"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 contentis the highest or
purest form of zazen, zazen as it was practiced by all the buddhas of
the past."
--- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, "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!
