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SHIKANTAZA, or "just sitting," is alert nonselective attention
which neither pursues nor suppresses thoughts, sensations, etc., but, rather,
gives alert detached attention to whatever arises in and vanishes from
consciousness.
One way to categorize the meditation practice of shikantaza, or
“just sitting” is as an objectless meditation. This is a definition in terms of
what is not. One just sits, not concentrating on ant particular object of
awareness, unlike most traditional meditation practices, Buddhist and
non-Buddhist, that involve intent focus on a particular object. Such objects
traditionally have included colored disks, candle flames, various aspects of
breath, incantations, ambient sound, physical sensations or postures, spiritual
figures, mandalas (including geometric arrangements of such figures or of
symbols representing them), teaching stories or key phrases from such stories.
Some of these concentration practices are in the background of the shikantaza
practice tradition, or have been included with shikantaza in its actual lived
experience by practitioners.
But objectless meditation focuses on clear, nonjudgmental, panoramic attention
to all of the myriad arising phenomena in the present experience. Such
objectless meditation is a potential universally available to conscious beings,
and has been expressed at various times in history. This just sitting is not a
meditation technique or practice, or any thing at all. “Just sitting” is a verb
rather than noun, the dynamic activity of being fully present.
The specific practice experience of shikantaza was first articulate in the Soto
lineage (Caodong in Chinese) by the Chinese master Hongzhi Zhengjue (1091-1157);
Wanshi Shogaku in Japanese), and further elaborated by the Japanese Soto founder
Eihei Dogen (1200-1253).
But prior to their expressions of this experience, there are hints of this
practice in ome earlier teachers of the tradition. The founding teachers of this
lineage of this lineage run from Shitou Xiqian (700-790);Sekito Kisen in
Japanese), two generations after the Chinese Sixth Ancestor, through three
generations to Dongshan Liangjie (807-869; Tozan Ryokai in Japanese), the
usually recognized founder of the Caodong, or Soto, lineage in China.
Shikantaza is the practice of doing each activity in our life
for the sake of that activity, regardless of whether we are sitting, lying,
walking, or standing, or working. However, this term has been used mainly with
regards to zazen (meditation). It is the ultimate stage of meditation in the
school of Soto Zen. It means that when we are sitting down to meditate, we are
wholeheartedly sitting down to meditate and not working out our problems. And
therefore the simplified translation of Shikantaza is ‘merely sitting.’ It also
means that if the aim of meditation is to empty the mind of thoughts, then that
is exactly what we should do. Emptying the mind is the most difficult thing to
achieve in meditation. The function of the mind is to think, and thoughts of the
past, present and future will inevitably arise when we sit in a semi-lotus with
our eyes shut. The busier is our day, the more thoughts we will have. As a
preliminary preparation, one should have as few problems in our daily affairs as
possible. That is why going into a monastery where there are hardly any daily
chores and where one does not have to earn a living is the ideal.
But if one has to remain a working layman, then get a job with the least
emotional outlay. In order to pacify the mind the most important philosophy to
believe in is the G-plan.
One’s G-plan was fashioned and concocted before one was born (read article on
G-plan). If one believes in one’s G-plan, then one will realize that there is
really very little free will. And one’s G-plan will inevitably unfold
relentlessly, in spite of one’s efforts to the contrary. If that is the case,
there are no grounds for worry and anxiety: whatever will be will be. Believing
in the G-plan goes a long way towards minimizing anxieties and worries. Look for
a simple job. Then the next most important exercise is to detach oneself from
everything: assets, money, position and relationships. One’s daily mantra should
be: "Let go." One has to practice Shikantaza on a daily basis, as often as one
is able.
Before one can start practicing Shikantaza, one should learn how to concentrate
with Samatha meditation. (Read lectures on Meditation and Progressive Stages of
One-pointed Concentration). Do this for six to twelve months. Then one may
practice Insight Meditation (Vipassana lecture) for at least six months. So
after these one to two years of preparation one can now embark on Shikantaza.
Just Sitting
Sitting in a semi-lotus position, one should move one’s body forward, backward
and sideways to relax it. Then one can either shut one’s eyes or leave them open
or half-open. When the eyes are shut, there will be many thoughts. When they are
open, one may be distracted by what one sees in the room. Either way, one has to
achieve a state of no thoughts. Do not try to trace the beginning of a thought.
The best way is to let the thoughts plough through one’s consciousness without
paying attention to them. It is like staying on the roadside of a busy street
watching the cars go by. Do not try to identify the make of the cars. Do not try
to find out who are in the cars. One starts standing there from 6 p.m. until 4
a.m. By 4 a.m. there will be either very few cars passing or no cars at all. Use
the same method in dealing with thoughts. Let the thoughts pass through your
mind. Do not look at them or work on them, even though they maybe immediate,
cogent problems. Thoughts will finally come to an end if one ignores these
thoughts. This deed can be much more easily accomplished if one is totally
detached from work, possessions and relationships. Stay in that position of no
thoughts for as long as one can. When it becomes very steady, one can bring that
emptiness down to the heart chakra. In this way, one is deepening one’s
emptiness into the Void. This deepening of emptiness must be practiced intensely
and relentlessly. A time will come when a breakthrough will suddenly come about.
This is when body and mind have dropped away (the eradication of the ego). This
is the realization of non-duality. The light has shed into the Unconsciousness
of Buddha-nature. This is satori. This first satori will inevitably be weak.
After this, one’s zazen practice must continue at the same pace and with the
same frequency as before. The satori will gather strength at each successive
episode of satori until the final one.
Now in order to complete the full Shikantaza practice, one should also practice
mindfulness in every action, conversation and thought outside of formal sitting.
(Read ‘Meditation in Action.’) This is the reason for wanting an environment as
in a monastery. However, the same environment can be gotten if one has enough
resources to stay alone in a home in order to practice there. You are behaving
as a monk in your own monastery without the chores and without the interaction
of other monks. The practice here is to act, or have a conversation without
having any thoughts. When you are to think, just work at that problem in your
mind without any other distracting thoughts. You wholeheartedly concentrate on
that problem alone and nothing else. At the beginning you have to slow down a
little, but when you are proficient, you can carry on at a normal pace.
An excellent introduction to Shikantaza practice is the book The Art of Just Sitting
FOR PLACES TO LEARN AND PRACTICE MEDITATION
PLEASE CHECK
THIS WEEK IN MINDFULNESS
Meditation article July 16, 2004 Commercial Appeal
Meditation can boost your gray matter Nov. 13, 2005 MSNBC Article
“Meditation Can Alter Structure of the Brain”
”. . . Meditation May Boost Brain Size. . .”
“Meditation May Alter Brain, Delay Aging”
“New study shows meditation feeds brain”
“The power of Om. . .”
“Building up the brain.”
“Regular meditation slows the ageing"
An excellent series of online audio offerings on the art and science of
meditation is offered by Joseph Goldstein at
BuddhaNet at:
http://www.buddhanet.net/audio-meditation.htm.
This is not a comprehensive or exclusive guide, but a
suggested outline for practice.
Mediators are strongly recommended to seek a trustworthy and experienced
"spiritual friend" or teacher for ongoing advice.
