Anthony,
I have more questions for you – and one’s I think you can answer:
1. Is ‘zhiguan dazuo’ a transliteration of the Chinese pronunciation?
ASSUMING ‘shikantaza’ is the transliteration of the Japanese term:
I've always thought 'za' meant 'to sit' and maybe even 'to sit
meditation'. I deduced this from the common Japanese terms used in the
zendo such as 'zafu' (za=sit, fu=pillow?) and 'zabuton' (za=sit,
buton=cushion or mat). I've also deduced that 'shi' means 'white',
like 'maguro shiro' (maguro=tuna, shiro=white or white color?) and
'miso shiro' (miso=soybean paste, shiro=white or white color).
All this would lead me to believe that 'shikantaza' means a lot more
than 'just sit'. I've always assumed it meant something like 'shi-kan'
= -white?-something(mind?) and 'ta-za' = something (only?)-sit (?).
So, in 'shikantaza':
2. What does 'shi' mean? White?
3. What does 'kan' mean? Mind?
4. What does 'ta' mean? Only?
5. What does 'za' mean? Sit? Meditate?
6. If my assumptions are way off base, what do the individual
syllables (ideographs) mean in the term 只管打坐 (or whatever they are).
AND ANYONE ELSE out there that speaks Japanese or Chinese, please feel
free to comment.
Thanks...Bill!
From: [email protected] <mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>
[mailto:[email protected]
<mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>] On Behalf Of Anthony Wu
Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2010 7:07 AM
To: [email protected] <mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>
Subject: RE: [Zen] Re: FW: Quote from St. Thomas Aquinas
Bill,
Shikantaza (zhiguan dazuo) is literally 'just sit'. Samadhi. clear
mind, daydreaming or exasperation can be the result of shikandaza.
Anthony
--- On Tue, 23/11/10, [email protected]
<mailto:BillSmart%40HHS1963.org> <[email protected]
<mailto:BillSmart%40HHS1963.org>> wrote:
From: [email protected] <mailto:BillSmart%40HHS1963.org>
<[email protected] <mailto:BillSmart%40HHS1963.org>>
Subject: RE: [Zen] Re: FW: Quote from St. Thomas Aquinas
To: [email protected] <mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>
Date: Tuesday, 23 November, 2010, 7:47 AM
Anthony,
Thanks for the translation.
I was definitely told the Japanese word ‘shikantaza’ meant ‘clear
mind’. See the quotes attributed to Rujing and Dogen Zenji in the
definition in my post below. Perhaps it is an extreme interpretation
of ‘just sit’ which means you are just sitting and not thinking or
doing anything else.
That works for me.
What is your opinion on the similarity between the terms ‘shikantaza’
and ‘samadhi’? Do you think they are trying to describe the same
experience?
…Bill!
From: [email protected] <mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>
[mailto:[email protected]
<mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>] On Behalf Of Anthony Wu
Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2010 3:02 AM
To: [email protected] <mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>
Subject: RE: [Zen] Re: FW: Quote from St. Thomas Aquinas
Bill,
I almost agree in a wholesale way all you say below, except for one:
shikantaza as: .. (只管打坐?) is a Chinese word denoting 'just sit
(formally)', It is just a technique, and the other ideas you state in
relation are 'derived meanings'.
Anthony
--- On Mon, 22/11/10, [email protected]
<mailto:BillSmart%40HHS1963.org> <[email protected]
<mailto:BillSmart%40HHS1963.org>> wrote:
From: [email protected] <mailto:BillSmart%40HHS1963.org>
<[email protected] <mailto:BillSmart%40HHS1963.org>>
Subject: RE: [Zen] Re: FW: Quote from St. Thomas Aquinas
To: [email protected] <mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>
Date: Monday, 22 November, 2010, 10:47 PM
ED,
My formal teaching has been in Japanese Zen Buddhism so most of the
terms of which I am familiar are Japanese.
These are my understanding of some of the terms we've been using:
Kensho: A brief and temporary glimpse of Buddha Nature.
Satori: Essentially the same as kensho but a much more long-lasting
and persistent awareness of Buddha Nature.
Shikantaza: 'Clear Mind', pure awareness. I call this state 'Just
THIS!'. Clear Mind with Awareness = Buddha Mind/Buddha Nature.
Wikipedia defines shikantaza as: .. (只管打坐?) ... a Japanese term
for zazen introduced by Rujing and associated most with the Soto
school of Zen Buddhism, but which also is "the base of all Zen
disciplines." According to Dōgen Zenji, shikantaza i.e. resting in a
state of brightly alert attention that is free of thoughts, directed
to no object, and attached to no particular content—is the highest or
purest form of zazen, zazen as it was practiced by all the buddhas of
the past.
Samadhi: I am familiar with this term only from reading. It always
seemed to me to be the same as shikantaza. Wikipedia defines samadhi
as: "...a non-dualistic state of consciousness in which the
consciousness of the experiencing subject becomes one with the
experienced object, and in which the mind becomes still, one-pointed
or concentrated though the person remains conscious. In Buddhism, it
can also refer to an abiding in which mind becomes very still but does
not merge with the object of attention, and is thus able to observe
and gain insight into the changing flow of experience."
The Thai's use the term 'samadhi' to refer to Theravada Buddhist
meditation. They have a different word 'glai-glia' to refer to other
types of mediation.
>From my experience Clear Mind/shikantaza (samadhi?) and kensho/satori
are virtually the same. The only difference is that kensho/satori
denotes the point that you become AWARE of Clear Mind (samadhi?). So
if you have to put them in some kind of time sequence, first there is
Clear Mind without awareness, then Kensho/Satori which is the
realization/awareness of Clear Mind, and then Clear Mind continues
with awareness.
Koans, in my experience, are used as a tool to stop the rational,
discriminating mind's activities. It is only in this state than
kensho/satori can occur. There are other ways to stop the
discriminating mind such as just sitting (zazen). Eventually you will
reach the state of shikantaza (samadhi?) in which a pure awareness can
arise. This I call Buddha Mind/Buddha Nature.
All of the above occurs IN THE ABSENCE of
thinking/rationality/cognition. Part of zen practice AFTER kensho is
to re-integrate thinking/rationality/cognition WITHOUT forming
attachments to the concepts generated by thinking.
Having said all this I have to add the following caveat which is a
paraphrase of Genjo's caveat on the 5 subdivisions of koans: 'any
number of subdivisions and terms describing zen practice and awareness
states could be devised, and all are ultimately meaningless. Zen is
everyday life. Zen is nothing special. Zen is "Only Don't Know!". Zen
is Just THIS!'
This is my experience.
...Bill!
From: [email protected] <mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>
[mailto:[email protected]
<mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>] On Behalf Of ED
Sent: Monday, November 22, 2010 6:50 PM
To: [email protected] <mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [Zen] Re: FW: Quote from St. Thomas Aquinas
Bill,
Dr James Austin in his book 'Zen-Brain Reflection', labels the states
that occur after the makyo states but prior to kensho-satori states as
absorption or Samadhi states, and asserts that these are not
kensho-satori states.
These Samadhi states as decribed by Dr Austin appear to be none other
than the states labeled in Theravada buddhism as Jhana states.
See article below on Jhana states.
--ED
Definitions of jhana in theravada on the Web:
• JhÄna (PÄli: à¤à¤¨; Sanskrit: धà¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤¨ DhyÄna) is a meditative
state of profound stillness and concentration. It is sometimes taught
as an abiding in which the mind becomes fully immersed and absorbed in
the chosen object of attention,characterized by non-dual
consciousness. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jhana_in_Theravada
Excerpt from: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jhana_in_Theravada
"DhyÄna in the early sutras
In the early texts, it is taught as a state of collected, full-body
awareness in which mind becomes very powerful and still but not
frozen, and is thus able to observe and gain insight into the changing
flow of experience.[1][2] Later Theravada literature, in particular
the Visuddhimagga, describes it as an abiding in which the mind
becomes fully immersed and absorbed in the chosen object of
attention,[3] characterized by non-dual consciousness.[4]
The Buddha himself entered jhÄna, as described in the early texts,
during his own quest for enlightenment, and is constantly seen in the
suttas encouraging his disciples to develop jhÄna as a way of
achieving awakening and liberation.[5][6][7]
One key innovative teaching of the Buddha was that meditative
absorption must be combined with liberating cognition.[8]
Just before his passing away, The Buddha entered the jhÄnas in direct
and reverse order, and the passing away itself took place after rising
from the fourth jhÄna.[9]
The Buddha's most well-known instructions on attaining jhana are via
mindfulness of breathing, found in the Ä€nÄpÄnasati Sutta and elsewhere."
For definitions of Samadhi, see:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=define%3Asamadhi
<http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=define%3Asamadhi>
--- In [email protected] <mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>,
<billsm...@...> wrote:
>
> Siska,
>
> In your post below what you refer to as the “…un-enlightened
mind…†is what I usually call the ‘discriminating mind’ or
‘rational mind’ or ‘dualistic mind’. And yes, koans cannot be
resolved by using this mind. They can only be resolved/responded to
from Buddha Mind which is what remains after the discriminating mind
drops away.
>
> Conventionally you should say that it takes a really accomplished
teacher and a good student to properly use this technique; but a
neither a teacher nor koan study is absolutely necessary to realize
Buddha Nature or experience Samadhi (which are pretty much the same
thing). All you really need to do is sit (zazen) and quiet your mind
(cease the workings of your discriminating mind). A good teacher and
koan study can certainly help do this, but as I said are not
absolutely necessary.
>
> …Bill!
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