Bill, You say, 'I was taught that 'shikantaza' means 'just sit' - nothing else.' It is 100% correct. If you 'just sit', you can do day dreaming, or think about your girl friend. There is no definite connection between shikantaza and clear mind. Google quotes some Japanese sources that have shikantaza imply clear mind. I thought about that, and concluded that the word is foreign to Japanese, so they unwittingly added additional meanings to it. However, the original Chinese word means only 'just sit' and nothing else. It is colloquial. When you ask a 10 year old Chinese boy to do shikantaza, he will immediately sit cross-legged in front of you. You cannot see his mind anyway. The better way is to say 'shikantaza with clear mind'. Anthony
--- On Sun, 10/4/11, Bill! <[email protected]> wrote: From: Bill! <[email protected]> Subject: [Zen] Re: Buddhist meditation practices To: [email protected] Date: Sunday, 10 April, 2011, 8:31 AM Anthony, I was taught that 'shikantaza' means 'just sit' - nothing else. How could there be some kind of shikantaza that WASN'T 'clear mind'? If your mind was not clear, if you were thinking about something, it wouldn't be shikantaza. That is the way I use this word 'shikantaza' anyway. If you could suggest a better word please do... ...Bill! --- In [email protected], Anthony Wu <wuasg@...> wrote: > > Bill, > Â > Correction: > Â > Anything else like counting or following the breath or koans are only > teaching techniques to get you to shikantaza with clear mind. > Â > Anthony > > --- On Sun, 10/4/11, Bill! <BillSmart@...> wrote: > > > From: Bill! <BillSmart@...> > Subject: [Zen] Re: Buddhist meditation practices > To: [email protected] > Date: Sunday, 10 April, 2011, 12:05 AM > > > Â > > > > ED, > > In my opinion shikantaza is zazen. Anything else like counting or following > the breath or koans are only teaching techniques to get you to shikantaza. > > ...Bill! > > --- In [email protected], "ED" <seacrofter001@> wrote: > > > > > > > > Bill, > > > > The list, author unknown is to be found in the source below. > > > > Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_meditation > > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_meditation> > > > > Shikantaza is an awareness practice, whereas zazen involves both > > concentration meditation (breath-counting for instance) and shikantaza, > > in varying extents. > > > > --ED > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "Bill!" <BillSmart@> wrote: > > > > > > ED, > > > > > > Under the ZEN BUDDHIST MEDITATION PRACTICES what do you think whomever > > made up this list (you?) thinks is the difference between 'zazen' and > > 'shikantaza'? > > > > > > Thanks...Bill! > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "ED" seacrofter001@ wrote: > > > > > > > > Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_meditation > > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_meditation> > > >
