ED,
>"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." How could it be anything other? Mike ________________________________ From: ED <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Mon, 11 April, 2011 14:14:50 Subject: [Zen] Re: Buddhist meditation practices "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!
