross legged. It's nothing but sitting."

[Matt J]

John Daido Loori says that when one completes their koan practice, one returns to shikantaza. On the other hand, I've also heard from Korean and Chinese practitioners, that one may practice a koan their entire life.

Anapanasati can be an entire path in itself--- see the Anapanasati Sutta, for example. Webu Sayadaw,an old forest monk, once said that the entire path is realized when one is fully concentrated on the breath. Traditionally among Theravada practitioners, it is said that anapanasati is what led the Buddha to his enlightenment.

Personally, I would be careful about writing it off as a shallow meditation, or to be in a hurry to attend to higher practices. I've found in my practice that the same problems carry no matter what the practice (esp. boredom), so you'll have to face them sooner or later.

Considering that the ulterior motive of Anapanasati in Zazen has always been presented to me as "eventually moving on from the breath" to deeper meditations or "objectless meditations", dont some Rinzai meditations qualify as Shikantaza?

[Astus]

Anapanasati is a Pali word, and as such, it has its own complete practice in Theravada that covers both samatha and vipassana. In East Asia mindfulness of breath is mostly used only for samatha practice, and as such, it is only for calming the mind.

Zazen means sitting meditation, literally (za - sit; zen - meditate). Meditating in the sitting position can mean any kind of mental training. You can count your breath, just watch it, or be mindful of your body, your thoughts, visualise a buddha, etc.

What people do within the Japanese Rinzai school depends on the lineage and the teacher's instructions. Breath practice is common, sure. It's a kind of preliminary to koan practice. But shikantaza is a different approach, and it's not the same as just objectless meditation. Of course, we can say that ultimately koan practice leads to shikantaza. Or we can also say that shikantaza is mistaken and koan practice is correct. It depends on who you ask.

[Thus-gone]

Thank you for the clarification.

Now technically isn't Anapanasati the same as Samatha in that they both focus on a specific object (the breath)?
And isn't the goal of Zazen in the Rinzai tradition also just Anapanasati most of the time? I have never been given a koan (although I'm not too far along th way yet) and I assume that even when monks are given koans in the Rinzai traditions they still spend a considerable amount of time "just sitting". Considering that the ulterior motive of Anapanasati in Zazen has always been presented to me as "eventually moving on from the breath" to deeper meditations or "objectless meditations", dont some Rinzai meditations qualify as Shikantaza?

When monks are given koans, they are instructed to stay with the koan 100% of the time. Working with the breath in Zen is a preliminary to full-time Shikantaza or koan practice.

[Skywalker]

I have always heard that samadhi is total absorbtion. Like concentration, but just total relaxed one-pointed concentration with no wavering at all, total stability in concentration becomes absorbtion aka samadhi.

Others have given you answers. I am not knowledgeable in Zen, I am more of a Dzogchen kind of guy, but from what I understand Zazen is just sitting, which means not "doing" anything, not trying to "change" or "improve" anything, the mind or whatever, but just sitting letting things be the way they are.

[Ikkyu]

OK. but what IS Shikantaza?