You might think that you can maintain it for longer, but this state will naturally loosen. Sep 05, 2015 shikantaza is not really a beginners method because it is more akin to the completesudden shikan zhiguan than to the gradual or variable shikan stages of the beginner or intermediate capacity practitioners. Meditation is the process of silencing your thoughts and getting in touch with the deepest part of yourself. He may deny his method is shikantaza because he believes he discovered the awareness watching awareness method of selfinquiry, but his method is no more or less than shikantaza, sitting in silence, doing nothing. Such an understanding of zazen assumes that a certain state of mind can be reached by manipulation, technique or method.
Zen meditation is the technique which gradually takes us to the state of absolute stillness and emptiness. The word meditation stems from meditatum, a latin term that means to ponder. A method of zen meditation 3 the most famous zen monk in the 19th and 20th centuries, practiced and taught huatou meditation as his favorite form of meditation practice. Buddhist meditation is the practice of meditation in buddhism and buddhist philosophy. According to merv fowler, shikantaza is described best as, quiet sitting in open awareness, reflecting directly the reality of life. Since i began talking up shikantaza, the method of no method, i definitely have not been inundated with people reporting their new love for, commitment to, and curiosity about shikantaza. Core meditation techniques have been preserved in ancient buddhist texts and have proliferated and diversified through teacherstudent transmissions.
Walking meditation is a wonderful complement to your seated meditation practice. In fact, some say shikantaza is not even considered a practice or meditation. The only truly good instructions ive ever found on shikantaza that genuinely worked for me are shinzens instructions. There seems to be a common misunderstanding about zazen, which some people think of as a technique for reaching a state of no thought. Shikantaza shikantaza, sometimes called just sitting, is the subtle and radically nondual practice at the heart of soto zen practice. The silent illumination method dharma drum mountain chicago. Some small suzuki roshi on shikantaza from suzuki roshi archive student a. Some small suzuki roshi on shikantaza from suzuki roshi. Just sitting is a verb rather than a noun, the dynamic activity of being fully present. Anapanasati can also be practiced with other traditional meditation subjects including the four frames of reference and mettabhavana. How to do walking meditation 11 techniques liveanddare. Shikantaza, or just sitting, is the most direct of practices in all of buddhism. So sit half an hour to an hour, then stand up and do a period of kinhin, walking meditation. When practicing shikantaza you dont focus on anything in particular.
It is not exclusive to one sector of society or a specific type of person or culture. It is a mental exercise that trains your mind to focus on one or more elements or objects. This method fosters an abiding sense of presence and alertness. Master dogen said, to study the buddha way is to study the self, to study the self is to forget the self, and to forget the self is to be enlightened by the ten thousand.
Unlike many other forms of meditation, shikantaza does not require focused attention on a. This is a 10minute guided meditation from a group called the honest guys. The irony is, this ludicroussounding method of no method can be a direct gateway into exactly what it is were looking for. Meditation can mean many different things to many different people.
The practice of meditation has certainly been recognized as a key method that can help. The image symbolizes a watching that naturally turns to flight without the intermediary of thought. Okumura roshi has been sitting zazen for over 35 years and is an acclaimed zen buddhist teacher, translator and author. Once or twice a day, i sit facing a wall in my home1. Cultivating the empty field is a modern translation of the core of chinese chan master hongzhis extensive record.
Meditation comes with many benefits including boosting mood, increasing energy, and tempering stress. In the zen tradition, anapanasati is practiced with zazen or shikantaza in the soto tradition. Quizlet flashcards, activities and games help you improve your grades. This peerless volume brings together a wealth of writings, from the buddha himself to bodhidharma and dogen and many of modern zen buddhisms most influential masters, all pointing directly to the heart of this powerful practice. French, without whose help regarding fine points in the translation and without whose editorial acuteness this task might have proved too difficult. Inhale sharply through the nose, with 1 short and 1 long inhalation double breath tense the whole body until it vibrates with energy. Shikantaza and gautama the buddhas pleasant way of living. Shikantazaor just sittingis one of the simplest, most subtle forms of meditation, and one of the most easily misunderstood. The advice regarding the posture of meditation is very similar among the different styles of seated practice, so i will go in to more detail about it only once, when talking about the first technique zen meditation i have strived to include a is it for me. Shikantaza is a japanese translation of a chinese term for zazen to refer to a practice called silent illumination. Do this tense and relax exercise to help you relax. Mindfitness is a zenbased meditation technique developed.
Meditation makes you powerful, happy, and eventually enlightened. It was popularized by the chinese zen master tahui 1089 1163 a member of the linchi sect of zen. The silent illumination of zen master hongzhi zen doodle. It is an analytical method based on mindfulness, awareness, vigilance, observation. Holotropic breathwork is an experiential method of selfexploration and psychotherapy that my late wife christina and i developed at the esalen institute in big sur, california, in the mid 1970s. Amir mourad speaks briefly about the methodless strategy of shikantaza just sitting and explains why the idea of the expansion of consciousness is a myth. Just sitting is misleading as shikantaza is not something that comes easily. Mindfitness is a zenbased meditation technique developed by treehouse which elevates the mind to concentrate and focus on leadership, creativity and innovation mindfulness meditation is commonly practiced by athletes, scientists, artists and business people and has become a mainstream activity to improve physical and mental wellbeing. New perspectives in psychotherapy and selfexploration stanislav grof, m.
This is another guided meditation focusing on the body scan, though it is only 10 minutes long. He is the head priest and founder of sanshin zen community located in bloomington, indiana. Shikantaza zen meditation zazen sitting practise music. Shikantaz and shikantaza are meditation school of thought that was set up in the thirteenth century by dogen zenji the originator of the soto meditation university. In the end, the best meditation technique and the one that will help you gain the. For some people, it is actually an introduction for it, since it is easier to start with. Through the practice of meditation, we can seek to find a better connection with our body in the everyday moments that we often let pass us by, and create stronger awareness. Perhaps an easier approach to start with is to clarify what meditation is not.
These have been used in meditation at least, from the time of the buddha to present. Following, are described the main and more popular ones. Before you begin to meditate, it is helpful to keep these things in mind to get the most from your meditation practice. All you need is a little instruction on how to train your brain, and before you know it, youll be harnessing the power of your mind and improving your life. Whichever method you choose, keep in mind that a consistent practiceeven just quieting the mind for five minutes a dayis more useful than sessions that are longer but infrequent. Shikantaza is best practiced under the guidance of a teacher, lest it become what eido roshi once called shikanwaste of time. During such meditation retreats, typically a week in length, the practitioner engages in breathcounting practice, rinzai koan study or soto shikantaza, just sitting, for ten or more hours a day. Silent refers to not using any specific method of meditation and having no thoughts in your mind. For sheer intensity and singularity of purpose, participating in a sesshin is the essence of zen monastic practice. Meditation can, it seems, bring both physical and mental benefits to those who practise it regularly.
First to articulate the meditation method known to contemporary zen practitioners as shikantaza just sitting chinese zen master hongzhi is one of the most influential poets in all of. It isnt about trying to achieve a particular state of mind. If the above mindfulness meditation video seems too long for you to try, give this one a listen. Mindfulness is being mindful of something and shikantaza is being mindful of nothing in particular.
It is generally characterized as goalless meditation, that is, it is the methodless method of meditation or the method of no method. The best time to meditate is in the morning after you have taken a shower. It is the method of no method, and invites us to just sit in stillness and openness, perceiving things simply and directly as they are, without engaging in thought, including thoughts of motivation. In fact, zen is known as the meditation school of buddhism. For a history on the origin of the faithbased buddhist practice called zazen, read dogens manuals of zen meditation by bielefeldt. The last post introduced the image of a baby bird learning how to fly by watching its parents. So id like to say a few things about our practice of zazen, or. Meditation techniques pdf book for beginners free download.
Zazen instruction the following is a written record of a zazen instruction class given by shohaku okumura to a group of students. Ive been funneling my study of shikantaza, or just sitting, through the writings of zen master eihei dogen. While tahui did not invent this method of meditation, he. Exploring shikantaza, retreats, and koans greater boston. Zazen, a form of seated meditation, is at the very heart of zen practice. I sit for twenty minutes, a halfhour, sometimes more.
Mindfulness meditation videos, exercises, books and. Its original chinese name, mochao, means silent illumination. Learn more about shikantaza, zazen and meditation in the soto zen school. Zoketsu norman fischer one way to categorize the meditation practice of shikantaza, or just sitting, is as an objectless meditation. In helping me reach this goal, i wish to thank sam langberg and dr. And this practice is for everyoneeven those of us who think we cant sit still. Essential writings on the zen practice of shikantaza kindle edition by loori, john daido, leighton, taigen dan. Because shikantaza is so easily misconstrued, at gbzc, we teach shikantaza only after someone has gained substantial familiarity with breathcounting. Zazen is fundamentally a useless and pointless activity. Most of what i will say is based on the writings of dogen zenji. Silent illumination is the simultaneous practice of stillness and clarity, or. Ive learnt that in spite of its continuous use by zen monks over the centuries there is no one universal description of the practice. Hi, most zen folks do not realize that the actual master linji yixuan master rinzai.
The japanese term shikantaza literally means just sitting. In contrast to what we might expect of shikantaza meditation sessions full of mind wandering and boredom the zen masters describe the practice like this. This is the zen practice of shikantaza, or just sitting. The comprehension of the long or short of inhalation or exhalation was only one element in gautamas setting up of mindfulness. When you thoroughly practice shikantaza you will sweateven in the winter. Shikantaza just sitting the methodless method youtube. An approach that requires no mediation of technique, shikantaza is. In this post i will explore the importance and the how to of walking meditation in the traditions of buddhism, yoga, and daoism taoism. How to meditate meditation techniques by paramhansa.
And because its so easy to deceive ourselves with a story about just sitting, it. A method of zen meditation1 stuart lachs 2262012 this paper discusses a form of meditation practice known in chinese as hua tou. Evans key concepts th e main objective of the meditative experience is to shift the focus of the mind away from the frenzied thoughts of everyday living, such as worries about work, family, fi nances, or simply the todo list of the day. Some mantras include hindu, yoga and buddhist practices.
First to articulate the meditation method known to contemporary zen practitioners as shikantaza just sitting chinese zen master hongzhi is one. Here, meditators learn to allow thoughts to flow through their minds without judgment, grasping or rejection. The soto buddhist church claims to teach people zen. Meditation is openended, free, available to anyone, and offers great benefits. Holotropic breathwork is an experiential method of selfexploration and psychotherapy that my wife christina and i developed at the esalen institute in big sur, california, in the mid 1970s. Pdf cultivating the empty field download full pdf book. We say there is no such thing like shikantaza, you know, actually. It is a form of zazen practice found in japanese zen buddhism, and is similar to taoist zuowang sitting and forgetting practice.
The buddha developed another form of meditation, called vipassana or vipashyana, which means insight. Basic chakra meditation techniques meditation is the process of expanding your awareness. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the art of just sitting. Oct 02, 2019 shikantaza is japanese for just sitting. But in comparison to koan practice, webecause we dont use, you know, koan, people say that is shikantaza. First to articulate the meditation method known to contemporary zen practitioners as shikantaza just sitting chinese zen master hongzhi is one of the most influential poets in all of zen literature. I am often asked how what we are doing compares to the kind of theravadist meditation done at spirit rock. The silent illumination method dharma drum mountain. Meditation its theory and practice chapter 1 the meaning and method of meditation the art of meditation is not a job to be performed as one does the duties of ones profession in life, for all activities of life are in the form of a function of ones individuality or personality which is to a large extent. As such, it is a symbol of shikantaza, or just sitting meditation. The book consists of 112 meditation scripts which will guide you through entire meditation process. These benefits, according to medical studies, range from improvements in concentration and reasoning power to improved immune system activity, and relief from conditions such as insomnia and blood pressure. This just sitting is not a meditation technique or practice, or anything at all.
If you would like to explore the practice, i would recommend that you visit jundo cohens tree leaf zendo at there you will find detailed instructions, as well as a daily opportunity to sit with jundo in shikantaza. Shikantaza or just sittingis one of the simplest, most subtle forms of meditation, and one of the most easily misunderstood. Nevertheless, it is one of the most easiest and effective meditation technique. Zen buddhist zen study guide by capitalm includes 46 questions covering vocabulary, terms and more. Essential writings on the zen practice of shikantaza. Whenever theres a newspaper story about meditation, they trot out a piece of art that depicts a person in flowing clothes with a blissful smile that suggests theyve emptied out their brain and replaced it with cotton candy. Shikantaza is often termed a goalless meditation in quiet awareness, not working on any koan, or counting the breath. Shikantaza involves sitting very still and looking at a blank wall a few feet away for long periods of time. Meditation does not involve ending the thought process. This form of meditation does not repose on a focal point such as the breath. Sep 20, 2019 absolutely no form of meditation is going to seem easy or fruitful or fun all the time, so just sticking with it is what seems to bring positive results. Read download cultivating the empty field pdf pdf download.
Such intensely heightened alertness of mind cannot be maintained for long periods of time. The japanese call this practice shikantaza, or just sitting. It is an alert condition, performed erect, with no trace of sluggishness or drowsiness. In the west, zazen is usually translated as zen meditation or sitting. His work consists of chongzhis works which relates to quiet illumination to help shed light on just what moderns scholars described shikantaza.