seeker242 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 10, 2021 1:50 am
"Shikantaza is to practice or actualize emptiness." ~Shunryū Suzuki
Of course most people don't actually have the ability to practice Shikantaza correctly.
There ya go. That's what I was trying to say, only about zazen.
He goes on to say this in the same talk.
I want you to understand what we are doing here at Zen Center. Sometimes it may be all right to practice zazen as a kind of exercise or training, to make your practice stronger or to make your breathing smooth and natural. That is perhaps included in practice, but when we say shikantaza, that is not what we mean.
One should not kill any living being, nor cause it to be killed, nor should one incite any other to kill. Do never injure any being, whether strong or weak, in this entire universe!
Way-Fun wrote: ↑Fri Sep 10, 2021 1:57 am
You practice zazen and realize you.
Zazen practices you and realizes zazen.
Emptiness practices emptiness and realizes emptiness.
Zazen practices zazen and realizes zazen.
We don't practice zazen to cultivate a sense of understanding. You feel what you feel when you feel it, see what you see when you see it, understand when you understand, and don't understand when you don't understand. Confusion is not a broken form of clarity. The point of entry is always where you are.
I enjoyed the Lion's Roar article. One thing I'm not sure about: Can shikantaza arise spontaneously from zazen? As in you're doing zazen, and breath attention falls away, and all you are left with is 'just sitting.'
I enjoyed the Lion's Roar article. One thing I'm not sure about: Can shikantaza arise spontaneously from zazen? As in you're doing zazen, and breath attention falls away, and all you are left with is 'just sitting.'
I would say it depends on the person doing it.
One should not kill any living being, nor cause it to be killed, nor should one incite any other to kill. Do never injure any being, whether strong or weak, in this entire universe!
I enjoyed the Lion's Roar article. One thing I'm not sure about: Can shikantaza arise spontaneously from zazen? As in you're doing zazen, and breath attention falls away, and all you are left with is 'just sitting.'
Yes, exactly.
“Enlightenment means to see what harm you are involved in and to renounce it.” David Brazier, The New Buddhism
“The most straightforward advice on awakening enlightened mind is this: practice not causing harm to anyone—yourself or others—and every day, do what you can to be helpful.” Pema Chodron, “What to Do When the Going Gets Rough”