Thus have I heard: An old zen master was abbot of a training monastery. One night, he was lecturing the new monks about meditation [much like Shozan in this video], "Monks, when you sit in meditation, just sit. That's the secret, to do one thing and one thing only." The young monks were inspired and so sat through the night due to their zeal. The next morning, after experiencing some jhana or another that past night due to the abbot's instruction, one of the young monks went into the kitchen for breakfast...but he dropped his bowl out of shock at the sight of the abbot alone at the table with a newspaper along with his breakfast! Without so much as turning his head, the abbot took a sip of coffee and spoke to the newspaper, "When you read the newspaper, just read. When you eat breakfast, just eat. When you eat breakfast and read the newspaper, just eat and read."
One instruction I heard is that the way you hold your hands in zazen, you should imagine a beam extending from the hands and that the beam should extend straight ahead (not up or down or to the side). That got me to imagine in Star Wars, along with x fighters you could have zen fighters. So that the spaceships would be in the form of someone sitting in zazen with the laser beam shooting from the hands.
Good video Jack. I like the point you make about doing ONE THING. It’s something that’s beneficial away from the cushion. It’s far too easy to fall into the multitasking trap which, while useful/essential in some instances, really detracts from many experiences. I have to constantly remind myself of this.
Well said! I actually never thought about it from the point of view of multitasking, but you’re totally right. It’s really the same principle whether you’re on the cushion or off.
I have no formal credentials and Jack may have a more in-depth answer, but the key point with shikantaza physically speaking is that your pelvis is angled slightly forwards and your posture is aligned so as to allow for the deepest possible breathing (I think of it like there's an inner tube below my belly button that I am inflating with each breath). No reason why that can't take place in a chair. Or even standing!
Thanks - despite having a 25 year householder practise, I'm finding loads of excuses not to sit these days - strangely (or not) this coincides with having set up a local weekly zazen group.
Hey, thanks a lot for this. Your videos never fail to give me something to think about. Happy holidays, I hope the Austrian Gluhwein doesn't impair your meditation practice.
Great video! It gives me some kind of validation that you're on Shikantaza even though you trained in Rinzai, my only Zendo around here is Korean Seon; i haven't been able to make myself actually go sit there because it's (probably) not Shikantaza 🥴 Do you have any advice on that? Should I still go but just quitely be sitting Shikantaza even if everyone else isn't?
Another excellent video. Thanks! I had never heard the Sumo posture analogy before but I think it is spot on. Though both are good, in my mind, you win the wrestling analogy battle with your teacher. Keep up the good work! Time for me to go and just sit.
Man oh man ! This is kind of controversial. I believe Dōgen said Zazen is NOT meditation. So did the Chinese Silent Illumination guys. But I think they said this in order to eliminate striving for particular results more than anything. It’s a very skillful way to put it. I think it is “meditation” as it takes out of our normal everyday crusades. And a very radical one indeed
I've tried susokukan but can't seem to sustain it. I always lapse back into shikantaza. Does that make sense? I hardly practice these days, but your video has inspired me to get back into it. Thanks! 🙏
@@WoodsyLadyM I never knew that counting the breath had a name like that, we don't call it that in our Zendo! I use susokukan sometimes to settle myself into shikantaza, sometimes I find it's how I relax completely into posture, I sometimes wonder if it's a help with an ADHD brain like mine.
Thus have I heard: An old zen master was abbot of a training monastery. One night, he was lecturing the new monks about meditation [much like Shozan in this video], "Monks, when you sit in meditation, just sit. That's the secret, to do one thing and one thing only."
The young monks were inspired and so sat through the night due to their zeal.
The next morning, after experiencing some jhana or another that past night due to the abbot's instruction, one of the young monks went into the kitchen for breakfast...but he dropped his bowl out of shock at the sight of the abbot alone at the table with a newspaper along with his breakfast!
Without so much as turning his head, the abbot took a sip of coffee and spoke to the newspaper, "When you read the newspaper, just read. When you eat breakfast, just eat. When you eat breakfast and read the newspaper, just eat and read."
One instruction I heard is that the way you hold your hands in zazen, you should imagine a beam extending from the hands and that the beam should extend straight ahead (not up or down or to the side). That got me to imagine in Star Wars, along with x fighters you could have zen fighters. So that the spaceships would be in the form of someone sitting in zazen with the laser beam shooting from the hands.
That's really interesting, I never heard that instruction before. Thank you!
Good video Jack. I like the point you make about doing ONE THING. It’s something that’s beneficial away from the cushion. It’s far too easy to fall into the multitasking trap which, while useful/essential in some instances, really detracts from many experiences. I have to constantly remind myself of this.
Well said! I actually never thought about it from the point of view of multitasking, but you’re totally right. It’s really the same principle whether you’re on the cushion or off.
Classic.
Thank you my friend.
I'd appreciate some discussion about doing zazen while sitting in a chair. Kneeling or sitting lotus is quite difficult for me because of joint pain.
Ok Rob, thank you. Let me think about this one...
I have no formal credentials and Jack may have a more in-depth answer, but the key point with shikantaza physically speaking is that your pelvis is angled slightly forwards and your posture is aligned so as to allow for the deepest possible breathing (I think of it like there's an inner tube below my belly button that I am inflating with each breath).
No reason why that can't take place in a chair. Or even standing!
I needed this today!! thank you
You're so welcome!
Thanks - despite having a 25 year householder practise, I'm finding loads of excuses not to sit these days - strangely (or not) this coincides with having set up a local weekly zazen group.
Yeah those excuses are wily aren’t they!!
thanks bra
Bitte, bra.
Hey, thanks a lot for this. Your videos never fail to give me something to think about. Happy holidays, I hope the Austrian Gluhwein doesn't impair your meditation practice.
I hope so too! Thanks for the comments, my friend, I appreciate it.
@@zenconfidential25 thanks, and einen guten Rutsch, as they say in German
Best video yet Jack. Thanks!!!!
Wow, thanks!
Great video!
It gives me some kind of validation that you're on Shikantaza even though you trained in Rinzai, my only Zendo around here is Korean Seon; i haven't been able to make myself actually go sit there because it's (probably) not Shikantaza 🥴
Do you have any advice on that? Should I still go but just quitely be sitting Shikantaza even if everyone else isn't?
Oh yes definitely go, why not? You can sit however you choose.
Another excellent video. Thanks! I had never heard the Sumo posture analogy before but I think it is spot on. Though both are good, in my mind, you win the wrestling analogy battle with your teacher. Keep up the good work! Time for me to go and just sit.
Glad you enjoyed it! Now go sit!! (Me too)
Thanks for this. Very helpful with my ongoing meditation struggle. Hope you have a great Christmas.
D
Thank you! Yeah, for me having an ongoing meditation practice capital IS having going meditation struggles if you know what I mean.
@@zenconfidential25 indeed!
jajajajajajaja :)
Lol so profound, bro.
Thanks bro! ;)
So : is Shikantaza meditation or not ?- nvm you answered it towards the end of the video. Great one. Thanks for sharing
What do you say?
Man oh man ! This is kind of controversial. I believe Dōgen said Zazen is NOT meditation. So did the Chinese Silent Illumination guys. But I think they said this in order to eliminate striving for particular results more than anything. It’s a very skillful way to put it. I think it is “meditation” as it takes out of our normal everyday crusades. And a very radical one indeed
Merry Christmas/ Happy Bodhi Day !
Simple yes, not necessarily easy...
You said it!
So from now on it's shikantaza straight down the line. No more susokukan for you? Not that I mind. 😉
Good question. Susokukan ok too. I haven’t done it in a while though.
I've tried susokukan but can't seem to sustain it. I always lapse back into shikantaza. Does that make sense? I hardly practice these days, but your video has inspired me to get back into it. Thanks! 🙏
@@WoodsyLadyM I never knew that counting the breath had a name like that, we don't call it that in our Zendo! I use susokukan sometimes to settle myself into shikantaza, sometimes I find it's how I relax completely into posture, I sometimes wonder if it's a help with an ADHD brain like mine.
@@ryanjohnson7354 I learned about it from Meido Moore's "The Rinzai Zen Way." It's an excellent introduction to Rinzai practice.