Bill!, The nearest Christian meditation to shikantaza I can think of is the one Chris mentioned he went to. Wasn't it the Quaker sect?
Mike ________________________________ From: Bill! <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, 4 August 2012, 2:20 Subject: Re: [Zen] Samadhi Mike, You are right that "...being overwhelmed emotionally..." and shikantaza are absolutely not the same things. I still think the closest Christian equivalent to shikantaza I know of would silent communion with God which is usually thought of as being filled with the Holy Ghost. Now, when you experience this the first time, just as when you become aware of Buddha Nature for the first time, there certainly can be a lot of both emotional and physical reactions. Shikantaza, however, is 'just sitting' - at one with Buddha Nature or 'filled with the Holy Spirit' and nothing more. IMO...Bill! --- In [email protected], mike brown <uerusuboyo@...> wrote: > > Kris, > > I know absolutely sweet f.a about Christianity, never mind Christian forms of > meditation, so I'll accept what you say about grace, being open and 'just > this'. I would still, however, argue that being overwhelmed emotionally at > feeling like you are being filled with the Holy Ghost, or whatever else, is > not observing with equanimity and is therefore not shikantaza. If I sit down > to practice shikantaza and I have a feeling that my dead grandmother is with > me, is it still shikantaza if I feel overwhelmed and start bawling my eyes > out? Or does Jesus get a free pass? > > Mike > > > > ________________________________ > From: Kristopher Grey <kris@...> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Friday, 3 August 2012, 19:33 > Subject: Re: [Zen] Samadhi > > >  > 'Grace' - symbolized by the intersection of the cross. The non-point > appearing to rest on the horizon between heaven and earth, where from both > spring from... Just this... > > There are Christian meditative practices... though not > taught/practiced by the consumer Christians. Prayer, real prayer > not asking for magic favors, it is a form of meditation. Like > other meditation, some prayers have a focus, some do not. A > completely open prayer - openess to what is/will be - simply being > - is this not also 'shikantaza'? > > Look past the differences, and there is only this. > > KG > > > On 8/3/2012 6:24 AM, Bill! wrote: > >  > >Mike, > > > >I would describe it as something similar to being filled > with the Holy Spirit and giving yourself over COMPLETELY > to God's will. > > > >Bill! (not Joe or Bill) > > > >--- In [email protected], mike brown <uerusuboyo@> wrote: > >> > >> Joe, > >> > >> How would you describe shikantaza to someone from a > religion such as Christianity? > >> > >> Mike > >> > >> > >> > >> ________________________________ > >> From: Joe <desert_woodworker@> > >> To: [email protected] > >> Sent: Friday, 3 August 2012, 3:24 > >> Subject: Re: [Zen] Samadhi > >> > >> > >>  > >> Shikantaza is "just keeping empty". In the Zen sect. > >> > >> I'll say no more! > >> > >> --Joe > >> > >> > > >> >"ED" <seacrofter001@> wrote: > >> > > >> > Mike, > >> > > >> > Is shikantaza insight meditation, absorption > meditation or both? > >> > > > > >
