ED, It makes sense, if the sentence is revised to : shikantaza that rests 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. That conforms to what I think zen meditation is. Anthony
--- On Mon, 11/4/11, ED <[email protected]> wrote: From: ED <[email protected]> Subject: [Zen] Re: Buddhist meditation practices To: [email protected] Date: Monday, 11 April, 2011, 1:14 PM "According to Dôgen 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." --- In [email protected], "Bill!" <BillSmart@...> wrote: > > Anthony, > > Thank you for your language lesson. > > For me and in the context of zen 'shikantaza' will always mean 'clear mind'. > The English phrase 'just sit' will also always mean 'clear mind'. In fact the > word 'zen' for means means 'clear mind', so when I say 'zazen' I mean 'sit > zen' or 'sit clear mind' - which is for me 'shikantaza' I wouldn't think > anyone associated with zen would think that this included daydreaming or > thinking about anything at all. > > Having said all that I have heard the term 'zazen' to also describe sitting > and working on koans. For me that's not truely zazen. That's focused > meditation and is a teaching technique used as a precursor to zazen (clear > mind). > > Oh well, such is the tangled web of words...Bill!
